“If I say we can pretend that didn’t just happen, will you look at me?”
I met his gaze head-on, peering right into his two pools of obsidian. “But it did happen.”
He stared back at me and I got the feeling he was searching for something. But I didn’t know what. His eyes had a vocabulary that was all their own, speaking a language that soothed the damaged parts of my soul.
He brought his face closer, stopping when our lips were a mere few inches apart. “What happened?” he asked softly, playing off how I’d just reacted.
My heart sped up for an entirely different reason, and my stomach somersaulted. As if he sensed the change, he dropped his hands and stepped away.
“I need you to come with me.”
“Okay…”
I expected him to turn and walk like Cam had done and leave me to follow.
Instead, he took hold of my hand and began to lead me.
His hold was firm and secure, the sheer size of his palm swallowing mine. We went back up the stairs, going left at the top. A few doors down, he was pushing open the only one that sat at the end of the hall. He led me inside and shut the door before letting my hand go.
I knew right away this was his bedroom. The masculine woodsy scent was all him and the aesthetic was fitting. There was a massive bed and two nightstands centered against the main wall with matching furniture placed accordingly against the others. Everything in here was dark except for a few lime green accents.
I looked up at the black chandelier that hung right above his bed. It was an obvious custom piece someone had put a lot of time and detail into.
The Savage insignia was evident in the intricate design. It was surreal to be amongst them, the man beside me specifically.
“You’ll stay here,” Luce stated, recapturing my attention.
I took another quick look around the room then glanced over to where he was standing. I hadn’t noticed him moving away.
“Alone?”
“Bathroom is through there.” He waved a hand in its general direction, ignoring my question. “Remote’s on the dresser.”
I twisted at the hip, seeing a TV that I’d overlooked. When I turned to face him again, he was pulling open the door and preparing to leave.
“Is that it?”
“Not much else left to explain. Don’t try to escape and don’t fuck up my shit.”
He stepped into the hall and pulled the door closed behind him. I swallowed and rubbed my arm to ward off a chill. It was stupid, I know, but I’d almost believed we’d had moment just a few minutes ago. It was definitely something, yet nothing like I’d ever experienced before. Everything with him had been thus far.
I wasn’t sure what was going to happen to me, but for the time being I was off the streets. I headed towards the bathroom, taking advantage of this opportunity to think.
I think I was in some kind of fancy warehouse.
A relatively large one.
Peering through one of the bedroom windows, I was up high enough that I could see there wasn’t anything ahead but open plains. Sleek, black boxcars were stacked on top of one another and serving as a fence.
Barbed wire had been attached to the tops of them. When the sun beamed off it just the right way, you could see electrical currents running through its silver wires. Everything was connected by two heavy gates, each situated between a guard post.
Every few minutes, people in long, black hooded robes passed beneath the window. I couldn’t see their faces to tell if they were men or women. My guess was on the former. I assumed these were the acolytes Luce had mentioned.
I’d heard about them as well, but this was my first time seeing any up close.
This place was clearly designed to keep people out, but it also meant I was sufficiently locked in. Maybe there was a rear exit, but I wasn’t going to hold my breath on that.
Upon hearing the bedroom door opening, I moved from behind the curtain and let it fall back into place. Luce walked in, his shirt damp and a few tendrils of sweat rolling down his temple. My eyes sought out his with an annoyingly magnetic urgency.
“See anything interesting?”
You mean other than you? I shook my head, wondering what he’d been doing to look like this.
“I’ve been outside. It’s a peak day.”
That meant it was ridiculously hot out, more so than usual.
His tanned skin had already let me know he spent lots of time in the sun, but peak days could easily kill someone. The Badlands was temperamental like that.
“Do you always do this?”
He pushed the door shut and turned the lock. “Do what?”
“Answer private thoughts.”
“Your thoughts aren’t quiet. I know exactly what you’re thinking every time I look at your face.”
“That’s impossible.”
“Denial is a fool’s way to cope, little dove.”
Dove?
He turned towards his bathroom, reaching behind his back to remove his shirt. A minute later the shower clicked on. To so casually strip down and expose himself let me know he didn’t consider me any kind of threat.
Why should he?
The stories of Lucifuge Deville were widespread and well-known. Inherently cruel and cold-hearted were commonly used terms in reference of his personality.
I hadn’t experienced that from him. He had essentially kidnapped me, yes. He didn’t object to putting me in a cage, and he’d all but ordered me to stay in his bedroom. The last one I couldn’t fault him for. He had no reason to trust me and even less to give me the freedom to wander around his home.
He was intense.
But I could handle intense…or so I thought. He returned to the bedroom after about twenty minutes.
By then, I had moved to the suede ottoman at the foot of his bed. He came strolling into the room with a simple blue towel wrapped around his waist. I told myself not to stare, which was the equivalent of telling myself not to breathe.
There was well defined V that accentuated the path from his hips to what was beneath the towel. The right side of his body was inked from chest to lower stomach, each of his eight abs framed by solid lines and defined ridges.
