Page 44 of The Curse of Blood and Silenc

I pulled away reluctantly. “I want to take a shower. I need to wash off everything from that place—the bayou, the wolves, and especially Balthazar and his friends.” My skin crawled at the memory of the demon’s presence, of the wolf’s rough hands. I needed to scrub away every trace of their touch, every moment in that plantation.

“Go ahead. Take as long as you need.”

“No.” I held out my hand, surprised at how much it still trembled. “I want you to join me. If you have time, I mean...” The words came out small and uncertain. Even after everything—the bond we shared, him coming for me and hearing my calls—part of me still feared he’d pull away and retreat into his role as the vampire king with more pressing matters to attend to than taking a shower with me.

Angelo’s eyes softened with that rare gentleness that only I saw. He took my outstretched hand, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. “The only thing that matters right now is you.” He drew me closer and I could feel the tension in his body, the careful way he held himself. “Let me take care of you,cara mia.”

My breath hitched at the Italian endearment. Even now, still shaken and afraid, something warm bloomed in my chest at his tenderness. This was the Angelo that only I got a glimpse of—not a ruthless king, not a feared, ancient vampire, but the man who could bring me back from the edge with no more than a gentle touch, a loving word.

Chapter

Twenty-Three

Serenity

Angelo carriedme into the bathroom that had a sunken marble tub and shower big enough for three. I stripped off my jeans and the shirt that Balthazar had given me. The bastard hadn’t given me any undergarments—another sick way to make me feel vulnerable and exposed. The clothes were caked with Shannon’s blood and I threw them into a corner, never wanting to wear or even see them again. The blood had soaked through in places, leaving rusty stains on my skin that sickened me. Shannon’s blood. I could still hear her screams. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold back the tremors those memories triggered. Even here in Angelo’s bathroom, the sounds wouldn’t leave me alone.

Angelo watched me silently. There was nothing sexual in his gaze—just a fierce protectiveness that steadied my shaking hands. His eyes tracked each bruise and scrape on my exposed skin, and although his expression remained carefully neutral, I saw his jaw tighten. The marks were a reminder of everything hehadn’t been able to prevent, everything Balthazar and his men had done.

His eyes turned to midnight as his gaze locked on mine. “Who hurt you?” The words came out soft, lethal—the kind of quiet that preceded bloodshed.

I looked down, trying to hide the bruises around my neck. The same shame washed over me, hot and suffocating, just like when Freddie used to hurt me. “Gage,” I whispered, the name bitter on my tongue. “He did this when I couldn’t heal the Luparion Crystal.”

I flinched when Angelo reached for me, my body reacting instinctively before my rational mind could catch up. The hurt that flashed across his face was quickly replaced by something darker and more lethal.

Angelo lifted my chin, his touch gentle but his eyes promising death. “He’ll never hurt you again. I protect what’s mine.”

“I know,” I said through my tears, wanting Angelo’s hands and lips on my body. He’d be the one to erase my nightmare, not just wash away the physical traces of that place but replace every cruel touch with his gentleness, every fearful moment with his love.

I stepped closer to him, my fingers finding the buttons of his shirt. They were stained with blood, too: blood he’d spilled coming for me. “Touch me,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Make me forget everything except you.”

His eyes darkened, but he caught my trembling hands in his. “Serenity...” My name was a prayer on his lips. He brushed away my tears with his thumb, his touch so tender it made fresh ones fall. “Let me take care of you, cara mia. Let me make you feel safe again.”

I gave him a mischievous smile. “Perhaps you should take off those stained clothes, my king.”

I heard his clothes rustle and fall as I turned on the hot water, its force pelting against the white tile walls. Angelo’s hands gently turned me to face him, and I couldn’t help but admire his sculpted body—the well-defined muscles of his arms, the broad expanse of his chest, the narrowness of his hips. My eyes were drawn to his bulging cock, and my cheeks flushed with desire.

He took my hand, pressing it to his lips. Without breaking his gaze, he led me to the shower and checked the temperature. Steam curled around us as we stepped inside together. The warm water ran down in rivulets between us as he drew me closer, until nothing existed but his eyes and the heat of his body against mine.

I closed my eyes, letting the water cascade over me in sheets, soaking my hair and washing down my body. Each warm drop carried away another fragment of fear, another moment of pain from the past few days. Angelo had found me. Had saved me. My protector, and my salvation.

When I opened my eyes again, Angelo had turned around, his muscular frame now between me and the spray as he faced me. Water traced a path down his chest, highlighting every powerful line of him. My trembling fingers followed one droplet as it trickled down. This was the man who’d torn through armies to reach me, who’d painted the world in blood to bring me home. His muscles tensed under my touch, a reminder of the lethal strength he contained—although he had never been anything but gentle with me.

Desire pooled low in my belly as his hands slid up my arms, leaving trails of heat in their wake. I belonged to him, body and soul, and right now I needed him to remind me of that. Needed him to chase away the memory of other hands with his touch. My fingers curled against his chest as he drew me closer, our bodies molding together perfectly.

He picked up a bottle of shower gel and squeezed some into his hands, creating a thick lather. Something in his eyes darkened.

“I can feel your need to be clean of them,” he murmured. “Let me help with that.”

I froze, staring up at him. “You can feel what I’m thinking?”

His lips curved slightly, but his eyes remained intense. “Of course. You’re part of me now, Serenity.”

My heart stuttered as pieces clicked into place. All those desperate nights in captivity, when I’d felt less alone, less broken... “When I was in that cell,” I whispered, “sometimes I felt... safer. Protected. Like someone was watching over me.” Tears pricked my eyes as the truth sank in. “That was you, wasn’t it? You were there with me somehow.”

“You’re powerful, Serenity. You were able to contact me. Unfortunately, I couldn’t contact you.” His kiss against my neck held a hint of regret, as if the memory of that one-sided conversation still tormented him. “But it’s how I found you.”

His hands moved gently as he massaged the suds over my breasts, each touch replacing violation with worship, sending shivers of pleasure through me. Without hesitation, I opened my mouth and he bent down to me, our lips meeting in a fervent kiss. My tongue tasted the metallic tang of blood, but all I could think about was Angelo—vampire…king…and mine.

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