Shattered Vows (Midnight Manor Book 2)

Chapter 14

Fourteen

The next morning, I don’t wake until mid-morning after being up half the night. I stare at the ceiling, going over the events of last night and trying to make sense of what I saw.

Maybe it was a costume party, but if so, why didn’t the guests use the front door?

I’m still pondering while I get out of bed and dress in a pair of leggings and short-sleeved shirt that cuts off just above the waistband. Then my stomach rumbles, so I braid my hair and decide to make my way to the kitchen to see if I can scrounge something to eat.

Marcel will scold me if he finds me there fending for myself rather than just summoning him to take care of it for me, but Mrs. Potter, who is in charge of the kitchen staff, doesn’t seem to mind. It still feels weird to pick up the phone in my room and ask someone to do my bidding when I’m perfectly capable. Not only that, I have nothing better to do. Kol may be back, but it’s not as though he’s bothered to come see me.

I begin the long trek to the kitchen. I’m only a few steps from my room when I hear something that sounds like metal clanking on metal. As I keep walking, I find that one of the doors ahead on my left is open.

The sound gets louder the closer I get, and when I finally reach the door, I peek inside.

I’m surprised to see a gym with mirrors lining the room. In juxtaposition to the age of the manor, the room is filled with state-of-the-art equipment, free weights, and cardio equipment. One side of the room is open with thick matting on the floor.

In the center of the room is shirtless Kol, skin beading with sweat. He holds big dumbbells as he squats. His lion tattoo is on display, along with another one on his pectoral. He looks up, making eye contact with me through the mirror, but he finishes his reps and sets down his weights before facing me.

I step farther into the room. “You’re back.”

He picks up a white towel from across a bench and wipes his face. “Just got back a couple hours ago. Didn’t want to wake you.”

Liar.

Why is he lying?

“How did everything go on your trip?”

“Fine. Got done what I needed to.” He tosses the towel back on to the bench and rests his hands on his hips. “Where are you off to?”

I thumb behind me. “I was just going to grab something to eat.”

“Marcel can do that for you.”

I nod. “I know. But I’m fine to do it on my own. Not like I have anything else to do.” It’s a dig, but I’m upset that he’s lying. Why is he keeping it a secret that he was home last night? Has he been home even longer than that and just been avoiding me? It wouldn’t be hard in a mansion this big.

Kol frowns. “I explained that I would be away.”

“You did. But that doesn’t explain why you’re lying about when you returned home. I know you were here last night, Kol. I saw you.”

His entire body freezes. “What do you mean you saw me?”

He arches an eyebrow and closes the distance between us. My breathing becomes labored the closer he gets. He stops close enough for me to touch, and despite my ire, I want so badly to let my finger trail over the ripples in his lower abdomen. I’ve never touched a man’s naked body, and I want to know what Kol would feel like under my fingertips.

“Where and when did you see me, Rapsody?” He leans in, and the male scent of him hits me like a bolt of lightning.

“I saw you by the door outside with Sid, with people wearing masks,” I say the words slowly, unsure how they’ll be received.

His head tilts. “Are you spying on me?”

I don’t tear my eyes from his gaze when I shake my head. “No. I went outside to paint because I couldn’t sleep and… and I saw some people leaving the manor. What were they doing here?”

His features go blank, as though someone has pulled the curtain over all his emotions. “It’s nothing you have to concern yourself with.” Then he walks back over to the weights he set on the floor.

I follow. “Just tell me what it is. Did you have a party or something and didn’t want to invite me? Is that why you lied about when you got back? Was I not of high enough social standing to attend?”

Is he embarrassed because I’m na?ve and overzealous and would ask people tons of questions? I don’t ask though, because that would make me seem vulnerable to him, and I don’t want him using it against me.

He whips around to face me, his features a cold mask of fury. “It has nothing to do with you. Drop it.”

