Page 64 of Silverproof Damsel

“Get out of my way and I will,” I snapped puckishly. Rhys paused at the room’s threshold, then turned slowly, leaning his shoulder against it. “Do you intend to watch me bathe?”

“Don’t tempt me, Silversmith.”

Without waiting for permission, I entered the bathroom and hung the gown on the hook. Turning toward the doorway, I felt my chest deflate at finding it empty of the irksome, confusing man who’d consumed my mind since the day I’d left this place right up until I returned.

Rhys was up to something. What that was, I was uncertain. I didn’t regret spending the night with him. I hadn’t lied about myfeelings about that. The thing was, I didn’t have to forgive him to fuck him. Sure, I didn’t find it as easy to remove emotion from sex, but I knew how I felt about him, even if I didn’t entirely forgive him.

I needed to figure out if Nyota was okay, then ask to see Nyx. I needed my girls back with me. Having them back would allow me to think without the weight of not knowing their fates weighing down on me.

The first thing I needed to do was shower, then eat. Once I did that, I’d ask about seeing Nyx. She’d more than likely know more about Nyota than Rhys would willingly tell me about her. Once I had done that, I’d figure out how to deal with Rhys.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Showeredandcladinthe soft, airy, cream-colored dress, I scrutinized my reflection. Dark blue bags sat beneath my eyes and were in the shape of a crescent moon. My normally pale complexion was washed out, paler if possible. It made the electric blue-coloring of my eyes seem striking against the light milkiness of my skin. The unruliness of mixed red, caramel, and blonde curls added quite a chaotic combination together.

Ignoring the burning in my shoulder once more, I started toward the kitchen. Pausing in the bedroom, I quickly retrieved a cardigan to shield my arms from the chill in the air this morning. It was a different type of chill, the kind that carried dark omens.

The moment I stepped from the bedroom, a shadow at the end of the hallway forced my step to falter then plant like cement into the flooring. Propped with his shoulder against the wall was Cole. The crisp white dress shirt he wore was unbuttoned, and the sleeves rolled up on his forearms, revealing the dark ink of his tattoos.

“Hello, Sunshine,” Cole whispered, his eyes alight with mirth and an emotion I couldn’t pinpoint simmering within them.

“Cole.” I hadn’t spoken more than a word to him in passing since my mother had tilted everyone’s word, sending it into a tailspin. “Did you need something?”

I wasn’t sure why he was here, nor did I trust him more than Rhys. Both men had done little to earn my trust. They’d shown interest in me merely for what benefit they’d gain from me or having me beneath their thumb.

“Rhys was called away. He asked me to wait here until Nyx replaced me. It appears Rhys doesn’t want you to be alone this morning. It seems he fears your mental state after he took advantage of your altered state.”

My altered state? Was Rhys actually allowing Nyx to come visit? Maybe I’d misjudged his mood this morning. Why hadn’t he told me about his plans?

“Judging by the look on your face, you don’t agree.” A smug grin spread over his sensual lips. The mirth sparkling in his azure gaze made him look roguishly boyish, even though there was very little boyish about him.

Cole was the type of man who crushed your heart the moment you placed it in his grasp. He had no mercy, not even for those of the fairer sex. He enjoyed the reputation of being a notorious rake.

“I don’t regret what I did last night, Cole.” A single dark brow rose on his forehead, as if he were criticizing me for what Rhys and I had done. “Judge me all you like. I enjoyed being beneath, on top, and in front of Rhys. All night long.”

Flipping my hair over my shoulder, I marched past him toward the kitchen. The sound of his amused laughter trailed behind me.

I didn’t care if he was judging me. His opinion of me wasn’t my business. I knew my worth. Last night hadn’t been a mistake. Wewere two grown ass adults who’d made a choice to enjoy what we offered one another. I’d be damned if I felt shame over a choice that I’d made myself.

“No judgment, Sunshine. If you want to know what I think, I’m applauding you. You finally discovered how to dissociate emotions from sex. Good for you,” he purred against my ear as dark, silky smoke rushed past me, only to materialize in my path. “Not going to ask about Nyota?” A dark look simmered just beneath the surface of his features.

“If I did, would you answer me?” I challenged, causing a flash of anger to spark in his eyes. It issued a shiver from the back of my neck, straight down to my toes.

Cole was an asshole, no-if-and-or-but about it. But he loved his family. No matter how hard he sought to pretend otherwise. Cole had a good heart, even if it was pitch-black.

The air abruptly became charged with savagery. It pushed down on me, forcing air from my chest in a whisper of sound as it escaped in a puff of frost from my lungs.

Mikel’s presence saturated the room, as if he devoured the air then fed it to my lungs slowly. He crowded the space with energy. Whether it was good or bad, I wasn’t sure. The darkness clung to him like a cloak, hovering around his powerful frame.

“Rhys requested that topic not be discussed with thepresentcompany, Mikel.” Cole’s tone held a warning that Mikel ignored as the tension grew thicker around me.

Mikel materialized in front of me, issuing a shocked gasp from my parted lips. His inky hair was disheveled, as if he’d come here directly from his bed. The dark button down shirt he wore was unbuttoned to reveal obsidian and crimson tattoos covering his chest to his throat, ending only when they reached his jawline. Full tattooed sleeves began at his wrists, vanishing beneath the rolled up sleeves on his thick forearms.

His face remained impassive. The man was almost entirely expressionless but there was nothing impassive about the man. His entire persona screamed cold-blooded predator, from the sparkle in his eye to the sensual, arrogant smile playing over his full, kissable lips.

There really should’ve been a rule when men like him were created. One that assured them they weren’t the most handsome men on the planet. They should have cloven feet with forked tongues, horns bulging from their foreheads, or some shit that detracted from the sexual undertones flowing from their unblemished complexion.

“I vow to you this, woman: If you had anything to do with the harm that befell my baby sister? Nothing, not even the alpha of the house, will be able to save you from me, Malishka,” Mikel pledged in a guttural tone, one that carried a promise of pain in each word he’d issued.

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