Page 29 of Captive of the Crime Queen

Yet my thoughts drift back inevitably to the delicate face and questioning blue eyes of my captive. The mere thought of her stirs a pulsing warmth low in my belly. I close my eyes, recalling the satin warmth of her skin under my hands as I adjusted hergrip on the pistol. The way her lithe, tempting body pressed back against me, my chest pressed against her shoulder blades. The scent of her soft hair?—

The door pushes open. I recognize the heavy tread of boots and jangle of hardware even before Lyssa enters. She ambles over, looking irritable. "Another day in paradise, eh, Boss?"

Before I can respond, Lyssa thumps a bottle of whiskey onto the table in front of me with a dull thud. Amber liquid sloshes audibly, and she fetches two glasses from the cabinet at the side of the room.

"Drink up," she says. "We've got personal shit to discuss." She splashes three generous fingers into each glass and shoves one towards me.

I shove it back decisively, splashing some onto the table's worn surface. "I don't have time for your drunken antics. There's still work to be done."

Lyssa ignores my glower and downs her whiskey in one long swallow, exhaling gustily. "Yeah, yeah, mobsters andbratvaand existential dilemmas. Now drink up before I pour this whole bottle down your throat myself."

I consider punishing her outrageous insubordination. But the whiskey does look tempting, and Lyssa has proven a sympathetic ear during my more reflective moods in the past. I take the proffered glass and sip, letting it spread through my chest in a molten trickle.

My guests never fail to remark on the quality of the stock I keep, from weapons to booze to assassins. And Lyssa is definitely the best of the latter, so as I wait for my best alcohol to workits magic on my mood, she knows better than to interrupt my thoughts. We drink in contemplative silence for a long moment.

Finally, reluctantly, I speak. "I don't know what I was thinking with the girl today."

Lyssa tilts her head, dark eyes glinting. "You mean your new bedwarmer?"

I bristle at once, and she smirks. "Don't talk about her like that," I warn her. "She asked me to show her how to be strong, and I said that I would."

"Mm-hmm." Lyssa's knowing look says she clearly perceives there was far more primal motivation behind my actions.

I forge on, ignoring her silent implication. "You were right about one thing. It was foolish to get so…close." Unbidden, my pulse quickens remembering Aurora pressed so intimately against me. "I want you to take over her weapons training moving forward."

Lyssa's eyebrows lift, but she seems for once to sense I require delicacy in this matter. "Probably for the best, if you're determined she has it. You've got enough on your plate." Her words lack any real mockery.

I nod tersely and finish my drink, craving the numbness of inebriation now to dull this unwelcome ache of unfulfilled desire. And Lyssa seems to read my mind, refilling our glasses, splashing more generously this time. She leans back with her refreshed drink, glancing at me sideways.

"If you want her,haveher," she says baldly. "She wouldn't resist. She wants you, too. She drenches herself every time you look her way. I can practically smell it."

"Delightful."

She shrugs. "And true."

The whiskey has loosened my tongue enough to answer her with more candor than I'd normally allow. "I want her," I admit. "But I know if I touch her…"

"What?" Lyssa prompts at last.

"I'll destroy that light in her eyes." With a sigh, I take another sip. "There's something in me that would take great pleasure in extinguishing it, Lyssa. That's why I can't be around her."

Lyssa snorts. "You're just worried it would actuallymeansomething to you."

I wish that was all it was. And yes, maybe Lyssa is onto something. But it's more than that, too. There's this darkness in me that wants…

Not totakeAurora.

But to break her.

When I don't respond, Lyssa presses on. "I've watched you with her, you know. I see how gentle you are, the way you make sure her needs are met. And she's grateful for your kindnesses."

"I don't intend to take advantage of that gratitude." I shift again, discomfited by Lyssa's astute observations. It's true Aurora has wanted for nothing since being brought to the estate. I've seen that she's been treated well—given suitable clothes, books, music. Access to the grounds and gardens, as much as possible.

Small comforts that I tell myself are necessary to keep her compliant, but are actually just to makemefeel less guilty for the things I want to do for her.

Lyssa sighs. "Oh, face facts, Hadria. You've got a soft spot for the girl, that's all. A few nights in bed with her and you'd get rid of the craving."

I'm taken aback by the savage response that rises up in me at Lyssa's casual dismissal, and I cover it up by draining my glass and thumping it down on the table. "Enough. All I want from you is to see her properly trained. She may need those skills sooner than we know, if Nero manages to gather his forces."

---