Page 44 of The Villain

Emptiness opens up inside me. Not a good sign for keeping my bans. That void hidden inside me consumes any emotion I can feed it, leaving me calm and focused. A state they won’t want me to be in, even if I make their deaths quick.

“You’re the one that likes fucking on the stairs,” I nod to myself with the flat words. Shade’s hand spasms around mine. I should tone it down. I don’t want his heart to be collateral damage in this battle. Not any more than it already has been. I need him safe and happy. I can get blood and pain later.

The empty darkness inside me settles.

“So, you do know,” she says in surprise. Her brown eyes take in the curious onlookers warily. She should have thought about witnesses before she started this. I’m not afraid to air her business in the open and watch her curl up in embarrassment and shame. It sounds like fun.

“He told you about all of us? Together?” She lowers her voice with a sly smile.

Shade slowly looks at her with disgust.

A flare of possessive jealousy attacks me out of nowhere. I want to break her teeth at the thought of her touching Shade in any way.

I know it’s a lie. Tera told me he’s never been interested in her. She’s trying to get a reaction to drive me away.

“The stairs aren’t that wide,” I point out in my deadened tone.

“Let’s get a table and have that meeting,” Felix interrupts whatever Melissa opens her mouth to say next. She looks surprised at the interference.

Shade’s fingers are starting to cut off my circulation.

“The meeting is scheduled for five p.m.” His voice is cold and flat. I approve.

“Why wait?” Melissa asks in fake confusion. “We’re all right here. It makes no sense to do a teleconference when we’re in the same town again.”

He’s had to be in contact with them the entire time they were gone? I thought their leaving town was his break. He’s been silently suffering, hidden away in his apartment, without an outlet. These fuckers.

“He’s busy,” I don’t look at her as I say it. If I look, I’ll start punching.

Shade glances down at me as we shuffle forward again. The two idiots follow like vultures after a moving carcass.

“It will only take a few minutes. You can wait outside, Van,” she suggests with a sweet smile at me.

My voice is blank as I reply. “Fuck off.”

“What?” She laughs and looks at Felix in surprise. “It isn’t anything but work. Why are you worried?”

“I’m not worried. You have no respect for his time. You need to learn.” I yawn at the end and Shade frowns, looking concerned. I need him to be blank right now. Not softening me with his attention.

“I’m just asking if we can meet up for five minutes,” she protests.

“No. Fuck off.” I tell her again.

“Does your new girlfriend speak for you, Shade?” Felix focuses on him with a scowl.

“You have to listen to someone eventually.” I tap the curious woman in front of us on the shoulder. “These dicks don’t know what the word no is. Could you explain it to them?”

She gapes at me in surprise.

I turn to the man behind us. Before I can speak, Shade yanks me into his chest. He’s grinning down at me as if I just made his day. An arm goes around my waist to keep me pressed against him. The contact leaves me breathless in a giddy way. I give in to it, melting into him as if I’ve done it a hundred times before. His body is so hard underneath his clothes. It’s another thing to obsess over.

“I can’t yell,” I whisper as I lick my lips. “You ask if someone can translate English to moron.”

Shade laughs and steps forward, moving me back as the line moves. My chest rubs against his, the strength of his thighs moving against mine makes me weaken even more. He’s starting to get hard underneath his jeans.

“What the fuck are you so busy with that you can’t take five minutes for work?” Ira asks the question coldly as the rest of their team joins us.

“Me,” I tell him without looking away from Shade’s pale eyes. His relaxed smile. It’s the truth. He’s focused on me and I’m enjoying that as long as I can.

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