Page 67 of Savage Hearts

I leaned down to let my lips run gently up and down the curve of her jawline. “One of these days, that mouth of yours will get you in trouble.”

“And I suppose you’ll be the one to dole out the punishment?”

It was on the tip of my tongue to say gladly, but something about the tone of her voice stopped me.

“Not the way your father did, little monster. I would never take a fucking whip to your back.”

The mere thought of all she’d had to endure under Daniel Hayes made me murderous.

I hadn’t seen the scars closely. Not the way Silas had, but I knew they were there. Even if Silas hadn’t told us, I had felt the ridges on her skin. I had seen the way she’d reacted to the knife. The fear in her eyes was unlike any emotion she had shown me before.

I knew she was scared of me. Of us. But when I pulled out that knife, she was more than that. She was terrified. I recognized the look well. It had been in the eyes of men kneeling before me, right before I sent them to meet their maker.

I reveled in that look on those men.

It was addictive. It was a high I wanted to recreate over and over.

The power I got from making lesser men fear me.

But I fucking hated that look on her face. I had been hit with a strong urge to eradicate her fear completely.

I was curious about the reason why she’d gotten so scared, and I found myself wondering if it had more to do with her not wanting to carry the marks of violence on her skin any more than that she was afraid it would hurt.

She shouldn’t have to worry about that with me. With any of my brothers.

Any mark we left on her wouldn’t be permanent.

I wanted to own her, not break her.

And I didn’t know why I was getting so fucking protective of this tiny girl.

It should be messed up that I didn’t want anyone to hurt her but my brothers and me.

And how badly I wanted to.

Not take a whip to her, but to watch her pale ass turn red after a well-deserved punishment.

My cock got hard just thinking about it.

I pressed a small smile against her skin, reveling in the softness, the delicateness of such a sweet girl in my arms.

“I can think of ways to punish you when you deserve it.”

She gasped, and went stiff in my arms.

My smile widened.

“I could find a way to occupy your mouth that would be… highly enjoyable.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure. I bite.”

I threw my head back and laughed at the retort. “I’m sure you would enjoy the taste of my cock too much to hurt me that way.”

She stepped back, and one of her eyebrows rose in challenge.

I shook my head at her but didn’t lose my smile. “Or I can just spank your little white ass red until you beg me to stop.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Is that your kink? Treating women like they’re little girls that need to be punished?”

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