Page 265 of Coal Hearts

Now.

I wanted to fuck her in the light of day. In front of others, I didn’t care. I wanted to test my power and hammer a nail into the coffin of the heartsick idiot I used to be.

“Is there something you wish to tell me, my sweetlings?” Victor smiled kindly, interrupting my fantasy of snapping my fingers and summoning Ily to blow me under the table.

The tiniest part of me still feared that regret would swarm the moment I saw Ily again.

Could I truly, fundamentally change in a single night?

But...seeing her now?

That answer was yes.

Yes, I was changed.

Yes, I was free.

But most of all...I was still me.

Still me and open to all feelings—no longer wanting to ignore any of them. That heady rush of possession and aggressive wave of jealousy only made my need for her erupt into a fever I never wanted to cure.

You’re never going back...are you?

The inner voice sounded like a wing-torn angel who’d judged and tormented me my entire life.

I chuckled under my breath and shook my head.

No, I was never going back.

Not for anyone or anything.

Not for a brother I didn’t know or a girl I’d only just met.

I liked my little nightmare.

I still liked my little nightmare.

But why would I ever want to free her when the outside world didn’t understand me, my blood kin wanted to kill me, and the girl I part owned could run away from me?

Fuck that.

I’m home.

She’s home.

And we’re never leaving.

Victor huffed when no one responded to his heavily veiled, dangerously soft question. His loafers skimmed the deck as he paced up and down, up and down. Clucking his tongue, he said, “Let’s start off easy, shall we?”

A few heads came up before ducking quickly.

“Can someone please explain why my security footage showed all my precious jewels were missing from their beds this morning?”

Shoulders hunched; hands balled.

“Or perhaps you can explain why you all ended up in a skin sandwich on the vault room’s floor?”

Ily flinched and raised her head. With bravery glittering in her strange golden stare, she opened her mouth to—