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I would never forget the night Cian had told me he had killed him. It hadn’t been his fault; it had been self-defense. His father had attacked him, cut him so badly he now wore those scars every day all over his body. My fingers trembled as I gazed at the knife on the countertop. Was thattheknife? No, it couldn’t have been. Wouldn’t the police have kept that? I hesitated for a moment, but picked it up for a closer look. Something about it was oddly familiar, which my brain was having a hard time comprehending.
The handle was worn metal with tiny intricate details embossed along the edges. My fingers traced over the ridges, feeling… knowing what my mind wasn’t ready to put together yet. A small button protruded from the handle, and I pressed it. The noise made me jump slightly as the blade popped out and I held it up against the light. I didn’t know what I was looking for. It wasn’t as if I was expecting there to be dried blood on it. And then I saw it. Right at the bottom where the blade met the handle, a tiny letter “V”.
Voledetti.
It was just like the knife Kaviathin had given me on Ryzen’s island. Now that I took a good look at it, this knife was practically identical to the one I had used to stab Ryzen, but it was much, much older. That made little sense, though. Why would Cian have an old knife that was obviously from the Voledetti family?
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and I shoved everything back into the envelope and tossed it in the center of the console. I needed to think. My nails tapped against the edge, and it suddenly felt like the closet was closing in on me. Why was it so fucking hot in here? We needed a fan. Ten fans. I would make it a priority. My head throbbed, and I tossed the envelope back up on the shelf, using the paddle to make sure it was hidden in the back.
There had to be a reason Cian had that knife. An overwhelming sense of dread ran through every vein in my body. Why hadn’t he told me about this? I mean, shit, itwasa very touchy subject. He never, ever liked to talk about his parents. A part of me knew I shouldn’t be upset, but there was a smaller part that felt slightly hurt.
I grabbed my purse from the kitchen counter and headed down the hall. No. I would not do this, let myself think irrational thoughts. I trusted him, loved him, would take a bullet for him. If he hadn’t told me, then there was a good reason. And I would leave it at that. When and if he was ever ready, I would listen. But in the meantime, I was going to lock this bit of knowledge in the back of my mind and throw away the key until I needed it.
I took our private elevator down to the parking garage and used my fingerprints to unlock Cian’s Lexus. He was going to be mad if he found out I had left the apartment, so I had to be quick. Whenever I was stressed and needed to calm down, there was only one thing that would fix me right up. Well, two, but the first one was in meetings all day.
Twenty minutes later, I was walking out of Stan’s with the largest iced coffee he had and two bags of pastries. God, those things were going to be the death of me. Valik was right. They were little bites of heaven. I checked myself out in the rearview mirror and wiped the powdered sugar from my lips. My phone vibrated in my pocket and Cian’s name flashed across the screen.
Crap, crap, crap. I had to get back before he found out I had left. He had made me promise not to go anywhere, but I couldn’t just stay inside like I was in prison. Besides, I had my knife and mace in my pocket, and I was prepared to use both if I had to.
I sped down Lake Shore Drive and made it back to our building in record time. Easy in, easy out. Nobody would have to know. I would just have to eat all the evidence before Cian came home, which I was looking forward to.
I let out a deep breath when I stepped off the elevator to our penthouse, humming as I strolled into the kitchen and placed my coffee, pastries, and mail on the kitchen counter.
“What did I tell you, little star?” Cian stepped out from the hallway, and my hand flew to my chest.
“Fuck, you scared me, Cian.” I looked everywhere but his eyes. “Um, you’re home early. Yay! Good news. I got us some pastries.”
“Nova,” he growled and folded his arms over his chest.
Fuck.
I walked down the hallway to his office, flipping through the mail. “Oh, look, that thing you were waiting for is here.”
What thing? There was no thing. I was hoping to confuse him, but I could tell by the look on his face that it wasn’t working. His eyes were dark as he prowled towards me, my butt hitting the back of his desk.
“You are not supposed to leave this house without someone guarding you.” He stepped closer and weaved his fingers through my hair. “What was more important than your safety that made you ignore this rule?” he murmured against my lips.
“I, um…” I gasped as he tugged my head back, exposing my neck.
“Tell me, little star.” He dragged his teeth down my skin, biting me gently.
“I’m sorry. I needed some fresh air… and pastries.”
“You disobeyed me for pastries?” His voice was sinfully low.
Well, when he said it like that, it sounded pretty stupid. But thirty minutes ago, it had seemed harmless enough.
He released me and stepped back, his eyes not leaving mine as he loosened his tie and took it off. “You broke the rules, and now you’re going to be punished. Do you understand?”
My body instantly heated, and I nodded slowly. His punishments usually ended with me having multiple orgasms, so who was I to argue? He twirled his finger, indicating for me to turn around, and I had to stop the moan from escaping my lips. I turned around, bracing my hands on the top of his desk. I could feel the heat coming off his body in waves as he slid his leg in between mine, making me spread mine even farther apart.
“Put your hands behind your back.” His voice was firm, but he couldn’t hide his arousal pressed against my ass.
I moved my hands behind my back and a moment later felt the soft, silky fabric of his tie binding my wrists together. He tugged the fabric tight, and I wiggled my fingers, showing him I wasn’t able to get loose. This was a game we both loved to play—him tying me up while he fucked me with a relentlessness that I craved. I knew I should have asked him about the knife, but now was definitely not the time for that.
He pressed me down until I was bent over his desk with my hands tied behind my back. I whimpered as he kissed the back of my thighs. His tongue was velvety soft as he licked and kissed his way up to my ass, his hands following the same trail. He lifted my skirt and growled at my exposed flesh.
“First you disobey me, then you go outside wearing a skirt and a thong?” His hands were warm as they made contact with my ass, and I groaned. “Such a dirty girl.” He spanked me again, my pussy throbbing as each strike made my skin tingle in the most delicious way. “This is mine, do you understand?” He kneeled down again, kissing where he had just spanked me. The sensation was too fucking good, my skin burning from his hand, then tingling as he kissed over the area.
