Page 78 of Servitude to Serpents

Warrick

I watch as Lenora stalks out of my office, my temples pounding. Every time I buy a new property, she insists on delivering the keys herself, celebrating the fact that I just again made her obscenely rich. I endure because she’s good at her job, but this is the first time she has left in tears. I jerk my glasses off, pinching my brow as I shut my eyes, willing the foul mood and headache to pass. It was irrational on my part. All she did was touch my thigh. I don’t even think it was meant in a sexual manner. Only, it pissed me off; it’d been over two hours since I had a chance to watch Pup. That combined was enough apparently to threaten to scalp her. Why not add one more ember to the fucking dumpster fire the last few weeks have been? I clench my fist, fighting the urge to pull up the security feed. Lately, I spend more time obsessively watching her than doing well, fucking anything.

The sound of running and jingling combat wear jolts me, anxiety needling my chest as one of my security men rounds the corner. His face riddled with shock, no small feat for an ex-SEAL. “She attacked the girl with a crowbar.”

Bile churns in my gut as I round my desk, heading for the hall. “Who?”

“Your-thegirlyou keep. She killed that lady.”

“Is Pup okay?”

He breathes in and out before answering, making me want to strangle him. “I mean, yeah, I think.” He jerks his hat off, running his hand through his hair. “She just beat a woman to death in your garage, though.”

I exhale, relief allowing my chest to finally expand as I head down the stairs, rushing outside about the same time Stuart does, a guard also behind him. I make it out the door first, my eyes immediately finding Pup’s heaving form as she gentlyrests the bloody crowbar in its normal resting place, Lenora’s skull cracked open like a watermelon as blood coats the ground.

I grip her roughly, spinning her wide, pretty doe eyes to mine. “Are you hurt?”

She shakes her head, her eyes lighting up. “Master.” The ridiculous woman soundsexcited.

I’m hyper aware of Stuart's and everyone else’s eyes on me as I crush her to my chest, burying my nose in her hair.

She stills for a moment before snuggling deeper into my chest. “I’m sorry, Sir. I-I,oh my God, I don’t know why I did that.”

“Everyone leave. Now!” I bark, turning around to glare at Stuart as he frowns at the scene before him. “I made myself clear.”

His jaw clenches as he nods, heading inside with the guards.

Pup is sobbing now as I capture her head between my hands. It’s not enough to have her wrapped around me. I need her. I need her closer, need to know she’s okay. “I- Master, Ikilledher. J-just… I thought youfuckedher.”

I don’t waste any time trying to rationalize around the sick fucking thrill coursing through my veins at what my pet has just done. She killed, forme, however misguided. I shake my head. “Never,nevermake me worry about you like that again,” I scold her, watching as her pretty eyes widen further, her sobs quieting. She tries to look away from me, but I don’t let her.I can’t.

Can’t stand her eyes on anything but me right now.

Just for a moment.

“I killed her,” she whispers.

“No, I killed her, remember? Just like the others. You did nothing wrong, baby.”

She nods, sniffing. “Yeah. Okay.Oh, my God.”

I lift her, holding her against me harder than necessary as I carry her inside, petting and stroking her, all the while convincing myself it’s to keep her calm. To prepare her, because I need her mind intact for the party in just a few days. I lie to myself because right now, I’ll take any reason to keep her close. When I strip her clothes off her beautiful figure, I tell myself I have no choice but to follow herinto the shower. I have no choice because it’s what she needs.

A broken dog can’t do tricks.

Right?

That’s why I kiss her, shoving her back up against the shower wall. I was wrong to push her away, to hurt her. I was wrong to buy her that night, to keep her so close, to let it go on this far, to let her suffer. She gasps as I enter her, my hands holding her up by her ass as her core grips and clamps around my cock. She’s fucking perfect, and she’smine.

I’m hers. Hell help us all, I’m fucking hers.

If she’d gotten hurt.

If something had happened to her… The thought makes me sick.

“I’m sorry, Pup.” My lips dusting her neck. “I should’ve paid you more attention.”

We still our fucking, watching each other as water trickles over our electrified skin. We’re suspended, both trying to bend time to our will, to stretch and prolong this moment when nothing else is going to matter. Not the plan, not the party, not the House of Serpents, not the collar on her neck.

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