Page 20 of Scent of Desire
She spellbound me, drawing a playful smile with malicious eyes. “Don’t frighten him too much, please.”
Has she seen her coward of an uncle? That fool was afraid of everything—he didn’t have an ounce of bravery.
She arched an eyebrow. My thoughts were too loud. A thin line drew on my lips. Looked like the little witch was getting to know me. Lily then walked away in the direction of the manor, jumping from one foot to the other, Cerba joining her.So much for a guard dog.
The fool’s car parked in front of the opened gate, and I repressed the urge to torture him. The view of the impostor getting out of his piece of crap didn’t help my urges. That foolish smile with trembling lips. His shoulders curving inward like he was the Hunchback of Notre Dame. His grayish hair and the food crumbs on his vest. How did Lily have patience with such a pitiful human? She was a saint.
He searched for his niece—if he thought I’d let Lily welcome him, he was insane. I was the owner of the manor, and his invitation didn’t guarantee he’d pass my gates.
I had rules he’d need to bow to if he wished to see his niece.
“Radcliff… Thank you for welcoming me here. You’re very clement.”
Don’t kill him.
Don’t kill him.
I repeated it like a mantra.
“I brought something…” He handed me a bottle of wine. Cheap wine.
A nerve in my jaw twitched as I lost my patience.
When I didn’t budge, he put the bottle on his car’s seat and cleared his throat. With a trembling voice, he dared to speak again. “Can I see my niece?”
He made the wrong move of stepping forward, and I grabbed his neck, sending his body banging against the gate. The heavy noise echoed, the crows and their shrill cries soaring in the sky.
Eugene’s eyes widened, his face ghostly white. The helpless bug was trapped by the monstrous spider.
“Let me make something clear, Eugene.” I clamped down on his neck, enough for him to struggle for his breath, not hard enoughyetso he’d choke his blood. “If you upset me or Lily, I’ll end your miserable life without thinking twice. I’ll cut the blood vessels in your nostrils with a sharp knife until you bleed to death.”
My lips curled into a snarl, terrifying enough for his chin to tremble. I released my grip, and he dropped down onto the ground. He coughed, stroking his neck. I readjusted my suit, and he took his sweet time to lift himself up.
“Lily,” he stammered in a suffocated whisper. “Who is she to you?”
“She’s mine.” When repulsion twitched on his face, I had to add, “Everything about her is.”
That’s right, old man. I took her virginity and soul.
“Promise me you won’t hurt her…”
Look who pretends to care.
“You lost the right to care for her after what you did.” That secret he willingly exchanged for saving his meaningless life.
“I didn’t mean to do that… I didn’t have a choice back then and—”
“You always have a choice, and now it’s a secret you’ll bury in your grave. You won’t be able to repent from your sins, and you can be damn sure I’ll be in hell to torment you.” The truth was too painful for Lily to hear. Plus, I was taking care of it—my role was to shield her from the outside world.
“I’ll never tell her.” Eugene shook his head. “I’ll never hurt my Lily.”
“You better not, or I’ll do worse than kill you.”
“Mrs. Walton is such a good cook! Everything looked so luxurious. I—” My uncle exhaled with a smile. “I can understand why you’re not eager to go back home.”
“It’s not for the food.” I chuckled, and we continued our way across the garden.
My uncle’s scent of newspaper and amber filled my nostrils. Cerba kept her distance, following behind us by a few steps. Since the day he left me at Ravencliff Manor, this was the first moment we’d been alone, and yet, we’d barely talked since he arrived.
