Two killerstrainedto kill him.
Gripping the mattress, I tried to get to my feet to help him, but my vision vanished completely.
My ears twitched as Lucien’s husky, deep voice purred, “There’s quite a few things that make me angry and having inconsequential little rats fighting each other in my home is one of them.”
“Rats?” Lydia spat. “Who are you calling—?”
“You.” Lucien cut her off. “Obviously.”
Rubbing my temples, I tried to ease back the awful crescendo. I fought my system from shutting down. I didn’t want to pass out. Not now. Not with him—
“Get out of my way,” Lucien snarled, wrenching my head up. Shoving the two girls aside, he prowled toward me. Dressed all in black, his mood matched his clothes, dark and morbid.
I stiffened as he stopped before me.
His focus locked entirely on me, all while Whisper acted like a guard dog, growling at the women.
Lucien dropped to his haunches and cupped my cheek. His hand trembled—rage or pain, I couldn’t tell.
I froze in shock.
The two girls squeaked in indignation.
Lucien showed no sign of caring about them as his thumb traced me gently, leaving a wake of prickling heat.
Could he see Evelyn’s abuse painting my skin?
Was that why he—
His fingers tightened, pressing on the bruise from being punched. “How badly did they hurt you?”
I couldn’t catch a proper breath.
With my system driving me closer to burnout and the way he watched me, scorching me with intensity and possessiveness and rage...I couldn’t do it.
I bit my bottom lip as it all became too much.
Leaning backward, I tried to escape his devastating attention, but his fingers moved to cup behind my head.Capturing me tightly, he pulled me forward until our foreheads touched. “Tell me what they did to you.”
“I—” Another flush of nausea made my lips clamp shut.
Having him here shouldhelpme. I was no longer at risk of being killed but...he killed me in a completely different way. He tore through all my defences, ripped apart all my rationality, and set fire to every heartbeat.
I grew dizzy—
“They cut you.” His gaze dropped to my neck where Evelyn had drawn blood.
His fingers dug painfully into my nape as if he couldn’t control his reaction. “They really shouldn’t have done that.”
His voice.
Thattone.
So quiet it whispered through my bones, yet so loud it sent the gates of hell swinging open.
His expression emptied of everything human.
With a slow nod, he let me go and stood gracefully.
