“Lily,” he gasps.
That’s all it takes for me to see red. I slam their head back once. Just enough to drop them. Not enough to kill. Tonight isn’t about bodies. It’s about learning our enemy.
I crouch, grabbing a fistful of their hoodie, dragging their face close to mine.
“You don’t watch her,” I say softly. “You don’t follow her. You don’t breathe in her direction.”
I don’t hit him again out of anger. I do it because it’s efficient.
One sharp blow to the side of his head. He crumples instantly, knees giving out before his body even understands what’s happened. I catch him before he hits the pavement, hauling him upright by the hoodie like dead weight.
Unconscious.
Good.
I drag him across the street, every muscle in my body coiled tight, senses flaring for movement, for witnesses, for anything out of place. The neighborhood stays quiet. They do say the rich sleep heavy.
I pop the trunk of the Aston Martin and shove him inside, stripping his phone from his pocket and putting it in mine. Then I slam the trunk shut and lock it.
He’ll wake up soon, but he won’t be leaving… Not until I’m done with him.
I adjust my jacket, shove the gun back into its holster, and turn toward Lily’s house.
She asked me to grab a few things.
I cross the lawn and unlock the door quietly, stepping inside as if I belong here. And fuck, I wish that was true, but it’s just not meant to be.
The house smells like her. Familiar in a way that twists something deep in my chest. I move fast as I gather what she asked for.
But then, I can’t help myself as I pass her bedside table. I stop and pull open that drawer. Because I like punishment, I look down.
And my dick fucking throbs as I stare at her little toy collection. All pastel colours, different shapes and sizes. No wonder she never brings guys back here; she doesn’t need them. She’s got plenty to keep her more satisfied than they ever would.
And then to really send me straight to hell, I reach down and pick up one of the pink ones, feeling the soft rubber beneath my fingers. Sucking in a breath, I tip my head back, looking up at the ceiling like something might tell me to fucking stop.
But I need relief, I need something. I haven’t in days. I haven’t had sex in years. I have no interest, not when I only think about one woman.
Adjusting my cock in my pants, I bring the toy up to my nose, smelling it. I know it’s wrong. It’s clean, but the scent of her lingers. Barely there but enough to make me feral.
Because that’s the only way I’m going to get that close to her. I pocket the toy and storm out
This time, I don’t linger.
I don’t touch anything I don’t have to. Because I don’t have time to jerk off right now.
I lock the door behind me and head back toward the car. There’s a man in my trunk who thought watching her was harmless. He’s about to learn how wrong he was. Hopefully, it bring us one step closer to the Preacher.
But, if Lev’s warnings are right… Anyone could be after this fucking necklace and the one who wears it.
As I head back to Inferno, I call Reggie. “Do you and Rowan want some fun tonight?”
He grunts. “Depends what kind you’re talking about, Drago.”
“The torturing kind. I got a guy in my trunk, and I have an idea that might get more out of Madame Eve, too.”
I glance at the time, and it’s already eleven p.m. Not that it matters, I hardly sleep. But knowing Lily is in my house makes me want to rush home.
“Sounds like fun. It’ll just be me. Rowan and Bella are a little tied up.” He tells me.
