Fierce King by Ivy Mason

Ten

Coulter

A soft light filtered through the window, the sun had yet to rise, and I sat in the shadows of the dark room, my eyes locked on her. Everything that had happened with Bourbon was on a repeat in my head, and I'd come here, exhausted.

I should've slept first, at least a good pick me up, and showered. I knew I still smelled of the club, but I couldn't stay away from her. Not now. Not after the deal I'd made with Bourbon.

I'd placed a hidden camera in her room that first night when she'd still been knocked out. And, the past several days, I'd spent way too much time watching her, fantasizing. Obsessing about how much she looked like Lily.

Time I should've been spending taking care of business.

The thing about modern technology is that you can take it anywhere you want these days, so the sight of her beautiful body was on my phone any time I wanted.

I'd watched, fascinated as the pencil drawing of both Bourbon and I grew larger and more lifelike.

I'd been sure to replace her pencil so that she never ran out of lead. She thought she was so clever, hiding it under her pillow but I don’t think she realized what a deep sleeper she was.

It was all too easy to walk into her room while she slept, exchanging out food and water, slipping my hand under her pillow, watching her full lips as I replaced her pencil for another one that looked exactly like it, except with just a tad bit more lead.

It was ridiculous the amount of time I spent obsessing over her but, by the drawing on the wall, she was just as obsessed with both Bourbon and me as we were with her.

But now, that had to change.

I needed her focus on me, and me alone.

This new game with Bourbon was going to change everything in our lives.

For once in my life, I wanted to win. I would do anything to succeed.

Kill, Maim. Bury dead bodies in the desert.

Steal.

Break hearts.

She sat up abruptly, her eyes scanning the room suspiciously.

It was like she could sense my presence in the room.

As if I was in her subconscious as much as she was in mine.

Her eyes landed on me but her breathing that picked up was her only reaction for a long, pregnant pause.

Until she spoke. "That's not creepy or anything. How long have you been watching me sleep?"

I didn't answer her. I had no need to. She needed to learn that she was here for me and not the other way around.

She shifted uncomfortably at my silence, glancing down. She pulled up her blanket to cover herself, using it like a shield against my scrutiny.

I stood up, stepping out of the shadows and into the light from the moon so she could clearly see the devil in front of her.

A man like me didn't hide their works in the darkness.

No, I had the audacity to perform my evil deeds in the light, where anyone could see them.

And I didn’t care if anyone watched.

I took a step closer to her and she yanked her knees up to her chest, like she'd done that first night we kidnapped her. Sitting up, she backed up to the wall, her eyes wide as she watched me draw closer to her. When I was at the edge of the bed, she shook her head.

"This isn't some fucked up version of Sleeping Beauty, you know. A kiss isn't going to bring me to life."

God, she was amusing. I smirked, raising my eyebrow as I stared down at her. "What would happen then if I kissed you?"

“This is my life." She said it emphatically, as if she thought I didn't already know that.

As if my life wasn't on the line, either.

Not now, now that the game had started.

It was serious, and I was playing for keeps.

So I sat down, giving her enough space between us so she wouldn’t feel threatened and decided to be honest with her. Or, at least, let her think I was.

"This is my life too."

She scowled, the only sign she was interested in this conversation was her teeth coming down on her lower lip, biting it. Was it a nervous tick? Or was she trying to hold back from saying something?"

Lily had never done anything like that.

"Oh, so you've been brought here against your will?"

I nodded, giving her a serious look. "When I was six, yes."

"You were?"

I nodded.

"Did they kidnap you too, or..."

I shook my head. "No, my father had an affair with my mother, even though he was already married."

She looked disappointed, as if by my admitting that I was a bastard son, that I didn't truly belong to this family. I needed her to know what she was getting into. That I was a King, just as much as Bourbon.

As much as my father.

I may not have as much blood on my hands, but I had enough.

Innocent blood, too.

"Things aren't always like it seems, Rose, never forget that."

She tilted her head to the side, intrigued now. "What's that supposed to mean? You're clearly not trapped here like I am."

"Just because I don't live behind a locked door, doesn't mean I'm not trapped."

Her teeth gnawed on that lower lip, her eyes staring curiously into mine.

I leaned forward and felt her breath hitch. Her chest heaved and I saw that I could see through the thin material of her t-shirt. In her curiosity, she'd let the blanket fall, and I could see that her nipples had pebbled at the tips.

The sight of this made me very happy.

It meant that she was as attracted to me as I was to her.

I could work with this.

"Prove it," she said, snapping me out of my thoughts that had promptly gone south, something clearly represented by my quickly hardening dick.

Something I didn’t try to hide from her. I wanted her to know that I was attracted to her, too. It would make the game go easier.

I stared at her intensely and at my heated look, her gaze suddenly lowered, moving over my body until it stopped at the bulge in my pants. Her eyes widened at the sight, then quickly moved back up to my face.

