Page 226 of Lethal King

“But maybe we won’t need him quite yet. I’m sure I could wake my sleeping princess with a simple kiss.”

Just try it, you bastard.

It takes all my self-control to keep from lashing out as I feel him getting closer.

The sickly-sweet stench of his cologne fills my nostrils. He places a hand on my thigh. His cold fingers run up my leg. His lips get dangerously close to mine.

I’ve had enough.

Ripping my eyes open, I cock back my neck and slam my forehead directly into his nose.

A gut-wrenching crunch follows. Leander squeals like a pig. His hand tears off my thigh as he falls to his knees.

I pull back for another crack. But before I can lunge forward again, someone catches a fistful of my hair.

I’m tugged backward. My chair tips, and I start to fall with it.

Then, suddenly, I’m stopped.

“I thought I told you not to touch her?”

Leander’s voice is wet with blood.

Looking down, I see that he’s grabbed one of my chair legs. His hand wraps around the ornamental wood, just beneath my restrained foot.

“I’m sorry, sir,” that deep voice says from behind me. “It’s just that—”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Leander interrupts. “If you assholes were any good at following orders, then maybe this bitch’s brother wouldn’t have killed so many of you.”

Pulling out a handkerchief from his breast pocket, he tries to wipe up the blood spilling from his nose.

“He’ll pay for that,” a voice growls.

My eyebrows perk up. My heart jumps.

Tytus is alive. He must be.

They’re talking about him like he escaped.

Leander must see me come to that realization, because with a shaky grunt, he pushes himself to his feet and turns to the reckless voice.

“You idiot,” he gurgles. “Now she knows her stupid brother is still out there. That’s a piece of information I could have used to get something from her. Don’t you know how any of this works? Fucking hell. All of you, leave. Now!”

A disgruntled grumble passes over the room before the armed men finally decide an argument with Leander isn’t worth their time.

“Do you really think you’re safe in here with me alone?” I ask, finally letting a sneer twist my lips.

Leander spits a glob of blood onto the thick carpet.

“I’m not worried,” he huffs. Turning his back on me, he watches his men file out. “You aren’t going anywhere. And we better both get used to it. If all goes as planned, you’ll be stuck to me for the rest of your life.”

“Sounds like a nightmare,” I hiss back.

That makes Leander chuckle.

Wiping away some more blood, he walks to the door and clicks it shut.

“You have no idea how true that is,” he smirks, turning back to face me. His crystal white teeth are stained with blood. “Your nightmare is just beginning.”