“Here you go!” The waiter returns with a flourish, popping the cork of the bottle, and pours a taste in one of the crystal glasses on the table. Picking up the goblet, I take a long sip, swirling the liquid around on my tongue, nodding for him to continue pouring the rich, crimson liquid.
Once both glasses are full, he disappears again. “Talia,” I breathe her name, tasting it on my lips. I lift the wine, handing her a glass and holding mine. “This isn’t easy. You’re right. There will be times you’ll doubt me, hate me, want to kill me. All I can say is that as much as I’d love to draw tears from your eyes, pleasure from your body, and screams from your fuckable lips, I’ll never hurt you with intention.”
Taking a sip of the spicy alcohol, I allow it to zip through my veins and into my bloodstream.
“Just know,” I meet her gaze without flinching, without wavering. I need her to understand I’m serious, “If you choose me, you’re mine. You’ll live forever because the night you turn twenty-one, you’ll be matured in our world. But the night you allow me to enter your body — to fuck you so hard and deep you’ll be wet every time you think about me after — that’s the night you’ll belong to me. No matter what.” She blushes deeper than before.
“Kade, do you have to be so vulgar?”
“I want the world to know, Princess. I’m tempted to put your pert ass on this table and eat your tight cunt until you’ve drenched my face with your juices like you did my fingers when I fucked you in my office.” She shifts, gulping the wine in the most unladylike manner, and I know I’ve gotten to her. I lean in, savoring her scent as I breathe in her ear, “Are those pretty panties wet?”
Her throat works as she swallows. “Yes.” The word is a hiss filled with hunger. Perfect.
“Good. You’re going to take them off and hand them to me.” My tone is deadly serious. Her hand moves in a gradual motion as she sets her glass on the table. No words are exchanged between us when she shifts her hips and leans in, placing the panties she’d been wearing in my hand. “You’re such a good girl,” I praise.
“You’re such an asshole.” Her retort is adorable. She’s strong, fierce, yet there’s something innately submissive about her. A softness which comes from her inexperience with men, and it fuels me.
There’s no way my brother is going to allow me more time to play out without barging in and trying to steal her. To win her heart. Two Montgomery brothers fighting over the love of a princess. I don’t know how it will come to pass, but something has to give. We need to take down the Order. That’s my focus, and it should be Killian’s as well.
My Queen.
13
Talia
“I can’t believe you made me do that,” I whisper before gulping another mouthful of the expensive, delicious wine. It’s strange not having panties on in the middle of a busy restaurant. He lifts his hand with the black lace cocooned within his long fingers. Bringing it up to his nose, he inhales deeply, as if he’s committing my scent to memory. “Kade!” Hissing his name only earns me a chuckle.
“What? Can’t I enjoy my princess while she’s still mine? Nobody can see you. Only I’ll know your beautiful pussy is bare under your dress,” he smirks, confidence oozing from him.
“That’s not . . . I mean . . . Jesus, Kade. What do you mean, while I’m still yours?”
“Out of all of that, you picked out those words?”
“Well . . . yes.” Lifting my chin in defiance, I wait for him to respond, but before he can, the waiter appears with our dinner. The restaurant itself is beautiful, with ornate chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. There are deep reds, black, and charcoal colors that make up the furnishings, and each booth is private, but you’re still able to glance around and see the other patrons.
“Let me know if you need anything else,” the waiter informs us before bustling off. Smells of pepper and onion, along with the chargrill of the steak, make my stomach rumble hungrily.
I’ve hardly been out since moving to Boston, but the place itself has a posh feel to it, and I’m pleased I chose a formal dress for dinner. He shifts in his seat suddenly, dragging my attention to him.
“I’ll be back. Stay here,” he orders, leaving me at the table with two plates of food and a bottle of wine. The air surrounding him shifts as if his mood has changed, and I can feel it. Sense it. Moments pass, and I’m about to look for him when he returns with a smirk, slipping into the bench seat.
