“Not…not me,” he argues as a tear falls from the corner of his eye. “You want my brother.”
I almost laugh at his pathetic defense, but then another tear falls from his blue eyes, and I pause.
“You’re not Duke Andross?” I snap at him, my eyes roving over his face again.
It’s him, it has to be.
The female next to us starts to cry harder, but I ignore her panicked sobs.
“I am,” the duke confirms, and I press my other blade to his limp cock at the confession. “No! Wait! Please!” he yelps.
I could dine on his horror all night. It’s so dense and enticing.
“I’m thenewDuke Andross. My br-brother, the old duke, and his guard were murdered half a month ago. I…Ijustinherited the title.”
His words unsteady me like a cut to the back of my legs. The blow hammers my chest, and I fight to hold on to the air in my lungs.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I snarl, and the female scrambles off the bed.
“It’s true. We just moved in a handful of days ago. I can prove it,” she wails, taking a step toward a desk in the corner.
Bones has a knife to her throat before she can take two steps, and she starts crying even harder.
“I have no fight with the Order of Scorpions. I swear I’ve never tortured or raped in my life. My…my brother was a sick bastard. You want him, not me. Please don’t hurt my mate,” the duke implores.
“I’ve heard nothing about Duke Andross being murdered,” Scorpius declares, and my need to end this fucker wars with the need to make sure he really is the one that should be gutted. Scorpius walks over to the desk the duchess was trying to get to and starts rifling through the missives there.
“I’m s-so sorry Pate hurt you. Please. It wasn’t me,” the duke pleads, and I glare at him.
“What color were his eyes?” I demand, the blood from his neck seeping into the light yellow silk of his pillow case and starting to slowly spread.
“What?” the duke asks, confused.
“His eyes, what color where his fucking eyes?”
“Green. Like dead grass. They were light green,” he rushes to answer.
I want to scream. I want to slit this bastard’s throat regardless of who he is. The same sick blood has to run in his veins. Blue eyes, green eyes, what does it really fucking matter? I have to make them pay. My gut knots with rage, and my heart pounds so hard it feels as though it’s trying to tear itself from my chest to attack the duke all on its own.
“The king is investigating the murder. It happened outside of an inn while Pate was on a diplomatic assignment. His death hasn’t been announced publicly. We swore to keep it quiet while the court looks for whoever is responsible. Even the servants were sworn to secrecy.”
“Mommy?” a tiny voice calls from the door, and I look in time to see the brass knob start to turn.
Skull is there in a flash, pressing his body against the door to keep it from opening. The duchess starts to hyperventilate, and the duke presses up from the bed like he’s forgotten a dagger is at his throat as he tries to go to the little girl calling from the other side of the door.
“Mommy, I had a bad dream,” the little voice calls out again, and my heart feels more like a battering ram against my chest.
“They’re telling the truth, Telson,” Scorpius announces as he lifts a long sheet of parchment from the desk. “This is the transfer of title and a letter advising Carn Andross to take residence in the manor for his own safety.”
A ringing starts in my ears as I glance from the scrolls held in Scorpius’s hands back to the duke. His pleading blue eyes stay fixed on mine, his stare begging me to be merciful.
I don’t know if I have it in me.
I’ve killed indiscriminately since I can remember. I just destroyed every sailor on a ship who dared to step my way. I didn’t ask if they deserved it. I did what Eacon brought me there to do—help her find her long earned justice. Why should this be any different?
“Mommy, please,” the girl begs, her frail voice now wobbly with tears. There’s a small thump, like she’s pressing her little body against the door to gain access.
“Please don’t hurt her,” the duchess beseeches, and Bones looks over at me as though all he needs is a nod and he’ll gut her where she stands.
