‘Boss?’ Aiden prompts. He’s opened the boot and I lower Niamh inside.
‘I’ll drop you and Rose off at Cernunnos, then take Niamh out to the woods.’
Vittoria smiles wickedly, and moves towards me, pressing a hand to my chest and trailing it down. When shereaches my belt, she lifts her hand and places it flat on the side of my face, kissing me.
‘I wish I could watch you hunt her down, Cillian. See that moment when she realises who you really are and what you’re about to do to her.’ The malicious glee in Vittoria’s eyes shrivels any arousal I might have felt, had she been talking of anyone other than Niamh. She curls her arms around my neck, staking her claim on me. ‘I’ll arrange the clean-up here.’
‘See that you do,’ I snap as Aiden folds one of the rugs we keep in there and places it under Niamh’s head, covering her body with another. He looks sideways at me as I pull a gag, cable ties and duct tape from a bag I keep stashed in the car. Every touch of her skin makes my senses tingle and I wish I was doing this for other, far more pleasurable reasons.
Aiden’s expression is blank and I wonder if he’d help me if I asked him to, or consider it an act of treachery and refuse. But I can’t leave Niamh unrestrained in case she wakes up when I’m driving and somehow draws attention to herself. I have no idea what she’s taken and therefore no idea when she’ll wake up.
I almost pray that at least one of the old gods is looking out for her tonight. But that’s ridiculous. She’s not Kin. And the gods abandoned us long ago.
I hide her presence in the boot using Glamour and I’m about to close the boot when Vittoria comes to stand beside me.
‘I still think it’s odd that Niamh had your number,’ she murmurs, but I detect the hint of an edge to her voice. ‘Are you in the habit of texting your sister’s friends?’
I sigh, with emphasis. ‘Fuck’s sake, Vittoria. I can’t remember why she has it. Perhaps I gave it to her because Rose is so obstinate about answering her phone. And’—I close the boot hard—‘it seems I was right to. Given that my sister almost died at the hands of some random thugs.’
Vittoria lifts an eyebrow at my barely concealed accusation, and the fact that Niamh and Rose were in one of the Rialis’ clubs.
‘Those responsible are already dead, Cillian,’ she says. ‘As you suggest, just a few chancers. I doubt they even knew Rose was sister to the great Cillian Hunter.’
There’s definitely an edge to her tone now that’s impossible to miss. I frown, noticing Aiden react to her words, too. And while Vittoria is a viper, only out for her own gain and always determined to come out on top, I realise I’ve been counting on her wanting this marriage as much as I do.
When Vincenzo either dies or abdicates, there are currently only two likely choices to rule The Unseelie Court– Vittoria’s husband or Rose’s husband. And there is no way Vittoria will allow my sister to take the role she has always coveted.
‘Cillian,’ Vittoria steps in close to me, sliding her hand inside the lapel of my jacket, the warmth of her touch moving through the silk of my shirt.
She presses against me, her hips tight against my groin. I push my leg between hers, cup her arse with my hands and pull her flush to me, taking her mouth as I slide her up and down on my thigh. She gasps, her fingers popping open two of my shirt buttons before her hand slips under my shirt and she runs her palm over the smooth muscles on my chest, teasing one nipple with her fingernail. I catch her hand by the wrist, pull it free, and whisper, ‘Later.’
‘But, darling.’ She pouts. ‘We’ve already been interrupted once. And it is our engagement night. Why not kill her now and be done with it?’
‘No,’ I state, but I put my hands around her slender waist and whirl her around, pushing her roughly up against the side of the limo. I kiss her deeply, desire stirring again, despite my hatred, until she captures my bottom lip with her teeth. She nips it, drawing blood, which I wipe away with my thumb. I run my hand up her thigh, hitching her dress up and sliding a finger into her underwear. I have no intention of fucking her, but teasing her reminds me I have the power. I swipe my finger through her folds, toying with her clit until she lets out a moan.
‘And waiting will give us the chance to take our time and make it memorable, my sweet. Besides, like you said. It’s important for me to handle this myself.’ I whisper against her hair as I insert my finger inside her and pump it slowly. Once, twice, three times before I remove it and leave her empty and wanting more.
Frustration, anger, flashes across Vittoria’s features but she tampers it quickly.
‘Fine,’ she agrees, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard her utter a more reluctant word. ‘Take her to the woods, but I want the heart when it’s done. Bring it to me.’
For one moment I consider taking Niamh through to the Underworld, to a tall tower in the darkest, thorniest woods and keeping her locked up there, trapped and helpless, unable to escape, forever waiting for my arrival. She would lack for nothing. Except her freedom.
‘I’ll bring it over in the morning,’ I say curtly, as the memory of Niamh’s body pressed against mine rushes through me. I’ve never forgotten the feel of her, no matter how many times I’ve been with other women, no matter how often I’ve tried to forget her, in the intervening years. The choices I’ve made throughout the last four years threaten to suffocate me. Niamh could have been mine. I could have given up my role at Court, acted on every impulse I’ve felt towards her, brought her into our world bit by bit. Corrupted her sweetness, her morals and ethics, piece by piece. But I chose not to. I chose to leave her alone. And in the end, all I’ve done is condemn her.
The urge to make my feelings a present reality rather than a distant memory is nearly overpowering, but I can’t allow any of these feelings to show. I want to lift her out of here, feel the welcome weight of her in my arms, untie her and take her in the back seat of my car, but I can’t.
‘One last thing, Cillian,’ Vittoria says. She places her fingers on Niamh’s face. Niamh’s eyes flicker open, widening in fear when she looks up as Vittoria whispers, ‘What happens in the darkness, stays in the darkness.’
I feel the power flow from Vittoria into Niamh, even as Niamh tries to move away from Vittoria’s touch.
‘What have you done?’ I yell pulling her hand away as Niamh’s eyes close.
‘This way she won’t remember anything, won’t know who you are or why you’re there. You’ll just be an anonymous monster set on murdering her in the woods. You don’t need to worry that she’ll think you’ve betrayed her. It’s the least I can do to make this kill easier for you.’
I step away from her before I add Vittoria’s body to the ones needing to be cleaned up in the alley and get in the car. I feel her gaze on me as I drive out onto the main road and head out of the city. Vittoria was right, it will be easier to kill Niamh if she doesn’t know who I am. At least this way Niamh won’t die believing that I betrayed her.
‘What happens in the darkness, stays in the darkness,’ I whisper, already mourning the loss of everything we’ve shared. The kisses, the comfort. And for a moment, I wish I could use the spell on myself and stop this pain threatening to drown me.
