This time, I help Zade. He takes Rocco and I wrangle Francesca out of the trunk. I accidentally drop her, which earns a chuckle from Zade as he heaves Rocco up the porch steps and through the front door.
Luckily, Francesca is rail thin. She was obsessed with her image and ate like a rabbit. Bending down, I lift her up by the arms and throw her over my shoulder, and then quickly make my way into the manor.
The weight I lost during my captivity has been packed back on with muscle. Not only am I back to a healthy weight, but I’m in better shape than ever. Toned in all the right places, muscle lining my arms and legs, and even my ass has rounded.
Most days, I still struggle with looking in the mirror and seeing something beautiful like I used to. Not because of how I look, but how I feel. In my eyes, my body is stained with dirty handprints, and no amount of scrubbing will set me free of them.
I let Francesca drop to the floor, her head cracking into the checkered tile. Sweat lines my hairline, and I take a moment to catch my breath.
Francesca and Rocco will assume that Zade will quickly torture and kill them. But that’s where they’re wrong. I have far grander plans in mind. Not just for them, but for Xavier Delano, too.
He’s been hiding away on his private island with a mini army surrounding him, but Zade has gotten word that he has an L.A. trip planned at the end of the month. The island isn’t far off the West Coast, and it’ll only be a two-hour flight, but it’s still impossible to hide a big black jet from air traffic control. Not unless he wants to risk flying nose-first into another plane and come crashing right back down in several pieces.
That would be fucking embarrassing.
So, until we get our hands on Xavier, Francesca and Rocco will be hanging out with the ghosts in the basement. It was finished when I renovated Parsons Manor, but it’s still creepy as fuck down there.
When Sibby spots our new arrivals, she jumps up and down excitedly.
“They smell positively rotten,” she shouts, curling her lip in disgust. Pointing to Rocco, she says, “That one smells like rotten eggs. And the other smells like a rotten pumpkin.”
Mine and Zade’s eyes clash, a what the fuck look on both of our faces.
“Pumpkin?” he mouths silently with confusion. I shrug, too exhausted to give a shit. Most of this day has been spent traveling, and I’m ready for bed.
“Sibby, get her legs. We’ll carry her down together,” I direct.
She turns around and speaks to one of her henchmen. “You guys are bathing their stench off me later.”
“Oh my God,” I say, turning my gaze back to Zade’s. “I’m going to have to give the tub a bath tomorrow.”
He shakes his head, appearing disturbed. “Use holy water. Lots of holy water.”
Chapter 31
The Diamond
I fucking hate turbulence.
Just as I begin to swipe my red lipstick on my lips, the plane rumbles, and crimson is now on my goddamn cheek.
Huffing, I grab a baby wipe from my carry-on bag and swipe it off.
Xavier flew into L.A. last night, so we’re on Zade’s private jet and about halfway there. We have intel that he’ll be attending an exclusive underground club tonight, so looking expensive is required. I’m anxious about seeing Xavier again, so I decided to occupy my time by getting ready during the flight rather than drowning in the anxiety and sweating off my makeup.
Makes me wonder if Xavier has ever felt that way. His arrogance is a testament to how stupid he is. He’s gone several months without hearing from Z, and he thinks he’s safe enough to come out of hiding for a weekend.
Honestly, I find it fitting. If he thought he could buy me and keep me as his personal sex slave without Zade finding him, surely he’d be confident enough to walk into a club and think he’ll come back out on his own free will.
The club he’ll be frequenting is geared towards those with dark desires. According to Zade’s research, all the women are there of their own free will, which will allow us to focus solely on Xavier.
That is nothing short of a blessing. It would be that much harder for the both of us to walk into a place where women are being trafficked or abused, and not take the entire building down.
And honestly, I would be worried for Zade if that were the case.
He has positively burnt down the world to find me, and he hasn’t stopped since. He tracked down Rocco’s friends, and several of the guests who attended the Culling and sent them all six feet under. Well, technically, they’re dust in the wind now.
Between training and keeping watch over me, to hunting down Claire, Xavier, my captors, and anyone that stepped foot in that house-I don’t know how he has any headspace left to think.
He tried to take down a few more auctions too, but I drew the line there and demanded he brings in his other mercenaries to take his place in the meantime. It didn’t take much to convince him, which only proved how exhausted he was.
He’s a machine, and lately, I’ve been having to coerce him with make-out sessions to get him to relax. The asshole succeeded in getting me addicted to his lips since the car chase, and I can’t even be mad when it’s the only thing that seems to keep either of us sane.
“You look beautiful,” a deep, baritone voice says from behind me. I turn to find Zade leaning against the doorframe to the mini suite, staring at me like I’m a glass of the finest whiskey, and he would kill for just a sip.
“Thank you,” I murmur, swiping my hands nervously over my dress. It’s a blood red strapless number, cut below the curve of my ass on one side and then dramatically tapers down, the silk flowing to my ankle on the other.
It reminds me of the dress I wore when he took me to Mark’s estate last year. Pretty sure I’ll never look at a red dress and not think of what he did to me in that movie theater.
Especially now, when he’s prowling towards me with my black and purple blade and a strap in his hand, accompanied by a devilish glint in his eyes.
I’m wearing five-inch black heels, yet still, I feel like a little girl standing next to Zade. He has to be pushing six-foot-six.
“Don’t forget these,” he says, holding up the knife and lacy strap. “You’re not going unprotected.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I murmur, enraptured by him. My heart clogs in my throat when he lowers himself before me.
“What are you doing?” I breathe, watching his long fingers reach out and grab my ankle. His touch feels electric, my leg twitching from the feel of his skin slowly grazing my skin. I hold my breath, my heart speeding as his hand disappears beneath the silk and travels farther up.
“Placing the crown on my queen,” he croons.
“What do you mean?” I mumble distractedly, shivering from the electric currents traveling up my leg.
“A crown symbolizes power. That’s what this knife is for you.”
I’m trembling, and liquid heat is pooling low in my stomach. Something I’m still getting used to feeling again whenever Zade is brave enough to touch me.
He’s grown more daring the past month, brushing up against me any chance he gets, and taking advantage of any excuse to touch me, his fingers always lingering longer than necessary. At night, when I’m lost in a nightmare, I let him hold me for a little while, feeling safer with him than I do in my own skin.
Sometimes in those moments, he’ll place soft kisses along my jaw, never pushing it too far, but familiarizing me with the feel of his affection. More and more, I crave it and seek it out. And lately, I’ve begun to feel like it’s not enough. Like I need more.
Sensing my growing arousal, he turns his head and places a soft kiss on my knee, peeking up at me through thick, black lashes. My teeth trap my bottom lip between them, and his eyes blaze in return.
Dropping his burning stare, he brushes the material of my dress to the side, both legs now bared. I decided to forgo panties with this dress, the silk too thin to conceal panty lines. If he lifted the material another inch, he’d be able to see between my thighs.
His nostrils flare, and I feel my face grow hot, flushing hotter when he leans in closer.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.