Page 33 of A King So Savage

Tenderly destroying me

Ava languishedin her enforced prison for days.

Kingston did not visit her. Not after what happened in the woods and then in the conference room. Despite his best attempt at indifference, he recognized a growing obsession and it terrified him.

He did not want to be attracted to her. Did not want this going anywhere other than the conclusion he envisioned. He wanted payment of the debt her brother owed and then he would wash his hands of the dangerously addictive Ava Blue.

That should be his priority. The objective. The end game.

But things were changing. His plans were not so concrete anymore. She’d been under his control for twelve days and already she’d thrown his life and everything in it into a whirlwind. And it was stupid and irrational, but there could be no ignoring one simple truth. Ava wasn’t safe out in the world on her own. She wasn’t safe with her brother. She was hardly safe at The Den.

And she damn sure wasn’t safe with him.

Since there’d been no word from Carson, Kingston wondered if the man would actually sacrifice Ava for the opportunity of wiping his debt clean. It wouldn’t be surprising, considering the depths Carson had sunk to over the last few years. The man would do anything, including murder, to maintain his current lifestyle.

Sitting in his private control room, Kingston watched Ava on the wall of screens. She’d taken the books delivered a day earlier and was now methodically stacking them until they resembled a game of dominoes.

There were at least a hundred books, which resulted in a long, undulating row. After carefully positioning the last one, Ava knocked it over, setting off a chain reaction.

She studied the fall of each individual book as though fascinated by its role in the makeshift game. Kingston’s head tilted when she stood up after the last one toppled over. She then listlessly climbed onto the cot and stared off into space, twirling a lock of hair around one finger. When she released the curl, she began chewing one fingernail again. Void of expression, her face was a blank mask.

I’m going to break her of that habit… one way or another.

Kingston’s jaw clenched. He couldn’t leave the girl in there much longer, not in this state anyway. She’d shut down on him that evening in the conference room, slipping into a distant world where only she existed. It was possible she teetered on the brink of madness.

And he was going mad keeping himself away.

What if he released Ava from the confines of the cell? Maybe he could allow her the illusion of freedom inside The Den until her brother made a decision.

But could he trust his men not to touch her? That was an unanswered question, especially after what he’d done in that conference room. He’d worked them into a fevered pitch with that little exercise in depravity. There could be repercussions from that night. A price to pay for his own selfish actions.

Oliver was Kingston’s biggest concern, but there were others who might think it was acceptable to take from their prisoner what he had taken. The only men he trusted not to betray him were Paulie, Jack, and Neil. And although they shared the other key to the cell between them, even their loyalty wasn’t a guarantee in this murky world of greed and lust.

Kingston’s hands clenched. He’d kill a motherfucker if anyone touched Ava without his permission. Murder a man with no remorse or pity. After Neil rejected the offer to punish Ava, Kingston reached a surprising decision. There would be no sharing of his prisoner before he sold her off. Because in this newfound, selfish obsession, he sure as fuck did not want anyone seeing Ava after an orgasm.

Running his fingers through his hair, Kingston sighed heavily. Stealing Ava seemed the best solution at the time, but now, he wasn’t sure.

She was becoming a liability. A possession he didn’t want to lose. A weakness he couldn’t afford. A woman he thought about constantly. Especially in the dark of night when he had only the palm of his hand for solace.

Kingston studied the camera’s live feed again, then abruptly shut the system down. He would go to her. Feed his lust before letting her out of her cage. It would only require the exertion of a bit of dominance to ensure she wouldn’t run from him again.

* * *

Kingston passedNeil on his way out of the cell.

“She’s fine,” the doctor said with a wave of his hand. “The wrist has healed much quicker than I expected. Possibly due to her lack of activity. I’d prefer she refrain from using it for another few days and let me check it again.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Kingston’s reply was purposefully bland.

Neil frowned. “She needs out of that cell, King. You can’t keep her locked away like this and not face some consequences. It isn’t healthy.”

“I know.” Kingston’s jaw tightened. “My hope is she will not be my problem much longer. Thank you for seeing to her welfare.”

“Just remember, King, how you hated being a prisoner yourself. When your father ruled everything in your life.”

Kingston waved the man away like a king irritated by a wayward subject. He fit the key into the cell’s lock and turned it. “How can I forget?”

Ava’s gaze was glued to the door when Kingston swung it open. The instant she saw him, she averted her eyes. Plucking at the comforter, she refused to meet his stare.

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