His fingers strayed to his chest, pressing against his heart. His sleeve sank down his forearm, revealing the silver cuff in full glory. His gaze caught mine, cutting and cold. “Because I’m the last of my line. And if I die, Brimstone Industries dies with me.”
I searched his face for more answers. “I don’t understand.”
“Yes, well.” He smirked. “You’re not exactly very smart. We’ve already established this.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You can go now.”
He snickered as he stood. Whisper raised his head and yawned.
Taking a step away from the bed, Lucien muttered, “So...you’re not trying to seduce me?”
I scowled. “Really? This is getting old—”
“And you’re not here to kill me.”
“For the hundredth time, no.”
He tipped his head, the long fall of his hair slipping against his collar. “Fine.”
“Fine what?”
Snapping his fingers, he waited until his panther leapt from the bed to join him. “From now on, you’ll serve me.”
I blinked. “I’ll what?”
“I believe you. You’re not like the others.” He turned toward the door, his fingers trailing over Whisper’s glossy black pelt as the cat prowled beside him. “Come to the palace tomorrow morning. That isn’t a request.”
My temper tried to rise. “You could say please.”
“I could.” He looked over his shoulder, his eyes cold and gorgeous. “But I won’t. See you tomorrow, little liar. Don’t be late.”
Chapter Seventeen
I GROANED AS ANOTHER BLAZE OF pain threatened to knock me out.
My hands balled where I sat outside in my private courtyard—the only place the little murderers couldn’t sneak up on me because none of them could enter the palace without Whisper ripping off a limb or two.
All day, the burn had been steadily getting worse as if they drip-fed me a bigger dose—as if they sensed I’d been talking to someone. Wanting—against all my instincts—to trust someone.
I couldn’t deny she did things to me. She muted the pain when I was with her somehow. She gave me a chance to breathe without agony. And I hated that I wanted to believe her. I wanted so fucking badly for her to be telling the truth that she wasn’t like the others, but I also couldn’t be the fool I’d been in the past.
I’d trusted Marcus would look after me after my parents died.
I’d trusted the board members who all came together to oversee Brimstone Industries until I came of age.
And look at what that trust got me.
The stars above twinkled as I slowly got a handle on the searing despair and sucked in a breath. Tipping my chin to the sky, I tried to imagine the brightly lit city skylines in Beijing whenever my parents took me on business trips.
For twenty years, the only society and cityscapes I saw were on the rare movies that Marcus uploaded onto a tablet for me. I had no idea what the world was like these days. No idea if flying cars existed or if humanity was on the brink of ruin.
Slipping off the deck lounger, I padded barefoot to the small cherry blossom tree that my father had planted when he first bought this estate for my mother. It didn’t like the English winters but in the summer, it did well enough.
Plucking a small twig off with a few green leaves, I spun it around as Whisper arrived.
The giant beast nudged me in hello before commandeering the lounger I’d just vacated. Turning to face him, I ran my thumb over the leaf and wondered.
Unfortunately, wondering always got me into trouble.
“If she’s not like the others...if she’s telling the truth...does that mean I could use her?”
Whisper yawned and rested his head on his huge paws.
“If she’s really not here to hurt me then...she could be the key to getting out of here.”
His eyes locked onto mine, his head coming up again.
Crushing the leaf in my fingers, I let it fall.
It didn’t matter if I didn’t trust her.
It didn’t matter if I still suspected her motives.
As long as I manipulated her, she could be useful.
My fingers tightened into a fist, once again glad that I’d systematically destroyed every camera and listening device in this place. They’d buried me under surveillance, and it’d taken years to uncover them all. But now...now I was fairly confident the only eyes and ears they had were the drones that flew overhead.
Looking upward to make sure the coast was clear, I whispered quietly, “I’ve had everything plotted for almost a decade. I’ve been ready to make this move for far too fucking long. I’ve just been missing the catalyst.”
Going to the panther, I sat down beside him and scratched his ear. He purred instantly but my thoughts were elsewhere. On potential freedom and possible escape.
It could go spectacularly bad or...deceptively easy.
Either way, my suffering could end forever.
Digging my fingers into his thick ruff, I muttered, “If I use her, I could be free.”
Whisper huffed under his breath, and I took it as approval.
“Alright then, let’s do it.” A wash of warmth crashed over me that had nothing to do with the drip of poison from the vitalsync core. I shuddered, clutching my heart, confused and afraid.
I braced myself for yet more pain. Perhaps this was a different concoction than usual, something that would deliver a different kind of agony, only...I burst out laughing.
“How about that?” I shook my head. “I’m actually feeling something other than hate and despair. I’ve completely forgotten what hope tastes like.”
Whisper rolled his eyes and stretched.
How sad was it that I barely remembered what hope felt like?
Fury and revenge kept me surviving but such things stole all joy from living.
But now?
Fierce determination settled in my bones.
No matter who she was.
No matter why she was here.
I would use her to escape.
And if the day came that I succeeded, I would thank her by not killing her.
All while I went on a killing spree to murder the rest.
Chapter Eighteen
I FELT HIM ARRIVE BEFORE I SAW HIM.
Felt the way the air flexed with warning that a predator was on the prowl, prickling my nape with instinctual fear to hide.
I guessed the time was close to two in the morning.
I’d heard a scream an hour or so ago and wished sleep would take me away. However, if Lucien was visiting me at this time...perhaps he’d rethought his command of me serving him and had come to end me instead.
Two golden orbs appeared in the dark, eyeshine acting like glinting mirrors.
“Oh, it’s just you.” I exhaled and rolled over, facing the giant beast as he padded across the cream and white woven carpet, leapt onto the bed, stepped over me like I was a log, then flung himself down with a dramatic groan.
Flipping over to face the panther, I grinned. “Hello.”
Whisper yawned, giving me a close-up look at his scarily sharp teeth.
My heart quickened but it didn’t stop me from reaching out and sinking my fingers into his thick, luscious fur. The faintest whiff of sourness and briny copper tainted him, the scent rather strong thanks to Whisper’s warmth.
My nose wrinkled and fresh fear ensured sleep would once again remain elusive. “Did you two go hunting again?”
Almost as if he understood me, Whisper licked his giant paw where something had matted his silky coat—removing the evidence.