“Oh no you don’t.” I push him further in, my tight hold on his throat the only thing keeping him from plummeting to his freezing death.
“You see, I like to hear people bang on the ice after they’ve been thrown in. It gives me this overwhelming sense of pleasure to see someone struggle until their last breath.”
“You’re a monster,” he rasps.
“Perhaps, but there’s only room for one King around here.” I drop his body straight through the hole. His fists pounding against the ice brings a satisfied smile to my face. As the current drifts, the banging becomes less prominent until it stops completely. Pure ecstasy is what I feel.
Gavin drops the ropes and the sack from his head into the water as well, washing away all remnants. "No trace," he confirms, a professional nod. "The Deadly Seven leaves no loose ends. And the information you got will be cross-referenced immediately." I clap him on the back.
“Good work,” I praise. “I’ve got somewhere to be.” He nods, following behind me to his little sports car.
Forty Eight
Kaden
“Thatdidn’ttakelong.”Alrik looks up from his phone with a smile as I walk through the front door, the cold still clinging to my clothes.
“Yeah, I have better things to tend to,” I admit, my mind already upstairs. He nods and rises from the chair to make his way out.
“Anything else, boss?”
“At the moment,” I pause, thinking of her. “Not a damn thing. Go have a drink with the guys.”
I run up the stairs as I hear the door close behind him, shedding the ice-cold killer with every step. I am not that man in this house. Not anymore. Here, I am something else entirely. Something more vulnerable. Something hers.
I hear the shower going in our suite and a profound sense of relief washes over me. She’s strong enough to be on her feet. She’s washing away Evilin’s touch, the scent of poison and fear. I quickly strip down, my clothes falling to the floor in a heap, and walk into the bathroom. The dense fog coming from the shower swirls around the room, making it hard to see my girl.
“Kaden!” She jumps as I open the glass door, placing her hand over her racing heart. “You scared me!” she says with a pout that I want to devour.
I run my thumb along her jaw, then tangle my fingers into her wet hair, holding it tight. She lets out a little whimper that has me crashing my mouth to hers with a force that pushes her against the cool glass. It’s a desperate, hungry kiss, a confirmation that she is here, alive, warm.
“Mmm, Snowflake. The things I do for you…” I trail off when her big brown eyes search mine for answers to my vague admission.
“What–”
“I may be a Prince, but I’m no saint, Snowflake,” I murmur, my voice a dangerous purr. “Shh, it’s all water under the ice, baby,” I purr into her neck, the chilling truth of the words a secret bond between us. Her hands slide up my chest to rest on my shoulders. My hands settle on her hips, pulling her flush againstme. Her pebbled nipples rub against my chest, stirring my cock until it's hard, pressed against her stomach.
She opens her mouth but stops herself from saying whatever she was about to.
“Tell me,” I urge, skimming my nails up the side of her body until both of my hands are tweaking her pert breasts.
“I love you, Kaden.”
Her cheeks redden with embarrassment, but my brain freezes, stuck on the three words she just uttered.I love you.Three words that have never been directed at me. Not once in my entire miserable life. They slam into the hollow, broken parts of my soul, filling a void so vast I didn't even know it was there. The monster, the king, the killer—they all fall away, leaving only the man who is utterly, terrifyingly hers.
“You don’t have–” I start to say, the old instinct to reject kindness kicking in, but I press my finger against her lips, not allowing her to finish. I cup her cheeks, forcing her to see the raw, unvarnished truth in my eyes.
“I’ve been in love with you since the time I first saw you and when our eyes connected that night, I knew you were meant to be mine. In all ways. Mine forever. Obsession slammed into me like a fucking freight train and I knew you were coding yourself into my DNA.” She gasps as tears form in her eyes. I lean over to ghost my lips over hers, only slightly, then pull back.
“You’re the perfect puzzle piece to my fucked up jigsaw, and I’ll never let you go.” I brush my finger over the ‘K’ that I carved into her hip, feeling an overwhelming sense of pride wash over me.
“I don’t think you’re fucked up,” she smiles up at me, biting her lip.
“Oh yeah? I’ve been called a monster,” I add. She seems to ponder the idea in her head.
“Then I’m a monster, too,” she confesses as her eyes dance with amusement.
“Is that so?” She nods.
