Page 1 of A Heart So Savage

Preface

He saw me.

He took me.

He ruined me.

Now, I’m his.

I belong here with this monster, yet I still long for freedom.

I say that I hate him, but my heart pounds faster when he kisses me.

He breaks me. Spoils me. Taunts me when I’m on my knees before him. His punishments are exquisite pleasures I willingly endure.

Because I crave how he puts me back together again and again.

I’m nothing more than payment for a debt, but Kingston treats me as though I am his most precious treasure. He swears that I’m safe, but the treachery of our enemies is subtle and cruel. They will not stop until I am at their mercy and Kingston is dead from a bullet in the back.

But I can ruin those seeking our destruction. I can save us before all is lost. Will love weaken or strengthen us when it matters most?

I’m Ava Bella Blue. A prisoner trapped in a gilded cell of lust and secrets.

Kingston Vaughn Winter is the beast I have fallen in love with.

Crush~Conquer~Protect.

It’s his personal motto, but I’ve adopted it as my own now.

His obsession will become our salvation. And I will win this king’s savage heart before this is over.

ChapterOne

Freedom and captivity

are one and the same

when you kiss me.

For the next five days,Kingston only returned at night when Ava was already asleep. His careful movements as he slid into bed always woke her. She would lie perfectly still, barely breathing, waiting for her captor to roll over on top of her. Waiting for the moment he shoved himself between her thighs and took what he wanted with cruel, hurtful hands.

But he did not touch her. Not even inadvertently during his sleep. It was as though an invisible barrier existed between them, one that Kingston himself erected. Curled into a tight ball, Ava would drowsily listen to Kingston’s steady breathing until she fell back into the dark oblivion of sleep.

It was all so very confusing. Especially after the intensity of their interactions before and his calm assertion she belonged to him. That Kingston now practically ignored her was unexpected.

But Ava was thankful for the tiny reprieves while lying beside him in the darkness. Her head no longer ached from Malcolm’s cuffing and the bruises were fading, but doing battle with Kingston now was unthinkable. Better to regain her strength and her wits before tackling this impossible situation head-on.

Ava wondered what Kingston did during his absences as she roamed the castle-like halls of The Den. She sat for hours on the terrace overlooking the deep woods surrounding the mansion and explored the grounds, always with Paulie or Jack trailing in her wake. In the mornings when she woke, Kingston would already be up and dressed. While she picked at breakfast from a tray delivered to the suite, he silently drank coffee, patiently waiting until she pushed away from the table. Other than that, she spent the rest of her days alone until the following morning when the routine repeated itself.

Kingston’s silences were frightening. No way would she ask him where he went, especially since he barely managed a gruff admonishment that she be a good girl each time he left her.

This morning was different.

Once she showered and dressed, Kingston escorted her to the game room and issued a stern directive. It was the first time he’d spoken more than a few words to her since Malcolm’s assault.

“You will stay in this room until I return. I have a meeting with Oliver and others, so it isn’t wise that you roam the estate today.” Tucking a stray curl behind her ear, Kingston smiled crookedly. “You’ll find this a better alternative than confinement to my suite.”

Kingston’s command was infinite. There was no arguing or defying him, but Ava’s mind raced with scenarios as he left her without another word.

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