Page 13 of Blood & Lace
"Finally take these off now." He tugged at the cuffs on his wrists and the ones around his ankles. His glare was deadly, and if it was possible to kill with a look alone, I'd be a cold corpse by now.
I wonder if he'd keep me around? Maybe store my body in a freezer to visit. I'd do that to him. I'd make sure to visit him every single day, washing his corpse down and storing it in a freezer that would be lined with silk and jewels.
"Stop staring off into space," Onyx growled out.
"I'm not. I was thinking about how I'd preserve your corpse. If you happen to die before me." I moved closer, the ball of anxiety twisting my stomach the longer I thought about Onyx not being alive. "But I won't let that happen. Ever."
"You were dropped on your head as a baby, weren't you?" He shook his head, messing up the already tangled hair even more. "Never mind, don't answer. Your mother probably drank while she was pregnant with you."
I stopped short of the bed and leaned forward. "She didn't, and that isn't nice. She's your mom now too. Wait, is this the thing everyone talks about? When the wife doesn't get along with the mother-in-law ’cause they are always in competition for the son's affection?"
Onyx's face scrunched up as he stared at me. Slowly, he tilted it sideways, studying me intently. I couldn't have the love of my life unsure of where I stood. I sat on the bed, reaching for him, and not loving the way he flinched away from my touch. Soon he wouldn't respond that way; he'd jump into my arms and bury his face into the crook of my neck.
"Stop smiling like that," Onyx griped, pulling me from my daydream.
I intertwined our fingers together. I held on even as Onyx dug his sharp nails into my flesh. There wasn't much he could do to me that would make me ever want to let him go.
"You have nothing to worry about." I made sure our gazes were locked. "You are my everything. I will always put you first, no matter what."
"Thanks, I feel so reassured." His words were drawn out but they made me happy.
I kissed his forehead before pulling back, narrowly avoiding his teeth. "I'm so glad you believe me."
Onyx blew out a slow breath, his pillowy lips parted just slightly. I knew they had to be as soft as they looked. If only Icould test it out. My control on myself was low on a good day, but when it came to Onyx, I was trying my hardest every second near him. I was pushed to the brink of breaking and devouring my husband.
"If I'm your everything, then why am I tied up like a captive?" Onyx asked. He scooted closer to me. "Love means you have to have trust, right? And you love me?"
"I do." There was no denying what I felt for Onyx. I knew the moment I'd laid eyes on him, and it was cemented the day I witnessed him kill.
He tugged at his restraints as if to drive home that I wasn't showing him how much I, in fact, loved him. I chewed the inside of my cheek, contemplating his words. If I took off one restraint, it would make him happy, no doubt, but Damian had warned me not to give in easily to Onyx. My oldest brother hadn't steered me wrong yet but this was my husband, the love of my life, we were talking about.
"If I do, you're going to try and run."
Onyx smiled at me. The motion invoked a feeling of pure joy in the middle of my chest. If I could I'd bottle it up only to open when I was around Onyx.
"Look, I was nervous, is all. I won't run this time." He batted his lashes and scooted a little closer. Not enough to touch me, but I felt the heat radiating off his body. Could smell the coconut body wash that we had at the cabin waft off him. Under the sweet smell was Onyx's own intoxicating scent, one that I wanted to go to sleep with.
That's what he said when we arrived last night. I'd taken his word for it and he'd nearly killed himself again. I was starting to think my husband had a death wish. It was unfortunate for him because I didn't, and couldn't, imagine a world without him. Onyx tried this tactic every so often, he flip-flopped backand forth between gentle seductive words to his cruel and sharp ones. I loved them. Both sides of Onyx were ones I welcomed.
"Maybe after dinner. Do you have to use the restroom?"
Onyx’s pouty lips dipped in a grimace. "You sick fuck, we're not doing that again." The soft seductive look wiped away, replaced by another one I was getting used to: disgust.
I shrugged. "I tried to turn away and give you privacy, but you tried to sneak a razor out of the bathroom. What if you cut yourself?"
Onyx's left eye twitched just slightly, and I made a mental note to maybe give him decaf tea. He probably ingested too much caffeine. My mom used to have the same symptoms when she had one too many coffees.
"You claim to know me and yet you keep thinking I'm going to hurt myself."
"Because you don't take your own life seriously."
"I'm more than capable of handling a blade, want to see?"
Yes.
I was up and across the room in seconds. I knew Elia and Emir both kept knives at the cabin. Finding the small safe where the weapons had been stored prior to our arrival was easy. I put in the code and grabbed a random blade. My feet couldn't move fast enough as I made my way back to my husband.
"Here." I placed it in his hand. "The moment I think you're going to hurt yourself, I'm tak?—"
