Page 34 of Devious Knight

As I watch Isabelle rush away that quote plays through my mind.

My mother taught it to me. From time to time she’d drop lines from ancient Greek philosophers and call them pearls of wisdom.

That quote came to me the moment I touched Isabelle, saw her fear rippling through her pulse on her elegant neck, and felt her lush body pressed up against mine.

I watch her until she gets through the bushes and disappears, and even then I keep watching.

Watching as I process the results of what we just did. What I just did.

That was the first act of war. Riding out to meet the enemy and stating your claim.

I could have easily given her the answer she wanted and told her what I have against her, but I didn’t want to.

I don’t want to give her the chance to not be my enemy and I don’t want her sorrow.

Having either of those things would come in direct conflict with my plans to make her suffer.

Besides that, the psychological impact of trying to figure something out that is impossible to figure can drive a person crazy. The not knowing, the incessant wondering, and the inability to figure it out wears your mind down and eventually becomes torture.

That’s what I went through until I knew the truth about who attacked my parents. It seems fair that prim and proper Isabelle should get a taste of insanity.

I’ll also admit that the demented side of me liked watching her squirm way too much to taint this plot of mine and do anything other than what I’m doing.

I like the way she felt in my arms. I liked the way her body molded to mine and fit me. I liked her smell, the silky feel of her skin, and that scent of roses laced within her terror.

Tonight was the first time I’ve ever touched her.

I could get used to it. But she’s leaving.

Clever move. Clever girl. Of course, I know she got her scholarship, but I know her. When you study people the way I do, you see straight through them. So I know that regardless of the opportunity to be at Cambridge, the doll wants to leave Raventhorn because she doesn’t feel safe here anymore.

It was clear in the way she freaked out even before my friends and I made our presence known.

We’d been watching her from when she was in the art studio and saw the frightened state she was in the entire time she was there.

That got worse when she left, although I’m sure she must have walked that same path over a hundred times since we started college.

Tonight she was super freaked out. Because of me.

Going to Cambridge on a scholarship program is one hell of an achievement. There’s just one small problem.

I’m not letting her go.

I don’t know what I’m going to do yet but I’ll think of something. I always do.

“That was fun.” Dmitri chuckles, pulling me from my reverie.

“When do we get to play with her again?” Logan comes closer.

I look from one to the other, feeling my blood heat. They had too much fun with her and got too close for comfort. It made me wonder what they would have done if I weren’t here. I loathed it even more that as scared as Isabelle was, I knew part of her liked the attention.

“Sorry, boys. That was it.” I keep my tone even and measured to mask my irritation.

They give me an incredulous glare.

“You’re serious? That was it?” Logan clenches his jaw.

“That was it.” They won’t touch her again.

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