“Prove it," she repeated herself, and she straightened. “Prove to me that you're just as trapped as I am."

“And how would I do that?”

She smiled, and it was filled with satisfaction. She’d gotten something out of me.

I was intrigued.

"I have questions."

I scoffed, looking away from her. Information. That's all she wanted from me.

"Answer me honestly, and I'll believe you."

"You want honesty from me?" I stood up, slipping my hand in the pockets of my pants, appearing disinterested. "I thought you were more interesting than that, Rose."

"Maybe you should hear the questions first."

I decided to humor her. "I'll give you one question. Any question. Ask it and I'll answer you honestly."

"Two."

I chuckled. "Greedy little lamb, aren't we?"

She crossed her arms across her chest. "Answer two questions, and I'll believe you understand how I'm feeling.”

I stepped closer to the bed, forcing her to tilt her head backwards to look up at me.

"Fine." I agreed. "Ask your two questions."

I expected her to ask how I was trapped. How I'd come to the family. Maybe how much money I had. Or how she could get out of here.

How many guards were watching over her.

Where I hid the key to her room.

If she asked that, I'd have a problem on my hands, because the key was currently in my pocket.

Instead, she surprised me.

Staring straight into my eyes, she asked her first question. "Do you love your brother?"

I frowned, looking away from her pointed stare to look at the drawing of us both. She'd drawn me with a devilish mustache that curled at the edges. The bad guy.

She'd also managed to capture Bourbon's eyes perfectly.

His piercing look. But there was something else there, something more. Rose had managed to see in Bourbon what very few others had ever noticed, especially since she'd only seen him for a short time.

His eyes were tortured, a sadness to the look on his face.

She'd seen right through us both.

If she chose me as the winner of this game, I would only play with her. Get her to feel something for me. Use her to feel something again before I got rid of her.

I didn't have any long term plans. I'd only wanted her so I could pretend to be with Lily again, to say all the things I wished I could've said. To have a final goodbye.

But if Bourbon won, he would keep her.

Bourbon didn't keep a woman past one night, always sending them on their way the minute he was done with them. But she was different for him, I could feel it.

At some subconscious level, she knew it.

“Nice picture." I finally spoke. Her face turned towards it. "You've captured me perfectly."

“I know.” She turned back to me, giving me a stern gaze. "Are you going to answer my question?”

"Tell me your next question first."

“Fine. If you do love your brother, what are you willing to do for him?"

I straightened with a bolt. She was smarter than I'd initially given her credit.

What she really wanted to know was, if he asked me to kill her, would I do it.

"I'll answer one question. Pick one. Then, in exchange for the other answer, I'll give you something else instead."

She huffed, blowing air through her luscious lips that made the wisps of her hair move. "What could you even give me? My freedom?" Her voice was mocking.

“Yes."

My answer surprised her, and she stared at me with disbelief and suspicion. "You're lying."

I shook my head. "If you take me up on my offer, the reward, if you win, will be an unlocked door, and twenty four hours to escape."

And what if I lose?”

I smirked. “Which you will.”

“You wish.”

“If you lose, you have to give me a favor. Willingly do something I ask for.”

“Tell me first what your favor will be.”

“That’s not part of the bargain. You’ll have to trust me on this.”

“Trust you,” she scoffed.

“Yes, trust me.”

“Because you’re so trustworthy.” She rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I love Bourbon." I picked the question for her, I needed her to move past her mistrust.

I'd picked that one because, the truth was, I didn't have the answer to the other question. I didn't know who I would pick if it came down to choosing between her and him.

"And what do I need to do to gain my freedom?" Even though she tried not to show it, I could sense the desperation in her voice. She wanted out of here.

I stepped closer, so close her head was all the way backwards because she wouldn't break eye contact with me.

Even though it was uncomfortable for her, and I was an ass for lording myself over her like an intimidating prick, she would do anything to prove to me that she was strong.

I grinned, letting the excitement I was feeling inside show through for the first time since I'd taken her. "I'm going to make you come."

She laughed. "I doubt that."

“That’s the proposition. And if I don't make you come, I'll give you twenty four hours of freedom before I chase after you."

Her eyes were wide, and her breathing picked up in excitement. My grin grew wider because I knew she’d already made her choice, even if she didn’t.

“If you want me so badly, why haven’t you taken it from me already? It’s not like I have a choice in the matter.”

I made a low sound of disapproval. “I don’t take what’s not freely offered. I don’t have to. Plus, I may be a monster, but I'm not the devil. That’s reserved for Bourbon.”

She was silent, studying me.

I knew she was going to say yes. I also knew that I was going to make her come. Several times, just so that she knew right from the start that I was never letting her go.

Then she only had herself to blame for her captivity.

"Well?" I asked. “Do we have a deal?”