Maybe the Emperor was warning Nuri not to put himself in a bad position. If he inadvertently walked in on Silver in Swift form, the prince would have the ammunition needed to remove Nuri, despite his being under Sij’s employ and protection.
Silver would apparently utilize any method to get what he wanted.
Nuri had to be extra careful not to give him anything that could be later used against him.
“The only person who can truly keep you safe is yourself,” Sij said sternly. “Never forget that. And never forget your place, Nuri Narek. I’m entrusting you near my son for his benefit, and no other reason but. If I ever discover that you’vedone anything to compromise his reputation, or his future, I’ll have you removed and arrested immediately. You’re there to get him back on the right track, and to provide assistance with anything he might need to better his future. This is not a movie wherein the pauper falls for the prince.”
“With all due respect, majesty,” Nuri bristled, “I have no intentions of ever engaging in…romantic relations with the Imperial Heir. Or any member of the Imperial family, for that matter.”
“I don’t care about the rest,” Sij waved him off, “but see to it you keep your word where Silver is concerned. You’re both at that age where hormones are high and these things can become confusing. You’re duty bound to inform me the second you feel like things are taking a turn in that direction.”
“From either of us, majesty?”
Sij snorted. “There’s no worry from Silver’s side. My son doesn’t feel the same emotional range that you and I do. I’m not even sure if he can feel something as complex as love or longing.” He paused, seemingly reconsidering things, and then added, “If he makes any sort of advances toward you, report it. Arranged marriages and forced engagements are things of the past, but that doesn’t mean I’ll sit back while my son makes a mistake and chooses the wrong partner. At sixteen, he doesn’t yet know what he wants, and frankly, neither do you.”
That may well be, but Nuri certainly knew what hedidn’twant.
The Imperial Prince was barely passing his classes and had made headlines just last week for nearly running a classmate over in the school parking lot. He was comfortable riding his daddy’s coattails, relying on his title to keep him out of prison. A person who showed no respect or remorse for their own actions was not someone Nuri wanted to associate with, much less be romantically entangled by.
“You can count on me, majesty.”
From here on out, Nuri would willingly dedicate his life to the Imperial Heir, but he wouldn’t cross any lines.
Hell, he wouldn’t even allow himself to get within several feet of said lines.
Only a complete and utter fool would fall for someone like Silver Rein, and as the Emperor had just pointed out, Nuri was the smartest one in his grade level.
Chapter 19:
It’d been a long time since Silver had last enjoyed the music of screams. Real screams, the kind filled with agony and torment, not the ones he pulled from Nuri when he relentlessly tortured him on his cock.
This torture was different, satisfying in its own way, but an urge he’d been able to suppress in an attempt to keep his precious secretary happy.
Only, according to Nuri, he wasn’t happy, and hadn’t been for a while. Despite all of Silver’s efforts. All of his sacrifices.
“What was the point?” he muttered to himself as he selected a new blade from the tray in front of him. The thin dagger was sharp enough to cut when he tested the tip, a bead of crimson welling on the pad of his thumb, and he hummed in satisfaction, even as the man bound in the wooden chair a few feet away whimpered pathetically.
Silver tilted his head, fury burning brightly within him, only matched by the thrill of control. Ever since they’d been children and Brixton had stolen the jade pendant Silver’s mother had left him, breaking it shortly after, he’d longed to exact his revenge.
“Not so confident now, are we, cousin?” He smirked and twirled the hilt of the weapon, contemplating where to strike next.
Brixton was shackled to the chair in the palace dungeon, a damp and dark place made of stone. It was the type of place meant for this sort of activity, so no one had bothered laying out plastic, and there weren’t any sort of medical supplies in sight. He’d been brought here straight from Club Spade, with Silver arriving shortly after.
Silver had made sure Nuri was locked up safe and sound at the estate first, and had left strict instructions to the entire staff that he was to be left alone. The sedative he’d been given should keep him out for a few hours, but in the off-chance Nuri did wake, Falc had been ordered to contact the palace immediately.
“What was that you were saying earlier?” He stepped forward and undid the shackles around Brixton’s wrists. “If I fought you fair and square, you would kill me? There you go, cousin. Want to give it a try?”
“Bastard.” Tears streamed down his face, but Brixton kept the hatred in his eyes burning brightly despite his obvious pain. “Pull these things out and let’s go.”
When he’d entered an hour ago, Silver had still been blinded by rage. His first act had been to flatten Brixton’s left hand over the chair arm and drive a knife straight through the center. He’d done the same with his right hand, effectively nailing them to the chair.
“Should have kept them to yourself,” Silver drawled. “Then maybe you’d still be able to use them.” Reaching out, he grabbed onto the protruding handle of the two inch blade and twisted, grinning when Brixton screamed again and violently shook. “Any last words before I cut out your useless tongue?”
“You can’t do this!”
“I can do anything,” he corrected. “I’m the emperor.”
Brixton sputtered, desperately latching onto anything he could think of. “Nuri will never forgive you!”
