37. Vaughn
Vaughn
Sweat. It dripped from my hair. It drenched my clothes. Still, I didn’t stop. My rage didn’t allow me to.
I fought.
I seethed through every swing.
I saw nothing but the blood covering the bottom half of my Reeve’s face. And I knew I had some on mine. I’d tasted it. Smelled it. Blood was life.
It.
Was.
Everything.
“Unavowed! Go. Go. Go.”
Chants hummed in the large empty stone room. So distant from me as flashes of Penelope came back with blinding force.
The seduction. The want I’d seen in her gaze.
I wasn’t imagining it.
A part of her wanted Lawrence, and I couldn’t ignore that as I swung right for Able’s nose.
The block came easy enough, but I didn’t stop.
I was a killer with this silent suspicion.
Did King Lawrence really think he could take something else that was mine and live to keep it?
And Penelope… she had to know she couldn’t have us both.
She said she loved me. She acted as if she did.
If that was the case, what the hell had I witnessed in that underground prison she’d been taken to?
Redmond’s words came back. His assurances. Ones I didn’t want to think about. Ones that secretly haunted me.
Faster, I swung. Able blocked what he could, yelling out as I didn’t ease.
“Rise up!”
Movement settled around me. Guards closed in to protect their Reeve. To allow me my outlet by not only challenging me but offering their bodies and blood if I was good enough to spill it.
A blur of movement darted in from my side, and I swung my elbow, catching a guard in the jaw.
Able rushed in, but I dipped low, blocking his takedown as another guard grabbed me from behind.
I barely pivoted in time to throw him before more hands latched on to me.
And more. And more. I swung. I kicked. I fought with everything I had.
Pressure from my back disappeared and I spun coming face to face with Penelope.
Her hands were on her hips, and her eyebrow was lifted as if she were challenging me.
As if she were saying, I’m right here… what are you going to do?
“Are you finished?”
I was breathing so hard I couldn’t answer. My jaw was set and clenched, and I gave a hard jerk of my head before I knew I was answering.
“No? Alright.”
Penelope lifted the necklace, her eyes blazing with its own anger.
“I stopped by your study before I came here. Did you get what you needed?”
The deep pants were my only response.
“I knew when I woke up wearing this what you were up to. We hide things now?”
“I had a right—”
“To tell me,” she exploded. “You make offers of your love with lies now?”
My lids narrowed, and I waved the guards out. “What do you expect after the last time you left with him?”
“How about the truth? How about honesty? Trust. I told you everything. I have never hid anything from you.”
“So you were going to tell me about your little stunt in the prison?”
A smile came to Penelope’s face, but not one of happiness.
“You didn’t come to put me to bed last night, did you? You came to face him. It wasn’t about me at all.”
I stepped forward. “Not true. I did come to see you.”
“And him.” Her tone was firm but loud.
“You.”
“You better try again. And. Him.”
My fist clenched. “He had to know.”
“Know what? That you were the better-looking man? That you were bigger? That you were just as powerful? Did you pull out your dick and compare those sizes too? God. To think I thought I knew you so well.”
My head cocked to the side. “You do know me.”
“Do I? I’m not so sure about that. The Vaughn I know wouldn’t have had to lie about my safety.
He wouldn’t have had a hidden agenda wrapped in a surprise visit.
He wouldn’t be acting like a spoiled child right now.
” She gave me a look so full of disappointment that I was sure there was a tinge of disgust hidden inside.
“No… I don’t know who you’re becoming. I’m not sure I want to. ”
She turned, heading for the door. Before I could stop myself, I lunged forward grabbing her bicep. The hit to my pressure point was so hard and fast, my arm went numb, going limp at my side.
“Fuck,” I winced going right into a growl. “You didn’t think to do that to him when he had his hands all over you?”
“And miss out on his secrets? You let jealousy turn you into a fool, Unavowed. You were so focused on his hands, you missed what was coming out of his mouth.” She stepped in, her lids narrowing even more.
“You’re a king. You need to act like it.
He’s focused on The Order, and he knows too much.
Someone here is feeding him information.
On our rituals. On our auctions. If he were anyone else, I would have slit his throat.
He is king. I cannot. What I can do is use him, which I have every intention of doing. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Our faces were inches from each other.
“Over my dead fucking body.”
“It will be if we don’t beat him at his own game.
There is something dark inside that man.
Something twisted and… of The Order. He is not to be trusted.
But right now, I’m not so sure you are either.
I’m going to my room. If you grab me again, especially as hard as you just did, you will not like what I do. ”
“Penelope—”
“Goodnight, Vaughn.”
She only made it a few more steps before I rushed up, throwing her over my shoulder.
“You’re not dismissing me. I don’t care how mad you are.”
“Let me down.”
She wiggled, but that only had my hand coming down on her ass.
Whack!
“Flirting with him. Leading him on.”
Whack!
“Dammit, Vaughn!”
Tighter, I held the back of her legs.
“Leading. Him. On. And then you think you can tell me that you’re going to keep using him. You’re going to continue playing games with him?”
Whack!
“Let me down. This is your last chance. I am not playing with you. You crossed the line with your lies.”
