Page 133 of His Greatest Muse

The moment he sees the growing pool of blood on the concrete beside Cole, his eyes lock onto me, flickering with approval. I want to run to him, want to bury my face in his chest and let him take me far from here, but we’re not finished yet.

When Cole lunges at Noah, I act before thinking. Any semblance of control I’ve clung to evaporates at the thought of him hurting Noah again. I refuse to witness him in pain again at the hands of Cole. We collide, and Cole’s voice rings out, a mix of surprise and agony, before we crash to the ground, him pinned beneath me.

Finally, I allow the dark voice in my mind to control me. I wrap my fingers around Cole’s throat, lifting his head only to slam it back down. I dig my nails into his skin and grin when he grips my wrist and slaps at my face, fighting me for breath.

Fear dilates his eyes. The sight is enthralling. I lean down, hovering my face above his and whisper, “Don’t. Ever. Touch. Him. Again.”

49

NOAH

In just five words,I’m rendered powerless. Nothing but a meat suit for my beast as he pushes toward my consciousness and attempts to take control.

Tinsley is a dark angel. Her beauty might be one of the greatest wonders of this pathetic world, but it pales in comparison to how magnificent her soul is. Something no one dead or alive would ever be worthy of worshipping. It’s bright yet dark. Soft yet hard. The perfect push and pull between good and evil. Right and wrong.

Yet, despite all of that, she’s mine.

I get to worship her every moment of every day. She protectsme. Lovesme. Would risk everything forme. In the exact same ways that I would for her.

I’ve never been prouder of her than in this moment, watching as she chokes the life out of the man who terrorized her and attempted to force us apart. She’s vicious, fucking lethal in the way she grins while squeezing his throat, turning his face blue from the lack of oxygen. I should tell her to stop, but my lips are sealed shut. It feels like a waste to stop her now. I’m enjoying the view far too much.So proud of her.

“Enough. Let him go,” Alec commands, towering above Cole’s head, staring down at him with cold eyes.

Tinsley digs her fingers deeper into Cole, and he chokes a plea through dry lips. “No.”

“Get her off of him before I remove her myself.” The words are spoken to me. A hard demand that has me coiling inward.

I take a protective step toward Tinsley, casting a shadow over her. “Touch her and it’ll be my nails inyourthroat. I don’t play with my food the way Tinsley does.”

“Get her off. Now. Or was it always your intention to christen this building with a murder? I’m sure her father would give you his blessing, then.”

The reminder of not only her family but also where we are has her snapping out of her blood lust. Fingers flying from where their nails left deep, blooming red crescents in Cole’s throat, Tinsley shoots off his body. She crashes into my chest, shaking from head to toe, but not from fear. Something entirely different.

Instinctively, I wrap her in my arms, but instead of hiding her face in my chest, she twists in my grip and faces the scene, wanting to be a part of this. I want to force her to face me so I can look her over. The call was so muffled it was hard to make out specifics of anything more than words before we rushed inside. If this piece of shit hurt her . . .

But with adrenaline running rampant in her system, she’s nearly rabid, desperate to watch what comes next, so I let it go. For now.

She doesn’t even flinch when Alec hauls Cole up onto his feet, gripping his hair to make their faces level. The way she shudders in my grasp makes me believe she likes to see him suffer, bleeding onto the floor.Fuck.

“We’ve been looking for you for far too long, Cole. It’s grown tiresome,” Alec says.

At the sight of the inked designs on Alec’s forearms, all traces of colour seep from Cole’s face. A foul scent fills the air. My gaze shifts downward to find a damp patch expanding on his pants, trailing along his inner thighs. Alec notices, too, and crinkles his nose. “We’ve barely begun, and you’re already pissing all over yourself. At least try to make this interesting for us all.”

“I—I know wh—who you a—are,” Cole stutters.

His knees are visibly shaking. He’s so weak Alec must be keeping him upright by his hair. It’s a wonder he hasn’t ripped it from the roots yet.

Alec’s smile is cheek splitting. “Good. I’ve always hated introductions.”

“Stop playing with him. I’m tired of waiting,” I grunt, twisting my fingers in Tinsley’s hair, urging her head back so I can bury my nose in her hair. My cock is throbbing against her back, and fuck me, she pushes back into it, accepting every twisted part of me.

“Let’s go, then,” Alec whispers in Cole’s ear before spinning them both and shoving Cole in front of him. The moment he releases his hair, the scum is crashing to the floor, his knees hitting the cement so hard they crack.

He cries out, and Alec laughs, the dark pitch of it swirling around us like smoke. Tinsley jolts in my arms, and when I glance down at her, she’s fixated on Cole’s hands, splayed on the concrete, supporting his weight.

It’s not the hands she’s focused on but the mangled mess of knuckles on his right hand. He’s using what strength is left in his arms to hold himself up off the ground. His elbows are locked, and his head hangs between his shoulders.

My golden girl slips from my grasp, moving to stand beside Alec. I grind my molars, keeping my mouth shut.

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