“Dig in. I’ve got plans for after dinner,” Kade informs me with a sinful grin. Picking up the knife and fork, I slice into the meat, watching the light red liquid flowing from the thick cut. “Isn’t it beautiful?” The growl from beside me is filled with hunger, but I know it’s not for the food in front of him. Darkness clouds him again, and I frown, trying to get a handle on his shifting moods. One moment he’s turning me on to no end, and the next he’s acting like an aloof asshole.
Shaking my head, I glance at him. “Do you always eat your food when it’s still alive?” As soon as the question falls from my lips, I balk at the thought.
“If you must know, Princess, I do.”
His honesty is both refreshing and alarming. “You didn’t have to tell me that, you know.” My retort is answered with a chuckle, which resounds deep in his chest.
“You asked.”
He’s right, I did ask. How many more secrets is he going to reveal that will scare, disgust, or even shock me? “Do you think Killian will come here?” He stills at my question. Ice fills the surrounding air, and I wonder if he’s scared of his brother, or if he fears the younger Montgomery stealing me away.
“Yes. My brother is volatile. He doesn’t handle his emotions very well, and when he’s angry . . .” He sighs then. “There’s no telling what he could or would do.”
“I don’t think he’d kill me though . . . Would he? What if he wanted me to choose him over you? Don’t you think we can invite him here and figure out another way?”
He doesn’t respond. Instead, he shuts down at my questions, frustration evident on his face, and it makes me wonder what he’s hiding.
“You said no more secrets.”
“My brother and I have come to heads all our lives, but yes, he’d kill you before he does me. What you don’t know about Killian is that he thirsts for blood. It’s fuel for him. I watched him kill a girl, biting into her neck while he was buried in her cunt.” The fury that drips from his words has me gasping.
“Oh my God.”
He meets my gaze then. Those deep pools are filled with fire. “You want to know about him? I’ll tell you all about Killian.”
“I didn’t mean to make you angry, Kade. You don’t have to be an asshole,” I bite out angrily.
“Jesus, would you just eat your food, Talia?” The clang of his fork shatters the tranquility of the restaurant. His eyes blaze with frustration. His body vibrates with emotion so violent it’s almost beautiful.
“Is that you angry? Do you want to kiss me now?”
The air around him turns into a maelstrom of desire, anger. The fury emanating off him is palpable. I can see it as an intoxicating red cloud consuming him, just like the black I recall from the other day when he picked me up from work.
He shifts closer, leaning in, his face inches from mine. “Do you want me to kill you, little Witch? Because let me tell you something. I’m not averse to draining your sweet essence. My mouth waters to taste you, to drench myself in your purity and light. My cock is so hard right now I want to fucking mark you while I have my fill of your blood.”
Each word he utters is a vow. A promise that he will and can deliver everything he’s saying. When I try to shift, his hand snatches my arm, gripping it painfully. “You’re hurting me, Kade.”
“Don’t ever doubt I can.”
“You said you wouldn’t.”
The corner of his mouth lifts into a rueful smirk. “Never trust a Warlock. We’re all devils deep down.” With that, he releases me, allowing me to breathe. Something about hi
m, the flicker in his gaze, alerts me immediately of danger. He’s going to hurt me. I make my decision instantly.
“Never trust a Witch Princess either, Mr. Montgomery.” With that, I shove my steak knife into his thigh and make a run for it through the busy restaurant with eyes on me; I ignore them, racing through the door and out into the parking lot. The keys I swiped from his pocket are in my hand, and I make a beeline for the car. When I press the key fob, the lights blink, telling me I’ve unlocked the doors.
Slipping into the driver’s seat, I start the engine, but before I can make a getaway, the passenger door flies open violently, almost ripped off its hinges. Kade slips into the seat beside me and smirks. “Well played, Ms. Craven. Very well played. Now drive me home. My leg hurts,” he orders in a tone filled with something resembling lust. A cloak of darkness swirls around him, the same fog that surrounded him in the car two days ago.
“I hope you know I won’t go down without a fight.”