“Love, I haven’t crossed the line yet, but I’m about to.”
Penelope stiffened in my hold.
“What do you mean?”
I left the large training room, heading down the hall.
“I asked you a question. Vaughn.”
The guards ahead lowered their eyes as we approached. I turned to the right, making it to my hall. Harder, Penelope wiggled under my hold, and harder I spanked her as she tried to break free. A sob left her, but I didn’t soften.
“Absolutely not. You take me to my room. Vaughn—”
I opened my door, kicking it closed as I headed for my bed. I had Penelope on her back so fast, she couldn’t stop me from covering her body with mine.
“I’m mad at you.”
“And I’m in love with you.”
“You were spying on me. You lied and hid it. You used me to make a point to King Lawrence.”
“And you got me back with that bullshit you pulled on him. Fuck, Penelope. Did you not see how close he was to—” My eyes bore into hers. “He wanted you. Had his guards not walked in… What would you have done if he would have tried to kiss you? Had he tried to fuck you? If he would have raped you?”
My voice grew in volume with every question.
“First off, it wouldn’t have gotten that far. Had he wanted to rape me, he would have done so at Glenbrae. He didn’t.”
“But he kissed you, and he was so close to kissing you again. Is that what you wanted?”
“Of course not.”
My hand V’d at her chin as my fears turned into a desperate panic. “You sure as hell fooled me. Maybe this time you wanted to be completely conscious for it. Maybe you wanted to kiss him back.”
Her hand locked on my wrist, tightening as she glared up at me.
“Had I wanted to kiss him, I would have done so. What I did do was peel back layers of a king I’m not so sure we can overthrow. I uncovered that we have a rat in our midst. I let myself believe that the man I love actually gave a damn when he didn’t. Now let me up so I can go to my room.”
My head shook back and forth.
“You’re not going anywhere.”
“Vaughn. I’m done being nice with you.”
“So don’t be.”
Blue eyes darkened, and I was ready for her speed, just not her moves as she used her weight and hold on my arm to push up against my elbow.
I shifted to ease the pressure, but that only had her wedging her legs between us.
The hit to the pressure point under my arm had my arm locking up again, distracting me as she twisted and slammed her knee into my ribs.
I grunted, forcing my own weight down as I fought to contain her.
“You’re going to regret this.” A small sound left her as I stopped her hand from slamming up into my face.
“No, love. I don’t think I will.”
She screamed, throwing her weight to the side. I quickly slid her back underneath me, reaching her wrists and pinning them over her head. My lips crushed into hers, and an angry sound left her.
“You want him.”
Penelope wrestled against my hold, glaring up at me.
“Take it back.”
“You want him. I saw it.”
“Do you think I’m stupid? Do you think I’ve forgotten what he might be responsible for? What you saw was me taking charge and manipulating him. I was playing the game, just as you should be.”
Her words barely registered through the mass of emotions. Through the need to lock myself in her heart so she could never force me out.
“I’ll never give you up. I’ll never lose you to him.”
“You’re not listening to me.”
I forced her legs apart, settling between them.
“And you’re not listening to me.” The words came out deep. Calm but crazed. “I’m never… letting… you go. Never.”
Silence. I took in Penelope’s expression.
“You think I’m weak for my threats. I’m not telling you this to threaten you or to instill fear from wanting another man.
I’m being honest. You can hate me. Try to escape me.
Try to kill me.” I rocked against her, moving my lips to hover just above hers.
“And I will love you to the death. Yours. Mine. Or ours. There was never an escape from this life for you. So if I’m right…
if you feel anything for King Lawrence… you better kill that temptation inside you now, because that is a path you will quickly regret taking. ”
More silence.
Penelope’s arms twisted, and I let her break free of my hold.
“Is your jealousy worth it? One day you’re going to look back at this moment and realize you made the biggest mistake of your life.
” Wetness filled her eyes, but the tears didn’t spill over.
“You had me. I would have done anything for you. And now you’ve ruined it.
You’ve ruined us. All because of mistrust and hate. You don’t even see it.”
“I saw, alright.”
Her lids narrowed. “Keep feeding yourself that excuse. You saw what you wanted to see. I got answers. I got insight.” She pushed me over, sitting up on the edge of the bed.
“And while you’re drowning in all that misery, looking for your next way to best King Lawrence, I’ll be in his underground room getting the evidence we need to clear your family’s name. ”
Fear exploded with the anger. I reached for her, only to have my hand slapped with a force that stung my skin.
“Goodnight, Vaughn.”
She wasn’t finished standing before I was pulling her back up.
“I said there was no escape for you. Not from this life. Not from this bed. And most certainly not from me.”
Silk tore as I jerked against the material of her neckline. I had Penelope under me before she could so much as put up a fight. And I was pulling at her clothes, tearing them in the process.
Maybe she was right and I was going to regret this moment for my entire life. Or maybe… she’d come to see that I’d never lied about who I was or the life she was now reborn into.
Love used to rule me when our love was pure. All I felt now were the tainted parts. The stolen and charred remains that kept being ignited with every mention of the man I despised. I didn’t know myself anymore. I wasn’t sure I wanted to.