Page 41 of The Devil's Spawn

“Come on, Kayla. She’s not worth it, and this stress isn’t good for the baby.”

I knew he was right, but hell, I wanted to keep going at her until not a trace of her claim on my husband remained.

“If you’re not gone in five minutes,” Gage told her, “I’ll send security after you.” He veered me in the direction of the estate, and I caught a glimpse of something dark passing over her face, settling into the depths of her eyes.

The promise of payback.

She might be down this round, but she fully intended to dig her claws into what was mine….one way or another. Beneath the mask of momentary defeat lived an irate woman who issued a silent challenge.

Game on.

19. Rendezvous

“Why were you out here, Kayla?”

“Why were you?” I shot back. Once again, I tried to pull from his grasp, but he wouldn’t allow it. He had my hand in the crook of his arm, the picture of a perfect gentlemen, but as he placed his palm over the back of my hand, I knew the true reason he held onto me.

Power and control. It was such a Gage type of move that I shouldn’t have been surprised.

The lights from the mansion lit up the patio several feet in front of us, but Gage steered us toward a bench. As I settled into the seat, he removed his jacket and draped it over my shoulders before taking the spot next to me.

“Do not disrespect me, Kayla. Answer the question.”

“I’m sorry, Master,” I said, lowering my gaze to my twiddling thumbs. But I wasn’t really sorry—a large part of me still seethed from my confrontation with that bitch. Adrenaline pumped through my veins too fast, and I took a deep breath to get a grip on my emotions.

“I came out here to touch myself.” From the corner of my eye, I noted how his shoulders seemed to release some of his tension.

He let out a breath. “Of course you did.” He shot me a sideways glance. “Did you come?”

“No, Master.”

“But you got close?”

His line of questioning more than frustrated me. “Shouldn’t we talk about Katherine?”

“You still don’t trust me,” he said, matter-of-factly. “But to answer your question, Kayla, I went for a walk with Katherine because she said she needed to talk about Conner.”

I turned to face him and laced our fingers together. “I do trust you. That’s not what this is about. I feel like…”

He squeezed my fingers, and that small gesture of encouragement gave me the strength to forge ahead.

“I guess I feel like there’s something I’m missing, or not understanding. We’ve been married for over a year, but she just won’t let go. You were with her formonths, but that was years ago.”

The instant the words left my mouth, I realized how ridiculous I sounded, considering my brief time with Ian years ago. Cheeks flaming, I lowered my gaze, ashamed that I’d let my jealously and doubt cloud what was right in front of me.

It was like a bulb flashing behind my eyes.

“I feel so stupid,” I whispered.

He tilted my chin, refusing to let me hide. “You’re not stupid, baby. You’re mine, which makes me yours, and you have every right to get angry. She’s overstepping, but it won’t last forever. Eventually, she’ll move on.” His hold on me tightened. “She’ll move on because she hasno choice.”

His assertion was layered in meaning. People always had a choice, but in Gage Channing’s world, his decree was law, and he always got what he wanted. I wasn’t sure he was right—not after I’d punched the bitch before throwing my pregnancy in her face.

“I’m only going to say one more thing about what went down back there,” he said, nodding in the direction of the gazebo, where thankfully I found no sign of Katherine. “Because I won’t allow her to ruin this night for us.”

My breath stalled in my lungs as I waited for him to continue. Whatever he wanted to say, I sensed the importance.

“You were fucking amazing,” he said, voice hoarse as he palmed my cheek. “If you’re wondering why I didn’t stand up for you, it’s because I didn’t have to. Watching you in action, with your claws bared and fighting for what’s yours, was the best foreplay imaginable. I cannotwait to get my hands on you tonight.”

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