Chapter 9 #3
As we round the corner, I see Rhys. He's waiting for me by the castle entrance, leaning against a stone pillar with that effortless, arrogant poise he always has. He looks like a god of ruin in the morning light.
I break into a run and throw my arms around him, hugging him tight. He grunts softly, his arms wrapping around me in a possessive grip that nearly lifts me off my feet.
"Your breakfast is getting cold, love," he murmurs into my hair, his voice a low rumble.
I pull back and smile up at him. "I already ate. I had breakfast with the girls."
Rhys arcs a perfectly sharped eyebrow, his gaze shifting to the succubus. He doesn't say anything, but the look in his eyes is a warning—a silent 'what the fuck are you doing with my woman?'
The succubus puts her hands on her hips, looking completely unfazed. "Don't look at me like that, boss, as though I stole her away. Besides, I brought her back, didn't I?"
Rhys lets out a short, dry huff of laughter. "You wouldn't steal her if you tried. She's far too much for you to handle."
"Oh, please," she scoffs, rolling her eyes. "I can handle plenty. But I'll leave you two to your brooding. Bye, darling!" She blows me a kiss and saunters away, her laughter echoing back toward the cabins.
I turn back to Rhys, a mischievous glint in my eyes. "You know, for someone who acts so scary and psychotic, you're secretly a fucking saint."
Rhys freezes. His expression shifts instantly, his eyes narrowing. "Oana told you about Romania, didn't she?"
I giggle, poking him in the chest. "Aww, look at you! A secret good person. Saving poor, tortured nuns from the big bad church. Who knew the Great Rhys Castellan had a heart of gold?"
"Shut it," he snaps, though there's no real heat in it. He leans down, his voice dropping to a dangerous, playful whisper. "Don't say that out loud, Ophelia. Someone might hear you and think I've gone soft. I have a reputation to uphold."
"Your secret's safe with me, you big softie," I tease, leaning my head against his shoulder.
"Softie, my ass," he growls.
Before I can get another word out, he grabs me, his large hands sliding down to grip my ass firmly, pulling me flush against his hard frame.
He crashes his lips onto mine in a kiss that tastes of possession and hunger, silencing my teasing with a brutal, passionate intensity that leaves me breathless.
I keep my arms looped tightly around his neck, pulling myself closer until there isn't a single inch of air between us. I can feel the heat radiating off his chest, the steady, possessive thrum of his heart against my own. I tilt my head, looking up at him with a curious glint in my eyes.
"So," I murmur, my voice a bit breathy from the kiss. "Apart from helping women get their bloody revenge and being a VIP attraction for the rich and bored... what else do you actually use the succubus for?"
Rhys’s expression doesn't change, but there's a dark, flickering amusement in his eyes.
He shifts his grip on my ass, squeezing firmly.
"Sometimes I have enemies, love. People who think they can play games with the Castellan name.
The succubus... she can handle them in ways most people can't imagine. "
I blink, the realization hitting me. "Wait, so she's basically your personal hitwoman? A high-end assassin in heels?"
A slow, predatory smirk spreads across his face. "Exactly. And she fucking loves it. Especially when it's a man. In her words, ‘There's something about the look in their eyes when they realize the most beautiful thing they've ever seen is the last thing they'll ever see’."
I shiver, though not from fear. The darkness of it all just makes my skin tingle. "Do you have anyone else in mind? Anyone you're planning to hire her for right now?"
His gaze hardens, the playful banter vanishing as a cold, protective shadow falls over his features.
"Yes. There is a particular man. He's been trying to carve a path to my throat for some time now.
He's persistent, I'll give him that." He pauses, his voice dropping an octave, becoming dangerously low.
"And I know it's only a matter of time before he finds out about you, Ophelia.
Before he realizes you're the only thing in this world I actually give a fuck about.
The most beautiful thing I've ever seen. "
My heart skips a beat. I didn't realize there was someone out there actively hunting him. "Who is he?"
"Lucien Ashcroft," Rhys spits the name out like it's poison.
"Right now, our focus is on your revenge—on making sure every bastard who touched your mother screams before they die.
I haven't spent much time planning exactly how I'll dismantle Ashcroft, but he'll learn soon enough.
And when the time comes, the succubus will be the one to deliver the invitation to his funeral. "
I lean back slightly, my mind racing. The danger of it all is intoxicating, but the mystery of the succubus is still nagging at me. I want to know everything about the world Rhys inhabits.
"Please," I whisper, my lips brushing against his jawline. "Tell me her real name. Just this once. I won't tell a soul, I swear on my life."
Rhys lets out a low, guttural chuckle. He leans in, his lips grazing the shell of my ear, his hot breath sending a jolt of electricity straight down my spine. He whispers the name—a name that sounds ancient, melodic, and dangerous all at once.
I pull back, a wide, impressed smile on my face. "Fucking hell... that's actually a gorgeous name." I slide my hands down to his chest, feeling the muscles ripple under my touch. "God, you are so fucking hot when you're being all dark and mysterious."
Rhys doesn't respond with words. Instead, he groans, a sound of pure, unadulterated hunger, and crashes his lips back onto mine.
This kiss is different—it's not just passionate; it's desperate.
His tongue sweeps into my mouth, claiming me, while his hands roam my body with a frantic intensity, kneading my flesh and pulling me so tight against him that I can feel every hard line of his desire.
I moan into the kiss, my fingers digging into his shoulders, pulling him closer, wanting more. I want him to devour me.
He breaks the kiss just long enough to gasp against my lips, his eyes dark with a psychotic, obsessive lust. "We better get to the bedroom, Ophelia," he growls, his voice raw and shaking. "Right fucking now. Because if we don't, I'm going to take you right here on the gravel for everyone to see.”