Page 23 of Marked for Desecration

“You’re distracting me. I have something for you.”

I fluttered my eyes open and stared at him questioningly.

“It’s a surprise.” He climbed off the bed and extended his hand to me. I grabbed it and let him lead me out of the room and downstairs.

And down the next set of stairs. The halls of the mansion were bustling with new workers. Spectres dressed in black had guns strapped to their back as they scrutinized each servant passing by.

“Where are we going?”

“To my brother’s torture chambers.”

My nipples perked and I bit my bottom lip. “Are we going to play down there?” I didn’t think William had time to replace our family butcher just yet.

The light, soft fabric of my dress billowed behind me as we made it to the bottom step. My bare feet landed on cold concrete and stone, silently stepping behind Jordan as he led me further into the dark room.

The smell of blood was thick, and my mouth watered. What kind of fun was to be had here? We rounded the corner, walking until we made it into another section with a long hanging bulb that was slowly swaying.

Five humans were on their knees, chained collars around their necks with their arms tied behind their back. Each person hung their head with resignation. How boring.

“What is this?”

“A christening. To celebrate our marriage.”

I quirked an eyebrow up. This was unimpressive. William’s meat hooks were a better gift. I crossed my arms and stared at him with expectation.

He looked nervous. Well, his one eye did.Good.He needed to step it up.

“They were caught trying to help the new supply escape. They were a gift from Logan.”

This didn’t make any sense. How long did I sleep? And why the hell would Logan give us anything. He was the biggest, most selfish prick around.

“I can see the question in your eyes. They were already on their way here before we left the compound. The underground tunnels between this estate and mine is only a three-day walk. William refused to house blood farms on his land, saying it would devalue it.”

This was getting more interesting by the minute. I wondered if my mother knew about this.

Jordan leaned in and caressed the side of my arm, down to my hand. “I always had other plans and now that I’ve taken over, I took Logan’s offer.”

I ignored his attempt at flirting while my mind ran a mile a minute over all the new information I’ve acquired.

How long was Logan watching me? This seemed to be more than just a mere gift. This seems like a statement. A movement.

“So, Logan’s always had his eye on this estate as a blood farm?”

What exactly was going on between these two brothers?

“I guess. He’s never mentioned it in the meetings except for the last one.”

At the Velvet Fang. Has William’s death been planned all along? I squeezed my legs together at the brutality of Logan. Family apparently meant nothing to him… except for his baby brother.Why was that?

What was so special about Jordan? What was I missing?

My memory supplied the fact that William expressed he never cared for an heir. Was that the reason? I stared at Jordan. Logan was fully capable of reproducing just as much as his youngest brother.Fucker came on my face and not my pussy. Was that on purpose?I suddenly realized we were both being moved like pawns in a long term game. Where did my mother fit in with all this?

My anger simmered just beneath the surface. I didn’t like being played for the fool.

“Jordan.”

“Yes, my love?”

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