Page 50 of Bleeding Outside the Lines

“Rawlings or Sophie, whichever you’d like to call her, is the one who ordered the hit. She paid the price for you to die,” she says, matter-of-factly.

“We knew that.”

Ruby raises her eyebrows at me, a silent scolding. “Like any other court, we have laws. While she did not go outside of them, she most definitely bent them.”

“So what happens now?”

“Reds do not retire, Cassius.”

She takes an intentional step toward me, but I don’t retreat.

“Reds do not retire,” she repeats. “They kill or get killed.”

“So who are we killing?”

Ruby sighs into me with her whole body. As if she can no longer stand on her own and she needs me to hold her upright. She turns her head to look up at me as she glides the tip of her dagger over my skin. It’s a feather like touch, soft and deadly. Sensual. It makes my nerves go haywire and she knows it. She applies a hint of pressure, drawing beads of blood from my forearm.

“Cassius,” she purrs. “Do you know what I love about you?”

I don’t answer her, instead pressing my hard cock against her body so she can feel what she does to me.

A wicked grin flashes over her face. “I love that the threat of harm turns you on.”

She presses the tip of her blade to the side of my throat, puncturing the skin. My dick pulses with need as I lift her from the ground. Her legs wrap around my torso as I pull her lips to mine. She bites me, and I pull away, the taste of iron filling my mouth.

A glint of silver flashes before my eyes, and for a second, I think the darkness is playing a trick on me. Her breath stills, and I know it’s too late. I realize my mistake.

Her legs unhook from my body, and she steps back. Out of instinct, I put one hand on my throat, feeling my pulse as it bleeds between my fingers, sticky and wet. I reach my other hand toward her, but she’s faster than I am. Betrayal kicks me in the gut. My body feels heavy and my brain swirls in amultitude of circles and grainy memories. She tilts her head in that peculiar way, the one that makes her look more feral and less human.

She takes a step forward, but it’s already too late. By the time I react, she’s sheathing the dagger she just used to stab me between the ribs.

thirty-six

Cassius stumbles backwards andopens his mouth to speak, but can’t form the words.

Neither can I.

This is how it was always supposed to go. There was never any other choice. Never any other outcome. Cassius gasps for breath, blood sputtering from his throat. No longer a strong, capable opponent. No longer a man worthy of being my king. He’s only a pawn in someone else’s game.

His body collapses in a display of awkward limbs. A puppet who lost his master. A man taking his last breath.

I squat next to his body, digging my heels into the gravel. Pressing two fingers to the side of his neck, I feel for a pulse before I make the call to the cleaners.

I don’t wait for them to arrive. I don’t want to watch them load Cassius’ still warm body into the back of one of the vans. Watching that would be my undoing and a risk I can’t take. I can’t fall apart now.

The house is quiet, which is not unusual for this time of night, but it’s oddly bright. As if a flutter of activity ceased abruptly. I find Rowan in my bedroom, sitting cross-legged on my bed.

“Cleaners all set?” I ask her.

“Yes, and video evidence has been sent to the high court.”

“Good, that buys me just enough time.”

“Are you sure you have to go, Rubes?” she pleads with me. Her voice so small and child-like, it makes me pause.

“Come with me Row, we deserve more than this.” I spread my arms indicating the Reds.

“Oh boy, where are we going, Rubes?” a voice from behind me taunts.

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