Page 118 of Captive Souls

I let them divest me of my weapons—I didn’t need them—reveling in the unease of the heavily armed men watching me sideways as if they expected me to set off a bomb at any moment.

They were inconsequential to me. Little more than flies buzzing around my face. Swatting them wasn’t worth the energy I’d expend.

Stone didn’t stand as I entered the room, merely looked up with what could only be described as a shit-eating grin on his face. It took me seconds to understand why, eventually seeing what he had mounted behind him, for every single person to see when they walked into the room.

It took every ounce of control I possessed to keep my expression blank, to not jump across his desk and rip his throat out with my bare hands.

That’s what he anticipated, after all.

“Knox,” he greeted as if he were expecting me. I could see past his veneer of civility to the fury that lay underneath. It was in the stiffness of his shoulders, the tautness of his body, hand underneath his desk, no doubt touching the gun he kept there. He was scared and angry.

“You are full of surprises,” he said smoothly. “I knew you had talents, but artistry wasn’t one of them. With a paintbrush, at least. We all know your talents with a knife.” He turned his head to stare at the painting, to leer at the ridges and valleys of Piper’s form.

I stood stock still, noting the men behind me had their fingers on the triggers of the guns they were holding. I supposed they were ordered to shoot at any sign of movement.

Not that I cared.

After a long silence, Stone turned back to me. His expression was still pleasant, lips turned up, features relaxed but I didn’t miss the glint of fury in his eyes.

“And here I was, thinking that you had no sexual appetite to speak of,” he continued, his voice straining with fury as he lost hold over his faux civility. “And all it took was the right woman to wake you up.My woman.”

Anger gushed through my veins, but I didn’t move. “She’s mine,” I said, keeping my voice cold and even. “Not that I seek to own her. She belongs to herself first. Women are not possessions. Men like you unfortunately don’t learn that often enough. It’ll be my pleasure to watch you learn the hard way.”

Stone froze for a moment in fury before he threw his head back and laughed. I knew the gesture was forced, for his audience. His bodyguards. Because he was too cowardly to face me alone.

“Look at you, the heartless eunuch now an expert on pussy just because he’s been bewitched by a cunt.” He said the words in his trademark polite tone.

My insides roiled, thirsted for vengeance, to punish him for the way he spoke about Piper.

But that’s what he wanted. He saw me as a feral dog, and he expected that he could just dangle some poisoned meat in front of me and that’s all it would take.

“Should we end the theatrics?” I asked, sounding bored. “We both know this only ends one way.”

Stone looked at me with barely restrained fury before he sighed. “Yes, we know it does.” He stood, making a great show of taking a knife from the sheath at his waist. It shone in the light, polished and clean.

When he rounded the desk, the men beside me came in tighter. A cage. That’s what he thought he had me in, thinking it would be as simple as slitting my throat.

I wanted to smile, but that would‘ve given me away. So I waited.

“Such a shame.” Stone took his time, making his way over to me, the showman he was. “I really considered you as my own son.”

“Makes sense, since my father was a piece of shit.”

His brow twitched. “I didn’t think I’d enjoy this.” He examined the knife. “But remembering how you tasted my fiancée’s pussy before I had the pleasure reminds me I will.” His eyes locked with mine. “And you’ll die knowing that she’s going to be mine for the rest of my life.” He clicked his tongue. “Or hers, which likely promises to be shorter.”

There it was. Just a few seconds away from my moment. My body prepared, coiled, the beast inside me licking its lips.

But Stone didn’t take the step forward I needed. He stopped at the knock at the door, his irritated gaze turning that way.

“I was not to be disturbed!” he shouted. But once he saw who was at the door, his expression cleared.

Then he smiled. Truly smiled.

And it was the smile that sent dread through me.

I didn’t need to turn to know what had turned him so victorious.

I knew. I fucking knew.

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