Page 22 of Blood & Lace
The man who'd been standing right behind Onyx moved closer, not touching my husband but still too close. His eyes were trained on me. I could spot a man who'd killed before. It was like looking into a mirror. He said nothing, and I couldn't afford to write him off even in the face of Onyx.
I might have to kill him first.
Onyx started rapid firing French my way, and I almost wished I'd bought translator headphones. The only issue I had with them was the fact it would be a computer voice telling me what Onyx said; it would try to cover his sweet voice.
"I've missed you," I said.
Onyx glared up at me. Even in the face of his anger, I couldn't help but admire him. "You're making this harder on purpose, aren't you?"
"What?" I tilted my head. I thought I was doing a pretty good job at being his husband. Did I forget something important? I racked my brain for any answer and came up empty.
"Please have a seat," Onyx said.
I went toward his side, wanting to sit as close as possible. I plopped down in the chair next to him, happier than I'd been in the last few days. Only a few days married to him and I'd quickly became addicted to him. To his grimace, his scent, his voice, to everything that made up Onyx Auclair, soon to be Marino.
"We need to have a talk because it feels like there has been a big misunderstanding between us," Onyx started.
"Do you want to take my last name or I take yours?"
"What?"
I thought about it more. "I'd prefer Onyx Marino but Lucero Auclair has an interesting ring to it. And it's not like I'm the one taking over the family business, so me changing my last name isn't a big deal either. Okay, that's settled, I'll take your last name." Yeah, I was sure I was making the right call, but then again, my mother would probably be upset. "Unless you're willing to become a Marino."
"Fuck no." Onyx scooted away from me. The distance made my skin crawl.
"I can compromise. As long as you're happy, I don't care." My family would just have to get over it.
The phone of the guard standing too close to us rang. He answered it, and his face soured the longer he listened. "Shit, how dare you?" The man stepped my way, but Onyx stopped him.
"Whatever it is, can't it wait?" Onyx asked.
"No," the man said through clenched teeth."This is a bad idea. I have to go check on my guys, but I'm leaving Lee and Summers behind."
The guard didn't look too happy but he didn't stick around long enough for my husband to say anything.
My chair scraped along the tile floor as I scooted it closer to Onyx, any distance was getting under my skin. His blue-gray eyes zeroed in on me. A shiver of delight raced down my spine at his attention.
"Did you miss me too?"
"No."
"That's okay, I miss this enough for the both of us. Are you almost done with work? We still need to house shop, or if you want, we could move into your place here."
"Or I could kill you," Onyx shot back. He stared into my eyes, not breaking eye contact for a second. "You know I can." Onyx pulled out a knife and aimed it my way. The threat was all too real. I knew he was more than capable of ending my life if he tried really hard.
I grabbed his hand instead of the weapon. I didn't force him to drop it. Instead, I pushed forward, and pressure built as the sharp blade sliced into my flesh. I didn't stop, and as Onyx went to pull away, I grabbed his chair and yanked him closer. The blade pierced through my palm and out the back of my hand at a strange angle. I curled my fingers forward, wrapping them around his.
"It's been so long since we held hands like this." I brought it toward my face and placed a chaste kiss on his warm flesh. My blood dripped slowly over him. The knife kept the wound mostly plugged.
"You're fucking insane."
"You're the most beautiful person I've ever met."
Onyx's plump, perfectly shaped lips parted and closed.
"Not only are you stunning, you're smart, and incredible at everything you do. The way you speak so elegantly and when you start speaking French, it's like breaking someone's neck. Utterly mesmerizing and impossible to forget."
"You don't know anything about me," Onyx shot back. He tried to yank away but I held on tighter, not willing to let him go.
