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“Ah!” Cain pinches my nipple, twisting the bud between his fingers, his movements matching the rhythm of his finger over my clit. I lay back, my head laying on his shoulder, as Cain touches and plays me like one of his instruments.

“Your moans are mine.” He flicks my nipple. “Your pleasure is mine.” He circles my entrance, then slides back over my clit. “Your pain is mine.” Cain bites down on the opposite shoulder of his mark. Deep. Hard.

Until I’m seeing white.

My clit pulses against his fingers as they continue their rhythm over me. My breath stutters and breaks, my body playing like a snapped string.

I breathe for a few beats as I ride out my pleasure and sink into Cain’s hold. Glancing over my shoulder, I freeze. Cain’s lips are coated in crimson.

My blood.

A new mark for a new chapter.

Cain runs the tip of his tongue around his lips, drinking in every drop.

My twisted artist. His favorite canvas.

I sink into the water, into his arms and his chest.

Exhausted.

“I feel like I could sleep for days…” I wiggle further into him; as close as I can get. “I didn’t realize how tired I was.”

“You should,” he says as he runs his thumbs over my arms.

“There’s a lot to get done… I’ll rest tonight.”

“You have nothing to do, my Love. But tomorrow we start.”

Cain

Chapter 40

She’s coming.

I sent a runner to little Miss Lazeroff. He said she ‘enthusiastically accepted the invitation.’

She should know better. She should know that it’s a trap. I am the hunter setting the snares. She is the hare running straight for it.

Taking a deep breath, I run my hand over Violet’s head, stroking my pet to keep her at ease. I walked her to the infirmary this morning to check on Dahlia. I let her know of my plan on the way back. She begged me not to kill her, so we will see how this goes.

Three knocks rap at the door. Even the way she knocks on the door is sickeningly chipper.

I kiss the top of Violet’s head and stride to the door, opening enough for her to come in while keeping myself between her and Violet.

“Hey!” She smiles from ear to ear. “I’m glad you’re giving this a second thought,” she says as she walks in. I shut the door, then lock it with a click. “What’s going on?” She freezes, seeing Violet on the bed. As Morgan slowly turns to me I swing my arm around, grab her by the throat, and slam her up against the wall. I lift her so that her toes barely touch the floor.

“I don’t give mercy to monsters…” I circle her face with my nose, inhaling her sickeningly sweet scent. Her disguise for what she is inside. “The only reason you’re not leaving here in a body bag is because of that woman right there,” I growl in her face. Her pulse spikes beneath my fingers. “So the first words out of your mouth better be ‘thank you, Violet, for saving my life.’” I loosen my grip on her throat and let her feet rest on the floor.

“Cain—I—” I cut her off, lifting her again and squeezing her throat.

“Try again!” I roar, then throw her down onto the floor. She sucks in a breath, her fingers trembling as she looks up to meet Violet’s gaze.

“T-thank you, Violet… For saving my life.”

“Khoroshaya devouchka.” Good girl. I circle her in slow, intentional steps as she works to get her breathing under control. Once. Twice. On the third time, I crouch in front of her and brush her hair behind her ears. “Violet says you did what you did because you’ve liked me for a while, that you want to be my girl… Morgan.” I lean in, “you have no idea what it takes to be my girl.” I rise and walk over to the bureau. “But you’re about to find out.”

Opening the top, I take out some rope, cuffs, a cane, a single-tail whip, and the devil’s tongue. I arrange the implements across the top, already knowing exactly which I’ll be using.