Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 99285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
“I wonder if the most pressing question you have is how James—our mutual associate here—came to be in my company? He—”
“No,” he snarled and glanced at Salvatore. “Let him fucking admit his betrayal.” When I looked at James, I let my grin spread, all the violence and insanity that made me… me coming through full force. “I want to hear him say it before I rip his heart out and tear it in half right in front of his eyes.”
I could see the anger rolling off James, like waves spreading outward. He wanted to kill me.
I welcomed him to try.
“It’s time you get what’s coming to you. Over a century of ravaging, pillaging, and senseless murder.”
“None of my killings are senseless. I enjoyed every single one of them.”
James dug the knife into Kayla’s neck a little harder, and she whimpered.
“You asshole,” she said to James, and I felt pride well up inside me.
I braced my feet apart and leaned my upper body forward, my head slightly lowered, my gaze locked on James. “I’m going to enjoy destroying you so much.”
The amount of self-restraint I was exhibiting by not snapping his neck was monumental. I was fast, really fucking fast, but so was he. I worried he’d cut her throat before I got to him.
“I’ve been thinking, plotting on how to take you down this entire time. I’ve just been waiting for the right moment. And then fate brought this bitch into your life, and I knew it was meant to be. I was the one who was meant to kill her, to make you watch, to show you how it feels to get your soul ripped out of you, and all you can do is accept it and bide your time until you can exact your revenge.” James’s eyes were watery, his voice loud as he shouted, his hands shaking.
“If you were that broken, maybe you should’ve killed yourself.” I needed to learn to keep my mouth shut, to not taunt him. “But I’m glad you didn’t take that privilege from me.” He held the most precious thing to me, and because she was so very human, one flick of his wrist, a little too much pressure against her chest, her throat, and she’d fade so damn fast.
I kept my palms facing him. It was the most submissive act I’d ever done in my life. It felt so wrong, but I would do anything to keep his attention off Kayla.
And it all clicked, all fell into place like a perfectly shaped puzzle piece.
“It was you who betrayed us, told the Assembly where Cian’s mate was. It was you who nearly got her killed. Not Matteo.”
James’s hands shook even more, and I could see Kayla start to struggle again. She was terrified but refused to give in easily. I kept a hard expression on my face as I looked at her, urging her to stay still.
James chuckled, and it was a twisted sound of pleasure. “Matteo overheard me speaking with a member of the Assembly after the accident when Cian’s mate was taken. I was going to kill him but then realized it was actually a blessing in disguise, Matteo finding out, overhearing me. He’d be my scapegoat. It would give me more time to follow through with my plan on ending you.”
“And what?” My hands were still out in front of me, but I tipped my palms upward. “You’re admitting this all to me now, because you actually think you’ll be able to take me down? Might as well leave all your cards on the table?”
Salvatore clapped his hands, and I gritted my teeth as I stared at James, not about to take my focus from him. I was surprised Odhran was listening and staying still. He was controlling himself and absorbing it all.
“I love when shit goes sideways,” Salvatore said with a chuckle.
“This is all your fault. All the deaths, the kidnappings, Cian’s mate nearly dying, your mate in this position… Mikhail’s death.” James was screaming now. “All of it falls on your shoulders because of what you did, because of what you always do. Destroy everything around you.”
I couldn’t control the low, rhythmic pumping sound spilling from my chest. I couldn’t control my anger that grew and grew as I was forced to listen to James, forced to watch him terrorize and threaten my mate. I was forced to let him have control right now instead of doing what I really wanted, which was tear his head from his neck.
“This is all on you because you took him from me. You set this in motion. You were the first domino to fall.”
I shook my head slowly, the final piece falling in place as James’s motive slammed me in the gut and filled my head clearly.
“This is all because of him?”