Page 51 of Vengeful King

I dial Jamie’s number. My cousin answers before the first ring ends; he’s alert, his voice coming through clearly.

“Lachlan. What do you need?”

“I need some clothes brought over.”

I give him details and then hang up, waiting at the bathroom door. Katrina slowly inches out of the bathtub after a few more minutes, and I bring her back into the bedroom. I can hear when Jamie arrives with the suitcase I asked for; I wait until he leaves to go downstairs to retrieve it.

I don’t bother locking the bedroom door. I know she won’t run again.

I bring everything back upstairs and open the suitcase on the bed. There are a few items inside, a carefully selected array of sizes.

“These are for you,” I tell Katrina. “Get dressed.”

She grabs a few items and drops the towel, dressing quickly and avoiding my gaze. But I know she’s aware of me watching her. I don’t hide the fact that I’m looking.

I can see the marks I left on her—the redness on her ass, the color on her lips. I like them more than I probably should.

I can’t help imagining what it would be like to leave more marks on her body. Watching her get dressed, the only thing on my mind is how easy it would be to just take her clothes off again. I could touch her, feel the softness of her body, smell my soap on her skin.

God, she’s already covered in me. It wouldn’t take much to just let go of my control, let the arousal I feel build up again. I know I’m seconds away from getting hard.

Now that the truth is out, does it matter? I could do this. It would be like going back to that office, back to the moment when she wasn’t a woman sent to kill me yet. When she was reacting to me and I wanted her, wanted her so badly I wasn’t going to wait to take her home.

She’s home with me now. There’s nowhere else to go. I could push her back onto the bed she’s standing next to and fuck her now. She came once already, but I know what to do to get her wound up again. I know how tightly she’s coiled, how much she responds.

How long has it been for her, before me? I almost can’t believe she’s single. I almost can’t believe she hasn’t had a man give her the pleasure she obviously wants in so long.

I want to give her that pleasure and more. I want to let go of what’s holding me back. I have no reason not do, don’t I?It’s all out in the open now.

I have my information. I could have her, too.

I can feel my body reacting at just the thought of having her. I can feel my heart pump harder, my blood run hot.

I turn away.

I can’t do this. Not now, probably not ever. I have to focus. I clench my jaw and then tell her, “Reach out to your contact with Mr. V. Tell them you need a meeting.”

“What?”

“You have the number. Text, or call.”

She’s silent. I know this is what I need; this will give me a chance to find out who this person is. I turn to look at her, to see what it is she’s feeling. I don’t know what she might say.

I can see she’s scared. Like before, she’s scared of this person—this Mr. V. But that fear isn’t strong enough to stop her. Because she still nods.

“Okay. I’ll do it. Give me my phone and I’ll text them.”

She’s not going to break. I know it with absolute certainty. She’s going to do this, take this risk, because she knows there’s no other choice. There’s no other way.

And I have to find out who’s after me. Why they’re after me. Or the next time someone comes and tries to kill me, I might not get away so easily.

I might not get away at all.

CHAPTER19

Katrina

He says it like it’s so easy.Tell them you need a meeting.As if things will go smoothly when I’ve been gone for days. As if they won’t suspect anything.

---