Page 63 of A King So Savage

“You will not touch me until there is an answer from my brother.” She purposefully hardened her tone. “And the moment he pays, you will release me. In the same condition that I came to you.”

“I don’t care for those terms,” Kingston replied in a languid tone. “We both know your brother will not honor this debt. For all intents and purposes, you are already mine.” He leaned a shoulder against one of the bed’s columns, his manner casual and relaxed. But Ava knew better. She recognized the tension in his hands as he crossed his arms. A muscle ticked along his jawline as he contemplated her. “Denying me only makes me angry.” His smile turned mocking. “And you don’t want to see me angry, little lamb. It isn’t very pleasant.”

“You’ve promised my freedom,” Ava stubbornly pressed. “You wouldn’t go back on that. Youwouldn’t. Honor among thieves… isn’t that the saying?”

“But you’re not a thief, Ava.”

“Perhaps I’ll change my ways,” she retorted. “A life of crime may suit me just fine. After all, look how well you’ve done with it.”

The silence stretched and popped until, finally, Kingston muttered beneath his breath, “Fine.”

His jaw was clenched so tight, Ava thought it might shatter like glass. But Kingston simply nodded his head, his mouth stretching into a grim line.

“I already agreed to release you if Carson pays what he owes. And if he doesn’t, you will be mine in every sense of the word. To do with as I wish. Sell you or keep you, it’s my decision, and you will surrender yourself to that reality.” He turned to leave the room but then paused by the door. Throwing her a scorching hot glare, he added, “A word of advice, Ava. Even thieves will honor an honest debt. So, you better prepare yourself for the moment I collect mine.”

ChapterTwenty

Iam mystified by you

And this aching need.

The high-pitched,muffled scream woke Kingston from a dead sleep.

At first, he thought he must be dreaming. Reliving a nightmare from his youth. A flashback to those days when his father abused women simply for the pleasure of it. Those women were usually willing at first, but the intensity of his father’s punishments often meant a quick reversal of their complete submission.

The scream echoed again, and Kingston’s heart clenched with unreasonable dread. He rolled from the bed, grabbing his pistol and then reaching for the solitary key resting on the nightstand.

Ava…

Racing down the hall, Kingston’s blood pounded in his veins. He was already mentally prepared to annihilate the person harming her, his hands automatically preparing the weapon for use.

He drew up short at seeing Jack pounding the door to Ava’s room. The man struck the thick wood over and over while intermittently calling her name.

“She’s not answering, Kingston. Just keeps sobbing. You heard her screaming? You’ve got the key, right?” Jack rammed his shoulder into the door in an attempt at forcing it open. “Goddamn this thick-ass door.”

“Move over,” Kingston ordered, pulling the key from the pocket of his sleep pants. Within seconds, he had both locks undone and was shoving his way into the room with pistol drawn.

The room was not completely dark. Light from the bathroom crept in, throwing little slivers that arced across the floor. There was just enough illumination to reveal Ava sitting in the middle of the bed.

She was alone. Her hands gripped the covers, and even in the shadowy dimness, Kingston could see the terror etched on her face. Sharp cries interspersed with her heavy breathing filled the room.

Kingston rushed to the bed, gathering her against his bare chest and holding her tight. She shook within his embrace and continued whimpering.

“Check everything,” he said to Jack, who was already pushing open the door to the bathroom with his own gun drawn.

“Clear,” Jack announced before moving onto the only hidden space in the room, the closet. That done, he moved to the windows, yanking the drapes aside and checking the locks.

Kingston smoothed a hand over Ava’s hair. It was a tangle of blonde curls, and when he gripped a handful of it, the essence of honeysuckles and wild roses drifted to his nostrils.

“Shh, Ava. Shh…” The attempts at soothing her hardly made a dent, but at least she was no longer screaming. She huddled against Kingston, trembling and still making those awful sounds. Muffled, agonizing cries that seemed as though they’d hung up in her throat but would break free at any moment. She seemed unaware of Kingston’s presence, and Jack’s as well.

“Closet’s clear. No one is in this room, King.” Jack’s face was a study of confusion as Kingston cradled Ava closer. “And no one got past me and that door. The windows are secured as well with no sign of being opened or closed. They are securely locked.”

Kingston shifted on the bed, moving until he could peer down into Ava’s face. She stared back at him with unseeing eyes, sobbing with such heartbreaking pain that Kingston couldn’t help but wince.

“I think she’s having a nightmare or something. She doesn’t seem to realize we’re even here,” Kingston muttered as he rubbed a hand over Ava’s bare arms. She wore a silky nightgown of deep blue silk and one strap had slipped off her shoulder.

“Might be a night terror. My sister had them a lot when she was young,” Jack said, leaning over to peer into Ava’s face. “They say you shouldn’t try waking a person up from a night terror. They might hurt themselves or you.”

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