Page 9 of Lord of Ruin

What I found fascinating was that he was suddenly taking deep breaths, every muscle tensed and for some reason, I knew it had nothing to do with the fact I’d finally reached the bullet. I moved toward the drawer, finding a pair of long tweezers.

“Bastard,” he growled.

“Which one?”

“Both.”

“Yeah, you have no idea. I almost kicked him in the balls when I signed the lease but thought better of it. This is really going to hurt. You’re sure you don’t want something for the pain?”

He leaned forward, pressing his face into my hair. I was at a point in this ridiculous procedure I could have nicked another artery, forced to steady my nerves and calm the building rage.

“That’s all I need, sweetheart.”

Clearly, the man hadn’t heard me before when I’d told him not to use any terms of endearment. I took a deep breath myself, trying to avoid becoming intoxicated by his incredible scent before grasping the bullet, slowly easing it from where it had been imbedded in his muscle. When I plopped it down into the steel pan, I felt a sense of relief.

I proceeded to add a clean dressing, still trying to be gentle. What was up with that?

“I’m going to strongly advise you to have this looked at by a real doctor. Take it or leave it. I really don’t care.” I grabbed the pan and bloody towels, tossing the laundry into the hazardous bin, easing the pan with the bullet into the sink. For some reason, I had a feeling I should save it.

At least he didn’t waste any time, jumping off the table and grabbing his shirt. I was surprised he was suddenly quiet and that he left me in the examination room, heading to the reception area. I washed my hands before heading out, trying to keep from begging for my life.

He already had his jacket on, the dark material hiding the blood but not the hole in his lapel. When I walked closer, folding my arms, he eyed me carefully for far too long. Was it possible he was debating how he was going to kill me so he could easily dispose of the body?

He sighed then reached into one of his jacket pockets inside the coat. Oh, God. I knew this was it. He was preparing to shoot me or worse. When he pulled out a thick envelope, placing it on the receptionist desk, I found myself leaning forward.

“Jenna. I’m going to give you a very strong piece of advice.”

“Sure,” I whispered. “Why not?”

“You’re a strong and beautiful woman and I applaud all of your accomplishments but when faced with a brutal criminal, just shut up and do what he tells you to do. Now, you’re going to leave the clinic tonight and forget that you ever saw me. If you dare go to the police or tell anyone, I will know. I’m that powerful. And if that happens, then I’ll be forced to become your worst nightmare. Does that sound like something you can do, remaining quiet that is?”

It was another one of those moments that seemed so surreal all I could do was nod like some bobblehead doll.

“Good girl. Now, promise me.”

“I… promise.”

“Excellent. I left you a payment for your services.”

“You didn’t need to do that,” I told him. What? Really? He owed me a lot.

“Yeah, I feel like I did.”

Why were my feet moving? Why was I moving closer to him? When I was suddenly only a foot away from him, we locked eyes, which was a crazy thing that only happened in the movies. Reaching out, he brushed the rough pads of his fingers down my cheek, once again whispering something in Greek. This time, I wished I knew what he’d said to me.

I was frozen, holding my breath as the electricity I’d felt before returned like a hit with a sledgehammer. When he was satisfied, he curled his fingers, turning toward the door. At that moment, he did something so unexpected that I knew the gesture would haunt me for weeks if not months to come.

He thrust me against the wall, planting one hand on the side of my head as he gripped my jaw with the other. Then without hesitation or caring if I wanted him to touch me anywhere, he crushed his mouth over mine.

I’d been kissed by several men before, some good and some bad experiences. But the passion this horrible man exuded unleashed something from the very depth of my being. I was caught up in the craziest moment of all, enjoying the taste of him, the feel of his hefty weight pushed against me. I bent my knee, pressing my leg against his thigh, the slight shift allowing me to feel his throbbing cock all over again.

And damn if my mouth wasn’t watering at the wicked thought of having him drive his shaft into the tight depths of my pussy. I wasn’t certain how long the magnificent kiss lasted as he explored the darkest parts of my mouth with his tongue, but I was completely lightheaded.

Every sound he made was primal, possessive. Every touch of his hand further ignited my core. When he finally broke the insanity of the moment, his chest heaving, all I could do was press my head against the wall.

“Any man who would dare cheat on you or hurt you in any way is a fool. You are amazing, Jenna. Never forget that.”

And with that, he was gone, leaving me with an ache in my pussy and fear tingling every muscle.

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