Page 19 of The Sinners Touch

He studied the face others saw. He understood the appeal, even appreciated it. Charming, some called it. His grandmother told him it was a face that would take him places. He snorted at the thought. It wasn’t his face that afforded him creaturecomforts. It was his hacking skills. They paid for his lifestyle, his secular pursuits, and his deviant side.

His face had now become a liability, thanks to his new fascination.

Fucking women. They just didn’t know how to keep their mouths shut.

Shaking his head, he turned on the hot water and pulled out his pocketknife. It was sharp, precise, and one of his favorite tools. Light danced off the silver blade as he twisted it back and forth. It amazed him how one simple little item could carve out great works of beauty, inflict pain, and solve so many problems all in one fell swoop. Knives were cool.

He tested the water with his pinkie. Satisfied, he wet a washcloth and ran it over his face. Dark blue eyes squinted at him from the mirror. They were fathomless, blank, empty. He’d often read you could see a person’s soul through their eyes. Staring into his own, he didn’t believe it. It was bullshit. His empty gaze mocked him as he tried to laugh off the thought.

Did he have a soul anymore? He wasn’t sure, really, but he liked to think somewhere in there he did. He loved his mother, his father, his sister. At least as much as he could. That had to count for something, didn’t it?

His cold expression questioned those beliefs. He was fucked, and his inner demons knew it.

Fear prickled the corners of his mind. He wouldn’t let his own insecurities debilitate him. He lifted the knife without thinking and sliced a long, jagged line from beneath his eye to the edge of his left earlobe. The pain was swift, sharp. He savored it. Small pinpricks of blood appeared then bubbled over, taking a stroll down his cheek. He slashed his chin then moved to his forehead. Another long gash raced from his hairline to his left eyebrow.

He watched impassively as blood began to make chaotic paths down and across his face. He opened one of his bags and took out the bleaching kit. His dark brown locks would soon be platinum, including his eyebrows. Blue eyes would soon become brown. He had a plethora of contact lenses, all different colors.

A drop of blood dripped into his eye, and he blinked, clearing it away. The squall of the teapot sounded from the other room. He smiled and turned back toward the kitchen, not bothering to wipe away the blood on his face. He picked up the hot kettle and made his way down the hall to the second bedroom. Knocking, he opened it and stood there a moment, admiring the view.

A young woman lay naked and tied to the bed, her red hair spread out around her on the pillow. Large brown eyes met his then skated to the steaming pot in his hands. He smiled reassuringly and walked into the room, placing the pot on the nightstand.

“Please…” she whispered, her voice hoarse. He cupped her cheek and rubbed his thumb soothingly across her soft skin.

“Hush, now.” His eyes raked over her body. Supple, firm. So very beautiful. A work of art all on its own. He could smell the terror wafting off her. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply, cherishing the scent.

“Why are you doing this?”

Because you look like my bartender. He needed someone to fill his last girl’s place. The need was getting stronger and stronger. He’d known his time in Boston was coming to an end by the sense of urgency that drove him. His needs were climaxing, and Angel would be his last canvas.

His fingers left her cheek and stroked her neck, weaving down her body, cupping her breast. She whimpered when he pinched the soft, pink nipple. It puckered and hardened. “You like this, do you, pet?” He tugged on it. Dark crimson floodedher body, a blush. She was embarrassed. Endearing, really. “I’ll remember that.”

“Let me go, please. I won’t say anything…I promise…”

He put a finger to her very enticing lips. “They all say that, pet. You’re not going anywhere. We’re going to have so much fun together. You’ll discover how beautiful your body can truly be.”

He picked up the teapot and pressed down a little, opening the spout’s nozzle enough for a small stream to pour out. Scooting down the bed until he was even with her bellybutton, he leaned down and kissed it, his tongue darting in quickly, tasting the fear-soaked sweat pooling there.

When he rose, her frightened eyes pleaded with him.

He tipped the teapot and let a small spray of water splash the perfectly unmarred flesh of her stomach.

Her scream was instant, but he ignored it as he watched the water spread out and roll across her abdomen and down her sides. No matter how many times he did this, the water never took the same path. The chaos theory. He’d tested it many, many times, and it never failed him.

“See, that wasn’t so bad, now, was it?” he crooned as he stroked the blisters on her belly. “See how your skin puckers up for the heat, embraces it?”

Her breasts captured his attention. The small, rosy buds were standing erect, begging for some attention. He took one in his mouth and sucked on it gently, encouraged by the sound of her tears. Oh, yes, they were going to have so much fun.

Another predatory grin broke out on his face as he set to work.

So much fun.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Kade sat staring out at the Boston skyline, watching the snow fall. He hadn’t seen this much snow since he’d left Russia. He missed it, really. Memories of his childhood swirled in the floating mess outside the massive wall of windows. He and his brothers had spent hours building snow forts for their epic snowball wars. The twins were evil minions when engaged in snowball warfare, so he’d taken it upon himself to protect the little ones.

He missed his family. The thought strummed like a broken string in his heart. After this case, he’d go to Russia and visit his parents and grandmother. He hadn’t seen them in a long time. Maybe being around Nikoli so much these last few weeks had brought up the need to surround himself with his family. Or maybe it was seeing Angel. Either way, he needed to get off his ass and visit them.

A noise sounded from upstairs, and he shot a wary look that way. Angel had kicked him out, and he’d sat here staring at the snow since then. He still couldn’t figure out what had possessed him to pin her to a bed and kiss her. It had to be all of Nikoli’s stupid kinky shit in that damn closet. He wasn’t into that sort of thing, but he doubted any man could see it and not have afantasy or two. Add in the gorgeous woman laughing at him, and maybe it had been inevitable.

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