Page 47 of Silk and Sirens

“What did you want to do with Aeris?” he asked me in French.

“Really guys?” Hook groaned. “Cutting me out of the conversation like that? Speak English, arseholes.”

I ignored him. “We can’t kill her.” We couldn’t even hurt her, even though she’d pissed me off. She knew exactly what she was doing, putting herself in a position that protected her.

“Jesus Christ,” Hook muttered. “I bet you’re just discussing what to do with your new toy.”

“No. We can’t kill her,” Sebastian growled, rising to his feet. “Yet, at least.”

“She’s mine,” I replied, voice flat.

Sebastian’s dark-blue eyes met mine briefly. “She’s yours,” he agreed. “Do what you have to do, but she stays tracked at all times. When you’re not with her, she gets a shadow. I don’t want her slipping away, or anyone else getting their hands on her.”

Chapter 21

Aeris

I was trying not to panic as the private lift climbed higher.

I’d always considered Caden the most level-headed of the three—the calm one, the one who was calculated and cold—but right now, standing this close, I saw beneath that rigid control. His jaw was clenched tightly, his breathing measured like he had to concentrate on remaining calm. He hadn’t spoken since the restaurant, save for one rough order that left no room for argument. Get in the car.

I hadn’t even fought, not when I was walking the razor’s edge between survival and guaranteed death toward a man who enjoyed using heavy, blunt objects. I’d had to seduce and take down many nasty men, but Caden was by far the most dangerous.

The lift doors opened, and he immediately stepped out, expecting me to follow. Straightening my spine, I took a few steps forward, studying the vast hall that opened into a large living room. Dark wood lined the floor broken up by opulent rugs, while the walls were painted a muted sand. Artwork hung throughout, bleeding across the canvases in blacks, reds, and greys, bold strokes that brought in pops of colour.

A large fabric sofa anchored the room, layered with textures, cushions, and a casually draped blanket that didn’t go with the bachelor style. Even the lighting was soft, carefully placed to cast a warm glow.

The room was cozy, elegant, and entirely at odds with the man who lived in it.

But it was the windows that drew my attention. Floor to ceiling, they framed the city and river that cut through the centre.

“Did you get a designer in?” I asked, feeling like a mouse caught beneath a lion’s gaze when I turned to face him. “It’s homely.” It was hard to speak with the intensity of his attention fixed on me, his eyes cold, beautiful, like fractured glaciers.

“It’s just a place to live.”

My pulse raced as he took a few, slow steps forward. His fingers tugging his jacket off casually. I swallowed, feeling my pulse race even as I took an automatic step back.

“Why am I here, Caden?” I asked, careful to not antagonise him further. I may have survived the initial meeting, but that didn’t mean I was safe.

He kept advancing, slow and unhurried, like he was enjoying the hunt. “Because Thorns and Atlantis are too public. Your house doesn’t have security, and this place is impenetrable. No one gets in …” His voice dropped, his long fingers rolling his sleeves to reveal strong arms and tattooed skin. “Or out.”

“I didn’t agree to be your prisoner.” I took another step, only to collide with something solid, a screech of broken chords erupting behind me. The sound shot through me like lightning, forcing me to turn towards the grand piano I hadn’t even noticed.

“You’ll be whatever I tell you to be.” Caden’s hands encircled my waist, lifting me until I sat on top of the piano rather than on the keys. As soon as he released me, his palms planted each side of my hips, caging me in.

“That’s not how this is going to work,” I said, making sure my tone was composed, hiding the growing tension because this wasn’t exactly going to plan. “You can’t hurt me.”

His anger, yes, that I’d predicted. I’d taken much pleasure over the years in getting just a little rise from the man made from ice, but this was different.

“What if I want to hurt you?” he asked, voice so cold, which was at odds to the heat radiating from him. “And I always take what I want.”

“You can’t have me,” I snapped, forcing steel into my voice. I hated how small I suddenly felt, trapped in the cage of his arms, his dark presence swallowing me whole.

A single dark brow rose slowly, followed by a smile touching his upper lip. “No?”

This was all wrong.

I was supposed to walk away with him wrapped around my little finger, using the Beast and his men to my advantage. I definitely wasn’t supposed to be here, with the man who openly hated me. “This won’t work if Selene thinks I’m sleeping with you,” I lied.