“Here.”
He held the necklace out in front of him for me to take. Stepping closer, I brushed past Parsons, who was rapidly typing on his phone, forgetting about me almost instantly after getting the Muze information. I looked up at Watson. “What is this?”
“Safety precaution.” He shrugged lightly. “Once the sting occurs, you might need assistance from us. They will begin to be more paranoid. If you are in danger, the spade opens like a locket, and there is a panic button. Just press down on it, and the device will send out a distress call with your location, regardless if you have a signal or not. It’ll only take minutes for emergency services to arrive on the scene.”
“What if I don’t need emergency services and just need one of you to show up?” I asked. The jewelry piece felt like a bomb I was getting ready to disarm in my hands. If I were caught with this or it got accidentally pressed in the presence of the Knights, my cover would be blown. This felt more dangerous than a burner phone, given my recent run-ins with an ex-boyfriend turned deranged stalker.
Watson shoved his hands in the front pockets of his pants. “Then you won’t need them, but it’s always better safe than sorry. No matter what is happening, if you feel unsafe or need help, press the panic button, and I will be on my way to you.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
acelynn
It was justpast four in the morning. The bar had finally emptied out, and I stood behind the counter, restocking bottles and wiping down surfaces I’d already cleaned twice. All day, my stomach had been in knots from the knowledge of the sting that had gone down at the Excalibur.
Kaius and a few other Knights had left hours ago without a word. Not even a goodbye. Astoria had been clueless to the fact that it was probably the last time she would see them for a long time. When they returned, the energy inside the Queen’s Table shifted. The crowd practically split apart as the Knights re-entered, power dripping off Kaius as he passed through the space.
My breath caught in my throat when his angered eyes locked with mine. For a second, I thought he could see right through my façade—through the lies, the betrayal, the panic button disguised as a pendant around my neck. But then heturned, whispering something to Nolan before stalking into the roundtable room. The Knights in the crowd shifted to follow their king.
A cold chill washed over my entire body as I watched those wooden doors slam shut, the bass of the bar’s music covering up any screaming that was occurring behind them. Astoria had paused for a moment, eyes watching the same spot as me, before releasing a shaky breath and going back to slicing a batch of limes.
I always wished I had a conscience like my brothers, because maybe this wouldn’t feel like acid in my veins, and the guilt of what I had told both of the detectives yesterday wouldn’t be making me physically ill. But I didn’t. I had my secrets, a hidden panic button around my neck, and a sickening ache that told me I’d made a deal with something darker than I might be able to handle.
Hours passed in a haze before Nolan finally emerged by himself, eyes sharp and unreadable as he lasered in on where Astoria was flipping the barstool chairs onto the tops of their tables. His hand traced her lower back, fingers lightly drawing shapes where her skin was exposed between her pants and cropped shirt. She leaned back into his touch unintentionally, taking solace in the quiet of the bar and Nolan.
I couldn’t understand why neither of them took the leap of being with one another when they were both so clearly made for each other. A tinge of jealousy shot through me because I knew in my heart I would never have that. Never be looked at by someone as though I had hung the moon in the sky to shine down on just them. I was hard to love fully. I could give someone my everything, and even then, would it ever be enough?
Shaking my head, I returned to the bar, letting the two of them have their moment, but it was shattered as the double doors of the roundtable flew open and struck the walls behindthem. My hand tightened on the knife I had just finished drying before looking up at the man in the doorway.
Kaius Mordred, the King of Lovelen, was staring me down with a lethal smirk that had my blood running cold.
The knife clattered to the floor as I sprinted from behind the bar, my sneakers catching against the worn flooring. I skidded around the corner of the bar in a panic as Kaius lunged forward. Ducking away from his grasp, I increased my speed until I was inches away from the doorway. With both hands, I pressed against the metal door using all my strength to throw it open, but before I could get through, Kaius’s hand latched around the base of my ponytail and yanked me back with brutal force.
A scream ripped through me, but the sound only caused him to pull harder. My legs gave out, and suddenly I was being dragged backward across the floor like a rag doll.
Astoria’s terrified screams broke through the air, and I could hear Nolan trying to calm her, most likely holding her back from pummeling her brother right now. Kicking my feet out, I began to thrash against him, making the pain in my skull grow more intense. In one quick motion, my body flew up and then slammed down onto the ground.
I heaved hard as the wind in my lungs disappeared, tiny black dots dancing across my vision from the lack of oxygen now flowing to my brain. Rolling to my left side, I curled into myself, a sharp pain in my back now screaming at me.
Kaius’s dark figure loomed over mine, power dripping off him in heavy waves. This was the man who haunted my dreams. He was no savior of mine, and in this moment, I knew he would not even bat an eye as he carved into me for his own sick satisfaction. Kaius, ever so slowly, bent at the knee until he was only inches above me.
A pathetic whimper slipped through my lips, causing a ghostly smirk to trace his mouth. He reached out, brushing apiece of hair off my sweaty forehead in an almost tender motion. I tried to scramble back, but he was faster than me, his other hand reaching out to grip the center of my throat. His fingers tightened around it as he flattened me on my back once again and leaned in. We were so close, our noses nearly brushing. I weakly clawed at his wrist, back arching further into him as my eyes rolled into the back of my head.
“Knight got your tongue, kitten?” Kaius loosened his grip slightly, allowing air to flood into me once again.
I heaved in a few ragged breaths, letting the color of the world around me come back with a raging force. Sinking closer, Kaius flicked out his tongue, licking up the trail of tears that had pooled down my face.
He groaned out once, “Sweet little Acelynn, I am going to have so much fun destroying you.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
kaius
A shudder rippled through Acelynn,her fear palpable on my tongue. The euphoric taste of her tears was like liquid gold, and it had my mind wandering to what other parts of her tasted like. The little sounds she would make when I hit just the right spot she was begging for. These were thoughts I shouldn’t be entertaining, not here, not now. But fuck, it was getting harder to push them down.
I hadn’t anticipated for her to run from me, but I knew I had to contain Astoria regardless, which is why I sent Nolan out first. I tore my gaze from the trembling girl beneath me to look toward my sister. Astoria was curled into Nolan, her face buried in his chest as he ran soothing strokes through her tangled hair. She was thinking that I was going to kill the girl right here. Oh, how wrong she was.
“I’m sorry,” Acelynn whispered, her voice fractured and raw.