My stomach did a small flip as he brushed past me. Whatever he’d washed up with had a woodsy scent with a hint of cinnamon. I followed him with my eyes. There was only one tattoo on his back, but it was so large it took up the whole thing. It was his Baphomet, without the circle.
The goat held up one hand, making a symbol of sorts. The darkly shaded ink highlighted the definition of his muscles. His entire body was a beautiful work of art and dedication. I couldn’t fathom what it took to look like this. I could barely manage three sit-ups.
With no warning, he dropped his towel. If he meant to shock me, he’d failed. I stared at his ass for all of three seconds before meeting his gaze in the reflection of the dresser mirror.
“That’s the second time you’ve eye-fucked me so hard I could feel it. I’m starting to feel a little violated.”
My brows slanted. “That isn’t what I’m doing.”
“Next you’ll say you’re not helplessly attracted to me.”
“I’m not…?”
“People who lie to me tend to lose their tongues or their lives, sometimes both.”
“You won’t kill me.” I stiffened as soon as the words fell from my mouth. I hadn’t meant to say that out loud.
He stared me down in the mirror, not responding to my stupidity.
Irritated by my own foolishness, I stared at a spot on the floor that was suddenly of interest.
I didn’t fear Lucifuge, but I was downright terrified of the things he could do to me. If those tales about him were true, he wasn’t a merciful killer.
I peered over when I heard him pull open one of his upper drawers. He lifted out a pair of black briefs and socks then disappeared into what I guessed was a closet. When he reemerged, he was dressed in another dark shirt and jeans. Without so much as a
glance in my direction, he went back to his bathroom.
I marginally relaxed, expelling a quiet breath. What was wrong with me? I never made dumb mistakes like that, especially when they could cost me my life. A feeling deeply rooted in my gut made me want to believe the words I’d spoken, but I knew how crazy that was.
At A.R.C they wouldn’t dare kill me. The Savages were nothing like them. They didn’t need me alive. Luce entered the room again, this time with his boots on and his dark hair neatly styled.
I should have expected what happened next. The spot I’d been so busy staring at vanished as he took its place, crossing right over the line of my personal space without shame. He hunched over so we were at eye level and planted his fists on either side of the ottoman, effectively caging me in.
“What makes you think I won’t kill you?”
There was no way I could answer that.
“Aw, little dove. Don’t tell me you’re swayed by every man that’s nice to you.”
This was what he considered nice? He brought his face closer to mine, and as I leaned back so that there was some space between our dangerously close to touching lips, I was hit with a rush of déjà vu. He’d done this same thing downstairs.
“Relax. I don’t like it when my girls scream too soon. That’s more Cam’s preference. He’s got demons that feed on terror and carnage. Me? I like getting inside their heads. When they lower their guard and start to think they’re safe, that’s the perfect opportunity to make a move.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“No reason, really. I just wanted to see how you’d react.” He stepped away, taking his body heat with him. “I’ll be back in a few hours.” I caught a small glimpse of an irritatingly cocky smirk as he walked out.
I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to laugh or be angry that he clearly got satisfaction from toying with me.
CHAPTER TWELVE
My stubbornly rebellious nature was daring me to open the bedroom door and walk down the stairs.
Common sense told me to sit here and not do anything stupid. I had been doing the latter for hours now. The sun was no longer in the sky. I’d had to turn on a lamp so I wasn’t sitting in the dark.
The marks on my back weren’t helping my mood.
I knew the irritation meant the lashes were healing, but the urge to scratch had me seeking out a distraction that wasn’t there. I’d never paid much attention to this before. I had learned to ignore it and always had other things to focus on.
Right now, all I could think about was what would be happening to me. Luce had hinted at keeping me here twice now. I needed confirmation. And motive. There had to be a reason why he’d do that. I racked my brain for what that could be but got nothing.
I massaged my temples to alleviate the pounding that had started in my head. The door swung open and Luce walked in with Cam right behind him.
“Have you been sitting there this whole time?” Luce asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice. “It’s been hours.”
Cam sat down on the ottoman beside me and offered a bottle of water.
It was cold and appeared unopened, so I accepted with a quiet thanks.
“Why didn’t you turn on the TV?” He waved towards the sleek black box hanging on the wall.
“I didn’t want to touch his stuff.” I twisted the cap off the water and took a sip.
I was relieved to see Cam again. I didn’t think I was necessarily safer being around him, but the vibe was different.
With Luce, I felt as if he would pick me apart piece by piece until all my defenses were gone and I was at his mercy. With Cam, I imagined he’d just fuck me up and be done, which was basically what Luce had told me before walking out of the room earlier.
“I told you where the remote was. That wasn’t a clear indicator you could touch it?”
“No, because you could walk in here and twist me doing so to your benefit.”
“That’s got to be a world record.” Cam laughed softly. “She’s figuring you out already.”
