Page 227 of Lethal King

“I can’t imagine anything worse than being stuck in here with you.”

“You have a better imagination than that. Don’t you, kitten?”

“Untie me and find out just how imaginative I can get with turning you into a corpse,” I snarl, trying to ignore how much the word kitten reminds me of Rian.

My heart pumps full of blood as I remember how we left each other at dinner. Fuck. It was a mistake to leave. I was being stubborn.

I need to see him again. I need to feel his warmth.

The desire is unexpectedly emotional.

“Are you hitting on me?” Leander smirks.

“I’ll start hitting you, alright.”

I want to smirk right back at the monster, laugh at his broken nose. But I can’t bring myself to find any joy in this situation, no matter how small.

All I can think of is how much I want to see Rian again. All I can see is Drago’s head exploding before my very eyes. All I can feel is the hopelessness of watching Tytus fight for his life alone.

No matter what happens here, Drago will still be gone. The connection we were mending will stay severed. That part of me will remain empty.

He’ll join Willow at the pit in my stomach. One of the ghosts from my past that appears when I’m at my lowest. A memory that can still make me feel pain, but I can never touch.

Will I ever feel whole again?

“No,” Leander says. Shaking his head, he wipes away the last bits of blood from his upper lip. “You’re never going to hit anybody ever again. I’m about to make sure of that.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” I rasp, holding back a soft sob.

I hate feeling sad. So, I do my best to replace that sorrow with rage.

Curling my fingers into fists, I finally test the resolve of my restraints. They’re fucking tight.

“It means I’m glad you’re finally up, because I want you to be awake for every insufferable, horrifying moment of what I have in store for you.”

“I’ve been up for a fucking hour already,” I bark, gesturing to the dark window on the wall. “I’ve been watching your reflection. I saw how scared you were. You aren’t made for this world. You fucking coward. Leave before I make you pay for trespassing on my turf.”

For a second, it looks like Leander short-circuits. But then something snaps in him, and a cold fire flickers up behind his pale blue eyes.

“You stupid fucking bitch,” he curses. With the backside of his bejeweled hand, he slaps me across the face.

It’s stronger than I expected.

The moment I taste blood on my tongue, I start pulling on my restraints again. It doesn’t matter that I won’t get out. I just want to fucking explode.

He’s not allowed to touch me.

“You piece of shit,” I snap. “I’m going to make you pay for that.”

“No. You’re not. You’re not doing anything ever again. Not without my direct involvement. Oh god, I’m going to make you suffer so horribly…”

The hate in his voice is so vicious I almost flinch. Where the hell is this coming from?

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I croak. “Huh? What the fuck did I ever do to you?”

Leander doesn’t hesitate to answer.

“You rejected me,” he barks, his voice cracking. “No one rejects me. No one chooses another man over me.”