Page 81 of Perilous

I look at my apartment door and bite my bottom lip. If I’m reallyfreeand I’m reallysafe, then I can leave, right? I can go for a walk, think about my life, get a cup of coffee…

I hurry to my apartment door and open it. I gasp when I see someone standing against the wall, one foot up, arms folded, staring at me.

He’s gigantic and looks annoyed to be there. He’s chiseled from stone and as gorgeous as Peri.

“Turn that sexy ass of yours around and go back inside,” his voice growls.

“I thought I was…”

“You are. Peri is just a little paranoid. Or maybe he’s just obsessed with you. I’ve never seen him like this before.Oops, I’ve said too much.”

He smirks at me and winks.

“How do I know you’re not one of the bad guys?” I ask, cringing at the wordsbad guys.

He pushes from the wall, now smiling at me. “Oh, I am one of the bad guys, Annika. And in this story, the bad guys are the reason why you’re alive. Plus, my name isDemonic. Do you really think I’m going to show up with roses and kisses?”

I swallow hard, step back into my apartment, then shut the door. And lock it. So I’m sort of free. But I’m definitely safe.

At least for now.

ChapterTwenty-Five

PERILOUS

Annika issafe and Luc looks ready to slit my throat.

There’s a pretty solid chance he will do just that. Which makes my appearance in front of him the big risk that it is. The thing is—I’m not afraid to face death to make a point. I’m not going to hide from Luc because of decisions I’ve made.

“You’re alone,” Luc says as he stands in an empty room with black walls.

It’s dark, quiet, and has the smell of sandalwood and murder lingering.

I nod.

“You trust that she’ll be safe?”

“I claimed her,” I say. “There are rules.”

“You’re going to show up and explain rules to me? After what you did? You fucking defied my orders. You should not be alive right now.”

“But I am alive, Luc. I’ve come to let you know my intentions.”

“Your intentions? Who the fuck do you think you are?”

“I’m the one who does the dirty work. I do the things nobody else will. I take my orders. I take mybeatings. This situation is more of a miscommunication. I didn’t intend for this to happen, Luc. But it did. I’ll finish the job.”

Luc scoffs. “You’re going to kill the woman you claimed?”

“I’ll do whatever I want to her. She’s claimed. She’s mine. She can’t disobey me. So far she hasn’t. That’s why she can barely walk and she needs painkillers to move.”

That makes Luc grin a little.

“You’re a fucking psycho, Perilous,” Luc says. “A monster I’ve created. A monster I’ve unleashed.”

“A monster who will finish what’s been started,” I say to Luc. “I did not come here to debate my sanity. I came here to face you like a man. To see if you were going to kill me. And to make sure you realize if anyone so much as looks at Annika the wrong way, I will rip their eyes out with my bare hands.”

“This has an entire new meaning to this, Perilous,” Luc says. “You’re impeding me. You’re in my fucking way right now.”

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