My biting tone is met with an indifferent shrug. “I didn’t expect anything less from a royal-blooded woman,” he affirms with a malevolent glare at me. The place where the steak knife had pierced him oozes with purple liquid.
“Why are you... .? There’s . . .” My gaze flits between his eyes and leg in confusion. My mother’s words slam into me. You’re Kade’s. He’s got blue blood, and so do you . . .
A gasp falls from my lips as I push out of the car, slamming into a solid chest. “Going somewhere, Princess?” Before I can scream, his hand muffles the sound as he slams it against my mouth. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. I’m not a fan of screaming, unless I’m slicing your creamy skin with my blade,” he hisses in my face. “Now, you’re going to behave and take me to my brother’s apartment since you’ve injured my leg,” he bites out, shoving me back into the driver’s seat, shutting the door on me.
My body is trembling with fear, which courses through every vein in my body. Killian Montgomery. They’re identical. I mean, there’s nothing in those eyes that tells me there’s a difference between the two.
When he once again slips into the seat beside me, I push the button to start the engine. “Where’s Kade?”
“He’s . . . indisposed.” He chuckles then as if he’s told a joke. The man oozes violence. Danger doesn’t come close to what I feel sitting beside the twin brother of the man I was told I belong to. “Did you really think I was going to allow my brother to steal you from us? Kade’s never been one to share. I, on the other hand, I love to share. Does that sweet cunt of yours get wet when you think about both of us filling you?”
The vile words he spews anger me, and I have to grip the wheel until my knuckles turn white. My blood burns, like a fuel igniting a blaze, and I’m tempted to crash the car just to get away from him. However, hurting myself isn’t the answer. I need to stay calm. As soon as we get back to Kade’s apartment, he’ll be there. Even though it’s my first time visiting his apartment, I have a feeling it’s where I will be safe.
“My brother isn’t your knight in shining armor, little Witch.”
“You know nothing about him.” I don’t know why I’m taunting him, but my stupidity pays off when he growls beside me. A feral, animalistic sound.
“I wonder how much he’s told you about what he does,” he muses, chuckling like he’s told the funniest anecdote.
“And you’re different? You killed a girl while you were making love to her.” My words are met with another deep rumble of laughter.
“Making love? Oh, sweet, Talia. I’m a Warlock. We don’t make love,” he mimics my voice. “We fuck, violently and ruthlessly, like animals. How people were meant to. And yes I did, unfortunately, kill her. I was thirsty, and she tasted like . . .” His words taper off as he reaches for me, stroking the column of my neck reverently. “Honeysuckle. It’s one of my favorite flavors.”
“Don’t touch me.”
“But my brother could touch you?” The venom drips from his words. Pure jealousy and rage fill the space between us as I pull into the apartment block where Kade lives. Thank God I snooped at work and found his address.
“Why are you doing this?” I question, turning to face him.
“Because it’s what I do. The destruction, anger, rage, it fuels my blood. The same way it does to my brother. Or did he fail to mention he’s the same as me? We’re both demons — ruthless killers.”
Those last two words he utters proudly. Before I can respond, the driver’s door gets ripped from the body of the car, startling me, causing a scream to fall from my mouth. A second later, my body is lifted from the driver’s seat, and I’m in the strong, muscled arms of Kade.
“Get in that elevator. It will take you to my penthouse. No questions asked.” Immediately, my body obeys. I find myself walking to the waiting car, and when I step inside, I hear the crunch of metal and a roar so loud I’m sure the whole city heard it.
14
Kade
“What the fuck are you doing here, brother?” I spit the word at him with a venom that’s palpable. A smirk lifts his mouth, satisfied with wanting to hurt Talia, and I know he’s done something. “I won’t ask you again, Killian.”
“You’re very . . . attached to her. Aren’t you, Kade?” He stalks around the crushed metal of my Aston with his icy glare on me. The Witch’s spell he used to cast me from the restaurant back into the penthouse was a shock. My brother always had a way with women, and I wonder which Witch he found to do his dirty work.