Luce circled around the ottoman and sat on the edge of his bed, as close as he could get to me. Being somewhat sandwiched between the two of them was a little overwhelming. I wasn’t sure who to look at. There was the chaotic, magnetic pull to Luce, or the calmness of Cam. I decided to focus on my water instead.
“How did you get away from the A.R.C?” Cam asked.
“I ran.”
“Why?” This came from Luce.
“I…I didn’t want to marry whomever it was they were giving me to.”
“You’re sure that’s what it was about?”
I looked between the two of them. Where were they going with this line of questioning? I decided to be as up front as I could. Lying wasn’t going to do me many favors right now. If this was cause for them to give me back, well, I’d have to go from there.
“I’ve been engaged since I was thirteen. They would have killed me a long time ago if it weren’t for that.”
Neither said a word at first. A soft “Huh,” came from Cam, and then he stood up. “I’m going to see Butcher.” He turned before walking out of the room and gave Luce a look I couldn’t decipher, shifting his silver-eyed gaze to me. “I’ll see you in the morning, all right?”
I could be wrong or reading too much into things, but this sounded like a reassurance.
Cam left and Luce moved to shut the door, twisting the lock like he’d done earlier. When he turned to face me, there was a look in his eyes that had the hair rising on the back of my neck. Not fear. This was something else entirely.
“I don’t know what the fuck that was, but I can promise you this: no one can save you from me, dove.”
To say I was taken aback would be an understatement. I blinked up at him, utterly confused. “Why would someone need to save me?”
His answering grin was downright devilish, so fitting for him. He let that be his response, leaving me to wonder what it meant.
“Get on the bed.”
“Why?”
“Because I need at least two hours of sleep.”
His eyes skimmed over my body, and then he pulled off his shirt and carried it over to me. “Put this on.”
I took it without complaint. The idea of sleep sounded more than nice when I considered the massive bed behind me. Compared to the way I’d slept these last few years, this was a dream come true. The problem was the man I had to lie next to.
“I don’t ever need to take what I can so easily have.”
“Huh?”
“Pussy. I can get it whenever I want it, from whoever I want it from. I’m not going to force myself between your legs.”
The conjured images of faceless women wrapped around him were not ones I cared to see.
I’d heard he was choosey about who he gave that kind of attention to, but god… the stories about what he did with those he chose…
I shook my head to clear that mess from my brain and rose from the ottoman. There wasn’t any logical reason to be bothered by what he’d said. I lengthened the distance between us and went to stand on the left side of his bed, giving him my back.
“Is that jealousy already?”
I could hear the amusement in his tone. I didn’t share the sentiment. I placed the T-shirt over my head so I could use both my hands, then shimmied down the top portion of the dress I was wearing. I shoved my arms through the sleeves, then finished removing it.
I knew his shirt would be large enough that it’d basically be the same thing—only, it was ten times more comfortable, even if it smelled purely of him. Luce moved to the other side of the bed and stared me down without saying a word.
Realizing I’d given him a great view of my back, I withheld a sigh and looked at him. My hair did a good job of covering them, but it wasn’t a magical barrier.
“Is it the scars?”
He didn’t bat an eyelid before responding. “I don’t give a shit about those. You’re beautiful.”
“Oh…”
That
was all I could manage to say, because that damned heat was spreading through my cheeks again.
Blushing. The word held no relevance to me, ever. Now it was becoming an annoyingly bad habit. I almost wished he’d said yes.
My scars didn’t bother me in a self-conscious manner. Half my body was covered in them. There wasn’t anything I would ever be able to do about that. It wasn’t as if I’d asked for them, but they were a part of me.
I had come to terms with this years ago. I’d never really considered what an outsider might have to think about them. Being called beautiful wouldn’t have come to mind, but I didn’t want to think too much into that. Suddenly, all I wanted to do was sleep.
Without caring what he thought, I dragged down the left corner of his comforter and climbed up onto the bed.
I had to withhold another sigh when his mattress conformed to the shape and weight of my body.
This was by far the softest thing I had ever laid on. And his pillows were like balls of fluff. I dragged the blanket up to my shoulders then tucked it beneath my arms.
Letting my lids fold over, I snuggled down and prepared for a hopefully uneventful night of slumber.
Luce’s soft chuckle had my stomach flipping. This was becoming a common occurrence when it came to him.
I heard him moving, but I didn’t open my eyes. If this was the part where he killed me, at least I would be free of A.R.C. There was a deeply rooted part of me that still believed he’d never do that, though.
The bed dipped, and I tensed slightly.
I took a quiet breath then slowly let it out. There was enough space between us that we couldn’t so much as breathe on one another without effort.
“You are exactly what I thought you were, and nothing I could have ever fucking expected.”
Whatever he meant by that I would have to figure out when my brain was more than exhausted mush.
The eerie silence could only mean it was either very late or too early. I peeled open my eyes and allowed them to adjust to the darkness within the room. Luce had shut off the lamp.
Renegades: Badlands Next Generation Page 9