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“You killed Stephen because he was a threat to me, but I’d also mentioned the fact that he’d hurt his family … he deserved to die. Do you pick your victims randomly, or?”
He leaned forward and placed an elbow on his knee, remaining silent.
My brows rose with his offer. “Are you so confident that when you uncuff me I won’t run out of here and straight to the cops?”
“Yes. Because you just said you wouldn’t since you’re an accomplice to murder.”
I shrugged. “Isn’t that a good enough reason to trust me and explain how you choose your victims?”
He leaned back in his chair. “No. And the more I say, the more dangerous you are. If you ever talked to the cops, you would tell them everything.”
“I would put both of us in jeopardy.”
“Not really. You work for powerful men who could clear your name within a few days. Stephen held a gun to your head; it would be considered self-defense. And when proof of what he was doing to his daughter landed in the judge’s hands, the case would miraculously disappear. Stephen’s death sentence would be justified.”
I stared at him, his words sinking in. “Who are you that you can sway a judge?”
The muscles in his broad chest flexed as he lifted his glass and took a drink. “A more powerful man. Always know your opponent before you strike, little lamb.”
I racked my brain for anyone that I knew with that kind of influence. My bosses were well respected, and I suspected a bit shady, but not like Death.
“I hand pick my victims. Men who are pedophiles, deal in sex trafficking, beat their wives, or rape their children. I wash the earth in their blood.”
My heart thundered, pounding against my ribs with his confession. “You’re an unhinged savior.” A flicker of knowing flew through my mind faster than I could grasp it and form a full thought. My gut was trying to tell me something, but I wasn’t sure what yet.
“Call it whatever you want.” He walked over to the bed and sat on the side, the mattress dipping beneath his weight. He smoothed my hair, and for a second, I lost myself in his touch.
“You’re not a monster,” I whispered.
“Don’t fool yourself, little lamb. I am most definitely a monster.”
Fear bubbled up inside me, but I pushed it down. I was about to do something potentially stupid.
“Come here.” My voice was soft and filled with yearning.
Our gazes locked and my throat tightened with fear, but what I was about to do was worth the risk. I shut my eyes and pressed my mouth to his. He jerked away as if I’d burned him, but before I could say anything, his lips crashed down on mine again. His touch was like a thousand needles piercing my skin, commanding and consuming me in one swift motion. As I opened up entirely to him, I felt the power shift as he took control with a ruthless determination. I arched my back and moaned, eager for him to dominate me. This monster was turning me inside out, and all I could do was beg for more.
He broke the kiss and ran the tip of his nose across my jawline to my ear. “If I’m not careful, you’ll be the death of me.”
Unable to help myself, I smiled.
“You’ve earned something tonight, little lamb. I have the power to make your deepest desires come true.”
A wave of sadness warred with longing. I was afraid that no one could do that, no matter how powerful they were. I forced my thoughts away from the direction they inevitably headed and back to his kiss. “An orgasm?”
“No. Something that will last you a lifetime.”
His mouth brushed my neck, and chills coasted over my skin. As the words fell from his lips, my world stopped, tilting on its axis as the air whooshed from my lungs. Sucking in a sharp breath, I clung to his promise.
Chapter 24
Ella
Iclimbed into my car and drove toward my parent’s house from the law office. My heart pounded in my chest as I remembered the shock that coursed through me when, four days ago, Death shared that he could save my father. The more I learned about him and saw the glimmering humanity beneath his exterior, the more a twisted attraction continued to grow and deepen within me—an alluring fascination with his dark side. Knowing he lived on the edge, as both judge and executioner of his victims, I should have been shrinking away from Death instead of gravitating closer to him.
Twenty minutes later, I pressed the doorbell to my parents’ home and then gently pushed open the door. The comforting aroma of freshly baked pumpkin bread enveloped the air, bringing an instant smile to my face. I placed my purse on the familiar coat rack and slipped my phone into the back pocket of my jeans. Locking the bolt behind me, a wave of nostalgia and security washed over me.
Over the years, my parents had renovated each room. The dark, polished hardwood floors gleamed beneath my feet, perfectly set against the warm tan walls. They were adorned with family photos, each frame capturing a moment, a memory, a shared adventure of our family’s journey together.
