Page 50 of Heartless Legacy

I already have one. “My plan is to rock up to Malcolm’s door and slit his throat.”

“Efficient kill. I like it, but you’ll have to get through his guardians first, and then there’s the little matter of you killing a league member in cold blood. They’ll come after you.”

Sucking my teeth, I ask, “What’s worse than what I’ve already experienced?”

“I’m not interested in you finding out. So we come up with a plan for going back, keeping you safe, and getting your revenge.”

Revenge? It’s not as simple as revenge. I’m going back because I need to remove or neutralize the threats permanently. Otherwise, I’ll spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder. I can feel him watching me, and ask, “What else is on your mind?”

“The Trium. We’ll need a plan on how to deal with them, too.”

“They’re with The League. Loyal to their oath. The plan for them is the same as the plan for anyone else who’s fucked me over.”

“You have feelings for those guys, Thea. It won’t be as easy as you’re making it seem.”

“Ihadfeelings for them. Those were beaten, shocked, and drugged out of me while I was trapped in a league sanctioned hell.”

I don’t care if the facility was off-books, and the doctor was working for Lazarro. The only reason they could get their hands on me in the first place is because Malcolm Cox Jr, a mid-level council member, orchestrated my disappearance. Sure, he was shortsighted and power tripping, so he never even considered that anyone he was working with would double cross him, but he’s the catalyst for everything that happened since my arrest in Palm Springs.

Wolfe says, “There’s something else you should know. Two days after your disappearance, Eloise and Pax started showing up around town together.”

The strawberry I’m eating lodges in my throat. I swallow, trying to get it to go down. “They’re together, ortogether?”

He pauses before saying, “They’re engaged.”

My laugh is caustic and loud. I haven’t laughed since I was taken and the one that’s happening now isn’t a happy, carefree sounding one. It’s dark and bitter. “They deserve each other, but what does that have to do with why you’re against me going back to Canyon Falls?”

“You were Pax’s companion. People are saying he betrayed you and you couldn’t take it, which is supposedly the reason you left.”

I turn that over in my head. “They’re saying I ran off to lick my wounds and mope?” He never answered me before when I asked why LJ was so convinced I took off. Now I get it. She thinks I was heartbroken.

“Given your history with Pax and The Trium, it’s a pretty solid theory that this was the event that broke you.”

It is, but not the way they think. “God.” I draw out the word. “It’s like they don’t know me at all. I wouldn’t run off to cry into my soup about getting played. If I was that hurt, I’d get even.” I shove another berry in my mouth and chew, before saying, “I’m more of a cut your dick off and use it to fuck yourself kind of girl, don’t you think?”

His lips turn up into a half smile. “Yes, Thea. I think.”

My toes curl in my shoes. It’s been a while since the last time he called me sweetness. I’ve missed hearing him say it. Glancing up at him, I lean forward. He does the same. Heat rushes through me as his lips press against mine.

The kiss heats up quickly. His hand grips my waist, then he’s pushing me into the sofa, deepening our kiss as he settles his hips between my legs. The warm feeling fades quickly into a phantom shock on my skin. I ignore it, pushing through thediscomfort as his tongue dips into my mouth, and his hands push under my shirt.

“God, I’ve missed you.” Wolfe murmurs against my mouth before going back to kissing me again. He grinds against me, his erection tenting his pants.

I can do this. My hands rest stiffly against his shoulders as he palms my breasts. My nipples are hard, my eyes clenched shut as I try to reclaim that feeling of arousal that abandoned me the minute he grabbed me and pushed me down.

Wolfe

I’m rock hard,achingfor Thea, but something’s wrong. As much as I love being between her thighs, and my hands on her body, I can tell she’s not into it. I pull back, removing my hands from under her shirt and smooth the fabric back down over her stomach, before pushing myself to a sitting position. She peels her eyes open and asks, “Why are you stopping?”

“You’re shaking, Thea. You don’t want this.”

She shifts to a sitting position, resting her back against the armrest. Her voice is soft, and a bit pained when she says, “I do want this. I want to be with you, Wolfe.” She insists, awkwardly rubbing her hands up and down my thigh. “Don’t you want me?”

“Of course I do. So goddamn much, but I know you and I know your body. You’re trying to force intimacy between us because you think you have to, and I don’t want you doing that.”

I swipe at the tear leaking out of the corner of her eye. “I’m not rejecting you, Thea. We don’t need to rush into this. We’ll resume our sex life when you’re ready.”

Her fingers dig into my leg. “I want this but-”

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