Page 15 of A King So Savage

“Thank you, Cal. That will be all. I’ll notify you when to retrieve things.” Kingston’s voice rumbled, and the entire cell seemed to shrink in size.

Ava turned her head away so he could not see her face.

“Sure thing, boss.”

The man retreated, the door clanging shut with an obnoxious bang.

Locking her away as ifshewere the wild animal rather than the monster holding her prisoner. Her heart hammered with both fear and the first licking flames of rage.

“You did not follow my instructions. I told you to clean yourself up.”

Ava did not deign to turn her head to him. “Clean or dirty, does it really matter? You’ll do what you want, regardless.”

Kingston let out a slight exhale of breath. That sigh of frustration was telling because it verified her assertion.

“You would feel better.” His voice moved closer, and Ava squeezed her eyes shut against the terror. “I know how much you enjoy bubble baths.”

“You don’t know anything about me,” she choked out. “But let me guess. You spied on me every time you met with my dad. You crept around the hallways. Followed me. Snuck into my room and went through my personal things. Maybe even stole some of my underwear. Classic stalker behavior. Did you put your eye to the bathroom keyhole and get yourself off? Watching me when I was naked?”

His hand stroking her hair startled Ava. With a low shriek, she scrambled away, launching herself off the cot. Maybe he didn’t lock the door. Maybe she could dart around him… lock him inside his own damned cell.

He snagged her by the arm before she could get very far and hauled her up against him. Hitting that solid wall of muscle knocked the breath out of her. The arm he gripped so tightly was also the one with the injured wrist.

Stars swam before Ava’s eyes as Kingston’s hand moved until it lightly encircled her wrist, metal contraption and all. He squeezed gently, and the resulting pain was a scathing reminder of how helpless she was. How hopeless.

Powerless.

Ava met the blue fire of Kingston’s gaze, a tumble of confusing emotions swarming through every vein she possessed. Like an angry hoard of bees, those emotions stung and buzzed until she was dizzy from the bombardment.

She hated Kingston so much in this moment. Hated the thick tousled waves of his dark hair. Hated the chiseled perfection of his features, the dimpled chin shaded with a hint of stubble, and the full, pillow-like softness of his lips. Hated that his hard hands sent a dark thrill streaking through her like a bolt of fiery lightning. She hated the thick, sooty eyelashes that swept down concealing his lust as though she couldn’t handle the thought of what he truly wanted from her.

The cut on his cheek and the bruising around it only added to his perfect, rugged good looks. And she hated that, too.

“Stop making me hurt you, Ava. Behave yourself before I’m forced to do much worse.”

“Worse? What could be worse, you fucking monster?” She cried out without thinking. Of course, he could do worse. He could do so many cruel things, and no one would hear her screams down here. And even if they did, they would never come to her rescue. Not when they were loyal to this man.

“Are you tempting me, Ava?” Kingston’s lips twitched with humor. “I’m happy to show you just what I’m capable of. To show you what afucking monsterI truly am.” With a free hand, he smoothed her hair out of her face and then…oh, God… brushed a thumb over her abused bottom lip. “You’re bleeding.”

He carefully smeared the blood across her lips, coating his thumb in the bittersweet fluid before bringing the digit up to his own mouth. He tasted it, grinning like a lion sipping fresh cream.

“Sweet as honey, little lamb. Your blood. Your tears. Even your sweat. All aphrodisiacs to a man like me. If you hope to emerge from this situation with your sanity intact, I suggest you stop provoking me with these little episodes of defiance. More importantly, you should refrain from using any variation of the word ‘fuck’.” His grin widened even more. It was mean. Heartless. Beautiful. “It’s giving me all kinds of filthy ideas.”

Ava hoped his enormous hand would not tighten any more on her fragile wrist. Still, she could not help but sneer, “Obviously, you are a psycho or something.”

He smirked, mocking her words. “Orsomething. Want to find out? Keep testing me. I dare you, Ava Bella Blue.”

The threat of violence in his tone was a sponge absorbing Ava’s defiance from her bones. She sagged in his grip, and that was enough of an answer for Kingston. He released her so she sank back onto the cot, but remained looming over her. Those blue-black eyes pinned Ava in place, glittering like black diamonds scattered across a summer sky.

“You will eat,” he commanded, “then you will bathe. I’ll assist you.”

Ava bristled. “I don’t require your assistance. And I don’t want yourhelp.”

He simply smiled and sank onto the chair beside the cot. Leaning over, he lifted the gleaming silver dome away from the tray of food. “I know. And I don’t care what you want, Miss Blue. Haven’t I made that abundantly clear?”

ChapterFive

Hands bound

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