Page 32 of The Devil of London

“Why won’t you tell me the truth? You’ve done everything but fuck me, Khaos. Or why don’t you tell me which one of your men you allow to fuck me? I know it is one of them because it always feels the same when he is with me. If you want the truth, let’s get it all out there.”

“Drop it, now,” he snarled as the car veered toward a cliff. He jerked it back onto the road, but my chest was heaving with the panic. “When we get there, you’ll keep your fucking mouth shut unless I grant you permission to speak. There are other witches present, and you will play nice.”

“I cannot cast with a coven,” I hissed. “Non ducor, duco.” I am not led, I lead. “I’ll be silent, of that you can be certain.”

“Gods, you’re infuriating sometimes, woman.”

“I’ll work on it,” I affirmed. “I prefer to be infuriating all the time.” His loud snort was the only reply he offered as he turned into the large, abandoned-looking sawmill. Only, it wasn’t abandoned. It was where Khaos tortured those he didn’t want inside his establishment.

He parked beside the door. The moment he’d turned the engine off, he opened the center console and withdrew a holster, three guns, and some wicked-looking rings. He pulled the holster over his broad, powerful chest and then pushed the rings onto his fingers.

“What’s your fucking issue? After getting off several times in the last two nights, I’d assumed you’d be more pleasant to be around.”

“You know what they say about assuming,” I muttered. Nasir got out of the SUV and closed his door, which told me it was time to exit the vehicle. I’d barely gotten my own door open before he slammed it closed. Glaring, I watched him brush off an invisible piece of lint before opening it for me. “The devil is a gentleman, isn’t he?”

I placed my hand into his waiting one, and the moment I was on my feet, I sought to break the hold. Nasir didn’t allow it though. Instead, he jerked my body against his before pressing me back against the side of the car. Khaos reached into his suit jacket, then slowly withdrew a cigar tin. His overall calm demeanor gave me pause since I wasn’t certain what his intentions were. Not until he opened it and withdrew a joint. Nasir flicked his Zippo, lit the end, took a long draw, and exhaled the earthy aroma of pot.

“Open your pretty lips for me, love.” The moment he put the tin away, he cradled my throat in his palm before inhaling from the joint. His lips closed over mine, forcing the smoke into my lungs. They burned as he fed me the hit, then allowed me to exhale it back into his lungs. Lifting his chin, he exhaled the aromatic herbs before placing the joint against my lips. “Come on. Suck.” Inhaling deeply, I closed my eyes as it made its way down my throat smoothly.

The moment I exhaled, Khaos’s lips crushed against mine. His tongue slid over the seam of my mouth slowly, erotically. Khaos’s grip on my throat tightened until it threatened to prevent air flow, but the dark, husky laughter he released vibrated over my senses. His enticing scent of bergamot, smoke, and whiskey washed over me like a balm as I felt myself relaxing against him.

“That’s my good girl,” he purred before pulling away and turning to the men waiting on him. “What do we know so far, gentlemen?” Khaos asked. Glancing over his shoulder, I found Merikh watching me with a darkening look in his emerald stare.

“They’re not talking,” D’Arcy informed coolly before taking the joint that was being passed around. “The witches can’t seem to crack the fuckers, either. Apparently, whatever shields they have in their minds are like metal walls.”

“Though watching them strip and ask Lilith and Hecate for their guidance was fun to watch.”

“Indeed?” I asked as Khaos tightened his grip on my jaw.

“I believe I told you to keep your fucking mouth shut, love,” he growled before blowing smoke in my face. My eyes watered, and I closed my lips tightly as he held the joint closer for me to draw from. Shaking my head, he hissed in warning. Parting my lips, I accepted it and inhaled. Before he could press his lips against mine, I blew the smoke in his face, which made a smile play on his generous lips.

“I thought you didn’t want us inebriated before we questioned them?” Reyn asked.

“Are you questioning me, Reyn?”

“No, Nasir. I just worry about her losing her hold on her magic. Last time Aderyn assisted us, she slaughtered the entire coven. I’d hate to see anything happen to the girls. I’ve grown rather fond of them.”

“Aderyn will play nice, or she’ll be punished in a way she won’t enjoy.”

Chapter Fourteen

Khaosheldthedooropen for me, and as soon as I stepped inside, I wanted to leave. The building reeked of death. The repulsive scent burned my nose. I didn’t need to open the barrels along the farthest wall to know they held human remains. The sound of manacles clinking jerked my gaze to where several men were suspended above a raised stage. From where I stood, they looked young, but I was a horrible judge of age, since time passing held little meaning for me.

Relief washed through me when I realized they weren’t the men I’d employed to steal his shipments and that none of them would know who the hell I was.

“Hazel, Celeste and Sylvia. Always a pleasure,” Khaos cooed to the witches who were eying him like candy.

“Mmm, the pleasure’s ours, Khaos,” Sylvia purred.

“No luck, ladies?” he asked as we moved toward them unhurriedly.

“Not yet. I have a few other things I’d like to try on them,” Sylvia stated. Her ice-blue eyes slid to me and slowly roved over my face. “Is this her?”

My stomach tensed.

Witches weren’t solitary beings by nature, but Nasir had cut me off from the witches, which resulted in my being blacklisted. I would have been anyway considering my immortality was unnatural and after three hundred years, someone would have noticed.

“Ladies, this is Aderyn Caine,” he announced. All as one, they stepped back. Smiling at their reaction to a blacklisted witch, I scrunched my nose to prevent the laughter from escaping.

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