Page 28 of Empress of Ruin
Killian tracks the gesture closely, and smiles. “True,” he allows. “So, what do you think, Little Bird? Am I a sociopath or a psychopath?” he pauses. “Or just an emotionally repressed asshole with a traumatic childhood?”
“I’m not one to speculate.”
“And I’m a virgin.” He rolls his eyes. “You have many thoughts in your pretty head. Feel free to let them out.”
“What, and earn more of your wrath? Thank you, but pass.”
His expression grows very serious, very suddenly. “You have never and will never be on the receiving end of my wrath,” he tells me curtly. “If you think you are or ever have been, then you need to open your eyes, Lyra. My enemies don’t have very long lifespans. You’ve never been powerful enough to be considered an enemy.”
Fuck. Him.
“How did my expose treat you?” I snap.
“Not very kindly,” he admits freely. “It was an inconvenience… for about a week. The aftereffects were felt on a minor scale for a few more weeks. In the long run, it’s barely a blip on my radar.”
I almost shake with anger in the wake of his admission. He ruined my life on every single front, and some of my best efforts barely made a dent in his? I repeat: Fuck. Him.
“I hate you,” I repeat for the umpteenth time, but there’s something different in my tone now. Something less forgiving and more malicious.
His eyes flash with an odd emotion. “There’s a fine line between love and hate. Both stem from passion.”
“I hate you with the passion of all the burning stars in a galaxy,” I say steadily. “And that’s the only passion you’ll receive from me because I will never,evercare about you.”
Killian takes just a few beats too long to respond, sitting back and rolling a blueberry between his fingers. “Perhaps you’ll never care for me, but you’ll love our children.”
“I’m never having your children. I’d rather cut out my womb than—”
“Donotfinish that sentence,” Killian hisses. “For your own sake, stop while you’re ahead.”
I fall silent. The threat in his tone penetrates deep.
“Once before, you had my child inside you, and you threatened to abort.” Killian grabs the leg of my chair and drags it closer to him. I clutch the edges of the seat, afraid to blink or move. He’s growled and snapped at me plenty of times before, but there’s something different in his tone. Something so profoundly dangerous it sets my hairs on end. “Now, as far as I’m aware, you didn’t follow through on that threat. A series of unfortunate circumstances led to the loss.” He plants a palm on my thigh, and I gasp. “But if I eventhinkthat you might try to interfere with your pregnancy, I’m going to take extreme measures to ensure that isn’t possible. You think that your circumstancesnoware bad? I will build a space specifically for you and lock you in it. Shatter-proof windows. No mirrors. A gym for you to get enough exercise. A personal chef to ensure that you get everything you and our baby need to remain healthy. Loyal staff to see to your every need, and an in-house doctor to check you daily. No sharp objects. No distractions. No books other than self-help and parenting. No access to media.” He leans forward, and I shrink back. “If you give me even the faintest reason to think you’re a danger toourfuturefamily, Lyra, I will take every precaution I can think of to stop you. If you try to starve yourself, you’ll be manually fed. If that fails, intravenous. Believe me when I say, you donotwant to test me on this point. You’ll blinklongbefore I will.”
“Stop.” The word is a horrified whisper. Fear is a living, breathing being inside me, a demon that’s overtaken my body and turned me into a trembling mess. My eyes water with tears, and images of a future far worse than death crowd my mind.
Killian’s either put significant thought into this, or he’s that insane.
“Don’t fuck with me on this point, and we won’t have an issue. Fight me all you want—I’ll fuck the attitude out of you every single time. But don’t youeverdare forget that every morsel of who you are belongs to me. And I am very protective over my possessions.”
“Please, stop.” The words come out of me on a sob, and I raise a hand to my mouth.
I feel like I’m back in that hotel room in Germany, watching my life crumble around me. Watching pregnancy tests turn up positive, then having Killian inform me that we’re going to get engaged, married, and I would be having his baby.
“Don’t cry.” He wipes away the tears beneath my eyes, ignoring my violent flinch—or not even noticing it. He’s crazed right now. “Be a good girl, and we won’t have any problems.”
No problemsin his book isdevastationin mine.
Chapter Twelve
Killian
Lyra settles down in the days after my warning. She takes my cock whenever I’m in the mood to give it, takes my hand on her ass or pussy in the mornings and evenings, and doesn’t make a nuisance of herself in between.
I barely have time to see her outside of meals and when I need to take her; navigating the situation with The Eyes is even more treacherous than I expected it would be, and it seems to be reaching a head. I don’t bother trying to get a hold of Carter again, not until I have a proper incentiveasidefrom killing Silas. The only way to pin down a man like Carter is to get something he wants, which means I need tofindsomething he wants, acquire it, and offer a trade in return for him joining The Eyes.
My only problem is that he has a way of getting what he wants the instant he wants it… save for Annalise. And I can’tgo after her without risking destroying any future potential of a relationship I have with Lyra. Going after her friend will have to be a last resort.
When I summon Locke to my home office a few days later, carving out some time for him between meetings, he looks more wary than eager. I suppose, considering my threats during our last real conversation, that’s fair.