“Maybe I should just leave and go back to Seattle, or somewhere else and start over. You obviously didn’t want me to know you were back.” I turn and start toward the door, but Kol grabs my elbow and pulls me around to face him.

“You’ll do no such thing.”

I’m so sick of everyone telling me what to do. First my mom, then Alistair, now Kol. Everyone thinks I need protecting, but what I want more than anything is to be able to make decisions for myself, to not have people hide things from me because they think the truth might hurt.

“Contrary to what you might think, you don’t own me, Kol.”

His grip tightens, and the muscles in his jaw flex. “You’re right. I won’t make the mistake of owning you ever again.”

“If you don’t want me here, just say it. I’m only here because you said I could stay and sort myself out, figure out what I want to do with my life. But if I’m not welcome, tell me.”

“You should go. You should.” Our angry eyes test one another. Who will fold first? But the energy shifts, and tensions rise. His touch loosens on my elbow as an ache forms between my thighs. “But that doesn’t mean I want you to.”

“I—” I want to feel him just once more, damn the consequences.

Our bodies lean in. I try to prepare myself for him to shove me away once more, but he tugs me into his sweaty body, and his lips fall to mine. The familiar taste of him seeps through my body as his tongue roughly pushes into my mouth. Acting on instinct, my arms wrap around his neck, pressing our chests together, separated only by the thin fabric of my shirt and cotton bra.

Kol groans as his hands slip around my waist and move lower to squeeze my ass and pull me into him. His hard length presses into me. I gasp. The space between my legs hums with pleasure.

Everything between us disappears—our past, the promises made and broken, the animosity and hurt. All of it evaporates, and there is only us.

The feel of his tongue against mine. My hard nipples pressed into his heated chest. The stubble under my hand as it crests over the back of his head. Every sensation feels magnified and perfect. I melt into our kiss, wanting more. I don’t even know what, just… more. Whatever he’ll give me.

But as quickly as the kiss started, it ends.

Kol pushes me away, and I stumble back, eyes wide, the fingers of one hand pressed against my swollen lips.

His eyes are now filled with horror. “Don’t ask me about last night again.”

Mortified by the switch in his demeanor and how easily I gave into the kiss, I rush from the room.

Why did he even kiss me if he was so disgusted afterward? Was it just a way to shut me up so I wouldn’t ask any more questions? God, that man is so cruel.

I suck back my tears and continue toward the kitchen. I don’t understand why he got so weird about me asking about last night. I don’t understand why he kissed me. I don’t understand why he seems to even want me here. I don’t understand any of it.

“Are you okay?”

I blink at the sound of a female voice and come out of my daze. I hadn’t even realized that I’d stopped in one of the many sitting rooms in the communal part of the manor.

Anabelle walks toward me with a concerned look on her face. “Are you okay?”

“Sorry, yes, yes. I’m fine.” I give her as big of a smile as I can muster.

When she reaches me, she rests a hand on my shoulder. “You don’t look fine, Rapsody. What happened?”

The genuine concern on her face brings the tears new life, but I somehow push them back. “I just got into an argument with Kol. Sort of. I don’t know if you could even call it that.”

She frowns. “What about?”

Maybe Anabelle knows something about whatever was going on last night. She probably would, right? I mean, she’s married to the eldest Voss brother.

“I asked him what was going on here last night. I saw some people with masks leaving the side of the house.”

Her hand drops from my shoulder, and she winces. “Oh.”

“Do you know what was going on? Why would Kol be so upset with me for asking?”

Anabelle sighs. “That’s something you need to discuss with Kol.”

“But I tried, and?—”

“I’m sorry, Rapsody, but I can’t discuss this with you.” It’s a small consolation that she appears to actually feel bad.

“Right. Okay, I get it.” I walk past her without saying another word.

Message received loud and clear—I’m not one of them. And I’ll never be.

The first tear leaks down my cheek.

Will I ever find somewhere I belong?