Page 51 of Made in Malice

She moves so fast, she nearly backs into the sofa, picking the farthest spot from me like I knew she would. “Happy?”

“Not in the least,” I deadpan, but it’s a lie. I like making her bend to my will. It feels like a victory every time.

“Let’s get this over with so I can get out of here.” She tries to sound assertive, but we both know I’m the only one with the power here.

“In a hurry to get away from me, lamb? I quite like having you here, at my mercy.”

“Knock it off, you’re all bark.” She actually rolls her eyes at me, and I’m on her before she can blink those pretty blues closed. Her gasp is involuntary, as is the flare of her pupils when I lean into her face.

“You want to feel my bite, lamb?” I lower my head, almost placing my lips on the side of her neck, but I don’t trust myself not to bite her, and that would only be the beginning of what I want to do. She should pay for how badly I want her.

“No.” She shakes her head in denial. I watch her pulse flutter on her throat, daring me to do something about it. I have to grip the back of the couch on either side of her head to keep myself from grabbing her, then I shove myself away just as abruptly as I arrived.

My intent was to knock her off-kilter to show her I’m more than words, but being that close to her and smelling her warm skin and not some shitty expensive perfume most women wear hits me just as hard.

“Don’t test me, lamb,” I warn softly, looking over my shoulder as I walk away. “I don’t have to like you to want to fuck you.”

She swallows roughly, but her full lips curl up in a vicious little sneer. The fear of the last few moments is already gone, and she’s ready to go toe to toe with me again, even if she knows she’ll lose.

Damn, why do I want her when I could have anyone else? Not only is it forbidden for the families to get involved in any way that would make those founding families more powerful than the others, but she’s the only thing holding the Umbras together. Without her as their heir, they would have had to forfeit their bid to hold the power seat in the future. As it is now, Rory already took Clara’s—Nova’s mother—place in line for that position, and that can only happen once, and Astrid has already served as president, which means death to their line.

I would have seen their fall in my lifetime and watched them die, useless and power hungry, while I took over everything, not for a few years, but forever.

Now the only way for that to happen is to get rid of my lamb, and I’m not sure I’m willing to do that anymore. Fuck.

NOVA

If I murder him, it would be justified.

Lucian lowers himself back onto the sofa in a relaxed sprawl. I, on the other hand, am so twitchy, I could climb the wall. Movement out of the corner of my eye snares my attention, and I see his mirror image skulking into the room.

I hope he’s here to rein in his unhinged brother and not act as his coconspirator.

“We have company,” he says in the same voice as Lucian’s, but his tone is so different than his brother’s.

Nox—I’m assuming that’s his name, since Lucian admitted he’s the only other person who lives here with him—splits the difference between his brother and me, dropping down on the couch way closer than I’m comfortable with. This was dumb. I glance between them, questioning how I let this happen.

I managed to stay out of trouble my whole life, even growing up in a crappy neighborhood that was nicknamed Shacktown because everyone who lived there was either dirt poor or looking for drugs—usually both—yet I couldn’t make it a week on this island without making enemies.

“So what are we doing?” The brother looks between me and Lucian as if we’re here for a movie and game night, though I do have to admit it would be the perfect place for that. The room is black, from the furniture to the walls, just like the majority of the house I saw on our quick jaunt up the stairs. Small touches of deep green, which comes mostly from plant life, can be found all over, along with soft shades of cream and gold to highlight the darkness, not to lighten it. Even the pool table across the room is done in varying hues and finishes of ebony. The uncovered windows are decorated lead glass, which fit seamlessly with the gothic aesthetic. I hate to admit it, but his house, mansion, whatever they would call it, is more awe-inspiring than the Umbras’ estate. It really is like something out of a dream, or maybe a nightmare, considering the owners. I really need to get out of here.

“He was just about to tell me what he wants so I can leave.” There’s power in positive thinking, right?

“But you just got here,” Nox replies almost as if he’s worried I’ll try to leave too soon.

“She’s eager to get away from us, Nox. Can you believe that?”

“If you’re being a dick, I can.” His brother doesn’t pull any punches. “Is he being a dick, Nova?”

“Um…” Hearing him say my name and not call me some demeaning moniker is a little odd, so it takes me a second to recover. I don’t want to come right out and say yes, that his brother is a dick, either, because this could be a trap. I really don’t need to give Lucian any more fuel to not like me, even though he’s not worried about me liking him.

“You are.” Nox reads between the lines, or maybe he just knows his brother well enough to assume he’s always a dick.

“I really just want to go home. I’ve had a long day, and I need to get up in the morning.”

“For school.” Nox waves a hand dismissively. “I never go, you’ll be fine.”

“I highly doubt that,” I disagree.

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