Page 32 of Secrets & Curses of Crimson

“I know you do.” He smiled like he had a secret.

My hips rolled into his fingers as he leaned forward and gave me a hard kiss.

“You need to cum before more guards come to find you.”

I didn’t want this to end.

“Please, I want more,” I begged.

“Cum for me, Thea. I want to see you come apart on my fingers. Next time, I promise I’ll give you whatever you want.”

“Fuck.” I squeezed my eyes shut as his hand gripped my throat tightly. I focused on anything but how good this felt because I wanted to live in this moment forever.

“I know what you’re doing,” he groaned. “Be a good girl and finish. Quit holding back."

“Cass—” his lips crushed into mine to silence my orgasm. I was a whimpering, pleading mess as I tried to prolong this moment. Cassius hummed his approval against my mouth, swallowing down every moan that escaped me. His chest rose and fell quickly as he moved away from me.

Before I could demand that he come over and kiss me again, his shadows swarmed around us. When they pulled away, we were in my tent. Cassius looked at me once more before leaving without a word. Before I could ask him to stay.

Chapter 11

Cassius

Amovement in front of me in the woods had me tensing. Someone was already spying on Thea’s camp. Silently, I moved through my shadows, so I was directly behind them. I stared at the back of Palo’s head until he felt my presence. He turned quickly toward me. His eyes filled with terror when his mind registered who I was. I had come alone tonight, not expecting to see anything—except Thea.

“What the fuck are you doing here, Cassius?” Palo stood up and stared me down.

“Spying.” My eyes narrowed on him. “Why are you in the woods?”

His body tensed slightly.

“Scouting.”

I gave him a vicious smile.

“You’re scouting your own men?”

Palo clenched his jaw tightly as if to say he wouldn’t tell me anything. Fine by me. I punched him in the face as my shadows wrapped around him.

“You’re coming with me, Palo.” I grabbed him by the collar of his uniform as my shadows took me home. Palo was yelling and thrashing around once he realized I had taken him to Crimson. My father and Haden came running to see the commotion.

“Cassius?” Haden questioned.

“I found Palo here spying on Thea, and he will be telling me why he is watching her instead of trying to protect her.”

“Fuck you.”

My chest rose and fell quickly as I thought of all the reasons he would be watching her. Had he seen her and I talking? Did he tell Luren? I would get my answers one way or another.

“I’m going to the dungeon with Palo. Haden, would you like to help me beat the shit out of him?”

“Fuck yes, I would.”

My father let out a long sigh before giving me a look that let me know I was becoming unhinged, but he wouldn’t stop me. My shadows forced Palo to lie down on his back. I didn’t say anything to my father as I dragged my prisoner behind me. Haden followed eagerly. I didn’t give Palo thedecency of lifting him down the stairs that led to the bottom floor of the castle.

I made sure his head hit every fucking stair on the way down. He was already whimpering by the time we got to the room I would torture him in. I set him in the chair that was bolted to the stone floor. I used the leather straps on the armrest and tightened them painfully to him, then did the same with his ankles.

Haden was smiling as I grabbed my shirt collar and slipped it off so Palo’s blood wouldn’t ruin it. Thea loved this tunic, which is why I wore it tonight, hoping to see her. Palo’s scared eyes watched me as I circled around him like prey.

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