Page 74 of Ruthless God

My dig lands exactly the way I intended. His smirk vanishes. His jaw tightens. And then he steps away. The space between us feels colder, like the heat from our kiss has been ripped away too fast, leaving me off-balance.

He doesn’t look at me when he speaks.

“Go back to your room.” His voice is gravel, his posture rigid as he turns.

I should let him go. I should take the win and retreat before I do something stupid.

Instead, the words slip out.

“Wait.”

I’m surprised when he stops. Slowly, he turns his head, his gaze unreadable.

I swallow. “What do I say to Gabriel?”

Something flickers across his face. It’s too fast to catch, but there. Then his expression hardens again.

“Whatever in the fuck you want.” His voice is sharp, dismissive. “I don’t care.”

But his eyes betray him. Because he cares. He cares a lot. And now I know it.

16

Cecely

After the encounter with Claudius, I manage to find my way back to my dungeon…I mean, room. The hallways feel longer, the shadows darker, and the silence too heavy. And that feeling? That creepy, skin-prickling feeling that someone is watching me? It’s stronger now.

I reach for the door handle, about to step inside, when there’s a flash of motion in my peripheral.

My breath catches.

I whip my head toward the hallway, eyes scanning the dimly lit space.

“Who’s there?”

Silence.

Then a giggle.

An actual fuckinggiggle.

Followed by footsteps. Not running. Not hurried. Just…retreating. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. A cold, sick feeling slithers down my spine.

What. In. The. Fuck.

I hurry into my room, shoving the door shut behind me with a little more force than necessary. My pulse is still racing, my breath too quick.

“Really could use a lock on this side of the door,” I mutter, staring back at the door as if someone might burst through at any second.

A voice cuts through the silence.

“That won’t be happening, so don’t waste your breath asking.”

I jump, my heart slamming into my ribs as I spin around. A scream claws its way up my throat, but I choke it down when I see who’s standing there.

“Jesus Christ!” My hand flies to my chest. “What are you doing in here?”

Agnes. Standing in the middle of my room like she has every damn right to be here. Like she was waiting for me.

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