“You can’t beat me, Killian. Using spells won’t work. You’ll lose everything.” We circle each other, our eyes glowing a bright red. Violence cloaks us as we stalk around in a circle made of destruction. We’re both volatile, but in this rage, I’m stronger than my brother, and he knows it. My powers outgrew his in such a way that when we were kids, I almost killed him.
If it wasn’t for Mom, he’d be ash. “You know, Kade, you’ve always been an egotistical bastard, but I didn’t pin you for being overly confident when it comes to Witch. Does she know what you did? Have you told her the truth?” His words fall like poison, twining itself around me, choking me with an intent to kill. Lifting my hand, I swipe the air, throwing him against the wall. The loud crunch is all I hear as his body crashes into the concrete.
“She doesn’t need to know about my past. And you . . . Your time is up, brother. I’m no longer looking out for you. Our time has come to an end.” He knows what I mean. The day he walked out, I told him we’d always be blood. Things change. I refuse to be labeled with a psychopathic killer anymore.
“As much as you want to believe that, you know for a fact that if she ever found out about the true Kade Montgomery, she’d walk out and never look back. Hell, she’d probably be the one to kill you. Do you know how strong she is?”
“What do you mean?”
He chuckles, wiping at the blood on his face as he rises to full height. We’re both dressed in immaculate suits that cost a fortune. But the bright purple stain on his white shirt is the only difference between us. He limps closer, and that’s when I get a proper look at the stain in the dark pants he wears.
“She stabbed you?” I can’t help chuckling at that. My sweet Princess stabbed him. She made him bleed, and that’s the first sign that I know she’s stronger. I’ve seen it foretold that she’ll kill one of us. Only, I thought it was because I was meant to fight her and kill her, but it’s actually because she’s the one who has to choose.
“The little bitch will pay for spilling royal blood,” he grunts.
“If you say one more fucking—”
My body is launched toward my brother’s, crashing into him, and then against the cold concrete in a loud boom, which echoes through the garage. “You’re both so fucking pathetic, fighting over a little girl.” Presley’s hiss comes from behind us, and I’m up and launching at her in less time than it takes for her to take her next breath.
My hand grabs at her long blonde hair, tugging her head back, causing a loud screech to come
from the filthy banshee. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing? Is it not enough that I have to deal with my godforsaken brother?”
“Now, that’s not a nice thing to say, Kade. You love me. I’m your flesh and blood. Even though our venom runs different colors, I’m sure you can feel the agony I do. We’re twins after all. Your pretty little Princess didn’t notice. I wonder if she’ll know the difference when I fuck her sweet body.”
Anger has me flinging Presley to the far side of the dimly lit garage and spinning to face my brother. Stalking toward him, I grip the tie around his neck and tug it until he’s choking for air. “Do not make me kill you, because I can guarantee, you’ll be the dead one here, not me, and most definitely not Talia. I’ll watch your lifeless body turn to stone on this cement if you push me. Now, tell me, Killian. Do you want to die?” Looking into those blue eyes that match mine, I realize I’m still a good person. I want to hold onto the smidgen of light I know is deep within me. The light that Tali brings forth when I’m around her.
“Let. Me. Go.”
“What did you say, Killian? I didn’t quite catch that?” I tug on the tie, tightening it in my fist. “Because it sounded like you said you’re sorry for interrupting my dinner, and you’re also apologizing for wanting to steal my toy. You hear that, Kill? She’s mine. All. Fucking. Mine.”
Releasing him, I step back and watch the color return to his face. “You’ve got two months. If she’s not dead by then, I’ll be back to claim my time with the Princess. And I can guarantee that when she learns who the real Kade Montgomery is, she’ll be running straight into my arms. Needy and wanting, and I’ll give her everything she desires.”
I know he’s not lying. My brother would never fucking lie about taking Talia. He’d also tell her about me. About my past. A history I’d rather not dredge up right now. I’ve done a lot in the time I’ve been on Earth, but Talia doesn’t need to know about it. All she needs is me to keep her safe.
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