Page 49 of Tainted Serenity

With a determined nod, I alter myself for the consequences of my actions. Frankly, I couldn’t care less right now. My head only reaches his shoulder as I stare up at him with a firing gaze that portrays all of my emotions, vulnerabilities, and insecurities. He knows me—therealme—and that is enough to be here for him.

As if by pure reflex, his arm finds its way around my waist before dragging me closer to him, so our chests are within inches of each other. The possessive grip on my hip makes me shudder; beastly insects flying in my stomach.

“Naya, stop,” Grey says while shaking his head.

In his eyes, I see the devastation that churns in his mind, like a parasite that will eat away the organ until nothing remains. I have no idea how he is here or what happened to him during our time apart, but I will not let him push me away.

I lay my hand on his chest, feeling the hardthudof his heart inside his ribcage. It’s beating as his chest rises and falls.

He is fucking alive.

“Grey.”

He looks into my eyes. “You have to go. Listen to me for once; you cannot fucking be here.”

His voice turns into an icy cold whisper that caresses my arms, but I refuse to listen to him. He can get as mad as he wants, but this time, I am not giving up.

“Let’s do it together.”

His furrowed brows mirror his confused expression.

“Let’s kill her. Together. You don’t have to be alone.”

Chapter 20

Naya

He shakes his headin clear denial, yet there is something vulnerable within him. He used to do everything by himself, never once having someone he could rely on. The only person he trusted turned out to be a traitor.

I focus on the thudding feel of Grey’s heart that tells tales of how he doesn’t want me to go; not really. I raise my eyebrow in a silent challenge, daring him to tell me no and push me away.

He sighs. “If you do this, your soul will forever be tainted.”

A laugh slips from my throat, I cannot even help it. “My love, you corrupted my soul long before this, and I tainted it long before that.”

Grey’s eyes flare with the same determination showing in mine, and it’s something I cannot extinguish. It’s fucking intoxicating, even when I don’t understand why.

“There’s no turning back after this, little doll.”

I give him a smile that borders on a smirk as I grab the knife from his grasp, holding it firmly in my hand alongside his.

“I’m irrevocably yours.”

I seal my promise to him with a final kiss that makes something burn deep within me. A fervent need fills me despite the inappropriate moment.

The woman on the floor is slowly coming back to her senses, and the moment I sense her scream coming, I step over to her and clasp my palm over her mouth. She mumbles something incoherent, fury raging in her eyes at her disadvantage. A prickling sensation comes over my back, and I look over my shoulder to see Grey observing me, a glint of pride shown in the way his lips lift. I’m so lost in Grey’s eyes, watching over me like a hawk, that I don’t notice the punch she throws my way until it’s too late. A searing pain spreads across my temple, catching me off guard as she manages to get an advantage. In the time it takes for me to register what happened, Grey’s fist crashes against her nose, causing her bone to crack. It takes a while for the dizziness to fade away as I quickly gain balance, taking Grey’s place as I keep her down on the floor.

“Burn in fucking hell,” she curses out loud, casting Grey a gaze full of hatred and poison.

“Already there, sweetie,” he grins like the fucking maniac he is.

“I really wish Arthur would have killed you, worthless whore,” she spits at my feet, blood dripping from her saliva. “Even your mother should have killed you when she murdered your father.”

Her words cause me to stop in track, my heart stopping as blood rushes in my ears until I can’t hear anything except her taunting words. Rage fuels me to take the knife from Grey, feeling the lighter weight of it in my palm. Without a second of hesitation, I slice it against her throat with trembling hands; the blood seeping out from where her skin is tearing apart. She splutters on her own blood as I watch the life drain from her eyes, just like I did to my mother after she killed my father.

I’m left panting, adrenaline shooting through my body like I imagine an addict feels when they get their long-awaited fix.

“That was so fucking hot.”

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