Page 143 of Princess of Vengeance

“Vicious?” Atlas asks, straightening on the couch. “What’s going on?”

Instead of answering, I set the knife on the coffee table and peel off my shirt. The cool air of the room raises goosebumps on my skin as I stand there in just my bra.

I trace my fingers over the tattoos on my breast—marked through with the lines I carved the night Malcolm took me.

“You owe me,” I say. “New marks for this new beginning.”

46

QUINN

For a long moment,no one moves. Nico’s gaze drops to the thin scar across the rings on my chest—their marks crossed out by my own hand. I see the storm of emotions in his eyes—possessiveness, tenderness, and still some leftover pain from that night.

And then there’s something dark and hungry that makes heat pool in my belly.

I glance at Atlas and see that same heat reflected in his gaze as he looks me up and down. His jaw is tight, and the muscles in his throat visibly work as he swallows hard. His hand rests on his thigh, his fingers flexing like he’s fighting the urge to reach for me.

Killian stands perfectly still, the way he always does when he’s feeling something intensely. Only his eyes betray him, burning with a need that I can almost feel in the air between us.

Goosebumps race across my skin, and I resist the urge to cross my arms over my chest. I feel vulnerable but not exposed. I feel seen. Wanted. Chosen.

“Well?” I look at each of them again in turn. “Are you gonna make me ask twice?”

Atlas is the first to break the spell, rising from the couch and approaching me slowly, giving me time to change my mind. Like I would. Like I haven’t been wanting this for too damn long.

“You don’t have to do this now,” he says. “You’re still healing. We can wait.”

I smile up at him and touch his face, tracing the line of his jaw. “Maybe you can,” I tell him honestly. “But I can’t. I could be at death’s door, and the last thing—the only thing—I’d want in this life would be your marks on my skin.”

“If you’re sure…”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything,” I say, meaning every word.

That’s all it takes. His control snaps, and he surges forward, claiming my mouth in a kiss that takes my breath away. His hands cup my face, holding me like I’m something precious even as his mouth takes mine with a hunger that matches my own.

I lean into him, fisting my hands in his shirt. I want more. I need more.

There’s movement behind me, and then Nico is there, his chest warm against my back as his hands slide around my waist. His lips find the sensitive spot where my neck meets my shoulder, and I shiver, caught between them.

“So fucking beautiful,” Nico murmurs against my skin. “Our sexy, stubborn wife.”

Atlas breaks the kiss, his breathing ragged as he stares down at me. His pupils are blown wide, and he blinks like he’s coming out of a dream. “You’re really sure about this?” he asks again, like he’s afraid they’re going to break me or something.

“Yes,” I breathe, arching back against Nico. “I want this. I want you. All of you.”

I don’t hear Killian crossing the room to join us, but I feel his hand slide into my hair, gripping it just firmly enough to tilt myhead back. His kiss is different from Atlas’s—more controlled, more deliberate, but no less intense.

When he pulls back, I’m gasping and my lips are tingling from the force of his kiss. “You’ll wear our marks again,” he says. “And everyone will know you’re ours. Forever.”

“Yes,” I nod, feeling Nico’s lips trail down the base of my neck while Atlas steadies me with his hands on my waist. “And you’re mine.”

“Always have been.” Nico’s voice vibrates through me. “Since the first moment I saw you.”

Killian steps back and reaches for the knife but Nico stops him. “Not here. Not like this.”

With a quick nod, Killian seems to understand. He moves forward again, sliding his good arm around me and lifting me off my feet in one smooth motion. I wrap my legs around his waist instinctively and throw my arms around his neck.

But the movement jars his injured shoulder, and he grunts in pain, letting his grip on me falter for just a second.

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