Page 55 of V for Vengeance

The last statement felt significant, but he carried on as if it wasn’t.

“The thing is, I have a similar ability. It’s why Eros saw fit to use me. I can create enchanted items with the power I steal from the dead. But unlike her, it can be used. And as you personally witnessed, I can do much more than that. It was the very reason Fae kind are so afraid of Hands of Death. The magic we wield is strengthened by death, made powerful through pain and destruction, and while I’m not proud of it, I spent centuries using it to do whatever benefitted me most. Perhaps humans would call what I did as something closely aligning with a pirate. I rarely did anything without a personal agenda.”

Cash, a pirate? Did he plunder and travel the Fae seas? Hilarious. It weirdly fit him.

I knew his past wasn’t shiny and bright—far from it—but it was hard to hear Cash had been a villain like Phillip always said he was. How many lives had he stolen? How many people had he hurt to serve his purposes? But I couldn’t ask because what I did as a Hunter wasn’t any better.

My family had been a part of the Organization, no matter how much we wished we hadn’t, and I couldn’t argue that our hands were clean. Hell, I was the product of human experimentation, so I fucking knew these hands of mine weren’t clean. Who knewwhat countless acts Grams and my parents had committed in the name of being a Hunter. How many humans and supernatural kind were harmed or even killed under the guise of a mission with a nefarious agenda? I didn’t have the moral high ground here, but I was actively seeking to right the wrongs, and maybe that was the reason his admission gave me pause.

He didn’t need to tell me, but he did. He could’ve kept it to himself and pretended otherwise, but he didn’t. The man in front of me wasn’t the pirate he’d been in the past, and that had to count for something. His support might’ve been born from self-serving reasons, but even I could see that wasn’t the case anymore. If I didn’t give him a chance to show me that he wasn’t the man he’d once been, I’d be a goddamn hypocrite.

Maybe it was wishful thinking because he’d etched his name on my heart, but I wanted to believe that Cash had changed; that he was here to do what we all were doing—punishing the true villains behind countless acts of violence.

Cash sighed, catching my attention again. “That old slag knew that if I’d been given the chance to use my power, I’d gain my freedom. She’s frustratingly clever, so she locked it away before I could. That amulet I recovered from Fredrick was where she’d stored most of my magic, and it’s why I can now do more than I ever could. That’s why Phillip was never aware I had such a power, and it’s why the she-devil looks at me the way she does now. She’s also just as terrifyingly astute as Harmony is.”

Jo knew? That would explain why she was wary around Cash since we’d returned. She saw his magic when we fought Serine and her cloaked dead, and based purely on what I knew about her, she’d figured out he was a Hand of Death. I’d seen how quickly she put things together—faster than Sloan or Phillip—so I wasn’t the least bit surprised.

But why hadn’t she said anything?

Cash’s words put me on edge, and I caught myself looking back the direction Phillip and Jo were. Would they be safe now that his powers had returned? Was I stupid for trusting him despite knowing his past? Would this be a mistake I made that got someone I cared about killed? Another betrayal that would live in my head for the rest of my life?

As if he’d read my mind, Cash took gentle hold of my jaw and turned my head back towards his. “You’re my clever little darling, so of course this has made you wonder ‘Can I trust him?’ but that’s why it’s important you hear me out. Remember when I said you’ll get something I’ve never freely given anyone else? I meant that, love. I’m not asking you to take me at my word, but these powers I recovered, their yours. I’ve only ever used them for myself, but…if you permit me to, you’ll be the first person Ichooseto commit all this power to. Let me be your shield and sword.”

My eyes widened.

The words I’d once vowed in my head to Phillip spilled from the Dark Fae’s mouth. It struck me stupid for a second. I couldn’t fathom how I’d one day have the same words said to me, or that the person saying them would be someone as impossible as a Dark Fae I kept by my side out of necessity. But probably most surprising was how happy it made me. I had trouble keeping the overwhelming feeling to myself. It was a struggle not to smile.

Cash sucked in a breath, his gaze firm and set. “I am yours to command, V.”

He’d never looked as determined as he did now. Like he was proposing. Fuck…was this a proposal? What the hell didI’m yours to commandeven mean?

I didn’t think I’d find my voice, but when I did, I asked, “Why would you do that for me, Cash?”

For the first time in what felt forever, the Dark Fae laughed. “I thought it was clear, but perhaps I’ve been too vague.”

Still not following, I licked my lips. His eyes followed my tongue, his pupils blowing out and nearly devouring all the purple. Another shockwave of sensation slithered down my spine. The Dark Fae looked like a wild animal. The way his eyes traced my lips, neck, and the subtle curve of my body gave my heart a little start.

“I—”

His mouth came down hard on mine, cutting me off. It was a terribly soft but hungry kiss. It made it impossible to think, let alone speak. His lips moved greedily over mine for heartbeats, nipping, tasting, sucking. Never slow. Never cautious. Desperately wanting.

When I returned his kiss, his tongue pushed its way into my mouth and smothered the gasp leaving my throat. I anchored myself to the fabric cloak he’d fashioned like a jacket. I didn’t push him away like my head told me to. I pressed into the kiss. I indulged in the sensation of his sinfully soft mouth devouring mine.

Holy shit was this recovering villain a good kisser. Talk about looking one way and kissing another. I was ensnared, and I couldn’t even find the energy to complain about it. It was that good. Addictive even, as annoying as that was. I couldn’t tease him about being a bad kisser. If anything, I was worried about being the bad kisser between us.

Before I could really put my all into the kiss—I’d hate if he thought I didn’t have any skills—he moved away and waited for his punishment. But all I could do was stare. And the smile he gave me when I didn’t immediately beat him senseless for the stolen kiss made the place between my thighs throb treacherously.

Fuck, that kiss was trouble. A big fucking problem. Maybe the worst thing that could be happening right now. What do I do now? How would I think of anything else? Now that I’dexperienced how good he was at kissing, I was doomed. I needed more. I wanted to know what else he was good at.

I was already indecently wet between my legs, and the asshole had only kissed me for heartbeats. Maybe a minute. How long were our mouths touching? It didn’t feel like enough. I needed more, and I should feel guilty, ashamed, impulsive, stupid, but I didn’t.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Cash’s eyes darted off to the left, then his devastating smile was gone. “Darling, I can get to her in a way they can’t. I’m asking you to trust me. We don’t have time to wait. She’ll be gone before the first rays of light. So I need you to come with me and end this tonight. I’ve waited all this time to take my revenge, and I won’t let her slip away before I can. So, do you trust me to be by your side no matter what happens?”

“What do you mean she’ll be gone?”

“Magnus didn’t return to her. She’ll act fast. She’ll know there’s a chance someone might find her. I…can sense her unease,” he whispered to my continued confusion.

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