“You gave me one of these before.” I loathe how breathy my voice is.
“I did.” He practically growls that, suddenly aggravated. “And if you remember, I encouraged you to keep it on you. That was last fall.”
Hisencouragementcame in the form of a hotheaded demand in the middle of my shift in the piercing boutique.
“Yep. I recall.” My jaw locks for a thirty-second staredown before I resort to goading him. “Who says I don’t have it on me now?”
He releases my hand in favor of hooking his fingers around my chin and tilting it upward. “Mercy isn’t the only one being watched.”
That stills me for a beat, my breath caught in my lungs. I’m aware I’m always on camera here, but that warning means he heard me too.
Maybe it was because of Mercy. Fuck, I hope so. The last thing I want is Maddox in my business.
Despite the panic surging through my veins, I veil myself in tranquility.
“Well, I trust you enjoyed the show. Thanks for the present.” I tap the curved edge of the blade against his taut chest, my teeth skimming over my bottom lip in a sensuous sweep and my gaze latching on to his beneath the fringe of my lashes. “I’m sure I’ll come up with somethingrecreationalto do with this.” I purr that last line, and maybe it’s all in my head, but I swear the charismatic, imposing outlaw king is practically drooling.
Victory bells ring in my mind. That’s a power I’ll back-pocket for later. Fucking with Maddox Noire could be the rush of a lifetime.
Without responding to that, he plucks a sheath for the knife from his pocket, fits them together, and hands it back to me. “Keep it on you at all times. This is nonnegotiable.”
It always comes back to that. Control.
“Right,” I sneer. “Part of my life sentence?”
“Sure, Tess.” He scoffs, scratching the dark scruff on his steel-cut jaw before parroting my words with a hefty dose of venom. “Part of your life sentence.”
His agitation is uncharacteristic. He’s generally a smart-ass and demanding, but this is more intense. Maybe he’s actually anxious about his meeting with Axel.
A spark of something unreadable coasts through his smoldering eyes. “You are divine in that purple, but you’d look radiant in orange.”
It seems I was grossly off base. He’s obviously not that stressed. And him picturing me in a convict getup is where I draw the line.
Ignoring whatever this is, I slink around him and head for the door. “I have a lunch date.”
His husky tenor follows me out even though he hasn’t budged. “Have fun. Your shift ends at eight tonight. Text me whether or not you’ll be going to the Underground afterward, so I can escort you home.”
He’s got to be fucking kidding me.
I whip around, glaring at him. “What the hell are you talking about, Maddox? I can get home all by myself, like every other night.”
He shoves his hands in his pockets, his long strides eating up the space between us in a blink. He bends just enough so his face hovers above mine, dousing me in his seductive scent again and igniting a flurry of white-hot rage to sizzle over my skin. “Let’s call it a new stipulation in yourlife sentence.I’ll be your warden until further notice. Where you go, I go.”
Still clutching my gifted toy, I grind my teeth and spit out my retort. “Seems ill-advised to supply your inmate with a shiv.”
“I’ll take my chances, Lockhart.” He trails his knuckles over my cheekbone, inciting a shiver to rocket down my spine, before his mouth curls into that maniacal grin of his. “I’m intrigued by therecreationaluses you mentioned. Might need you to demonstrate. See you tonight.”
With that, he winks, turns on his heel, and leaves me in the dust.
Enraged and … much to my chagrin, weak-kneed.
MADDOX
“Where the fuck is your head at?”
I’m fairly certain that barked question from Axel was directed at me, but my head was still dreaming about the five-seven curvy minx who nicknamed me Dracula, which seems like an invitation to bite her. Visions of doing precisely that have been occupying my brain far more than sugar plums—that’s a Grinch reference. Axel is resembling him at the moment.
None of those thoughts are the shareable kind. That’s one of those lessons from my mom that I try to employ. I’m not great at it, but she always appreciated effort, so I’m calling it a win.
