73. Lazarus
The room is quiet, save for the sound of Leandra’s shaky breaths and the faint rustle of the sheets as she trembles beside me.
Her body is coiled tight, her hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms. She’s shaking uncontrollably, her emotions a storm that I can feel radiating off her.
I watch her, my gaze steady, my own emotions a tangled mess that I can’t quite unravel.
“Did he fuck you?” I ask, my voice low, almost a growl.
I don’t know why I ask the question. Maybe it’s because I need to hear it from her, maybe it’s because I need her to tell me what I already know.
She freezes, her breath catching in her throat. For a moment she doesn’t answer, and I think she might not but then she whispers, “Yes.” Like she doesn’t want to admit it out loud.
I feel a surge of anger, a rage that threatens to consume me.
“He was the one who took my virginity,” she continues, her voice trembling. “He-he, my parents gave me to him as a Bride of the Covenant.”
A fucking bride? I feel sick, disgusted by the cruelty of it, by the way he clearly used her, by the way her parents clearly used her too. I grab her chin, forcing her to look at me.
“How old were you?” I ask, my voice tight with barely contained rage.
“Eighteen,” she whispers.
I let out a low breath, my grip on her chin softening. I pull her into my arms, holding her tightly, my body warm against hers.
“He wants me to spy on you, he wants me to report back on what you do. He’s planning to kill you, to become Grand Master himself.” The words come out half muffled from how she’s pressed her face into me, but I hear the fear in them, I hear the truth too.
“Oh, he can try.” I murmur, and he will try. I know what he has planned, I know the little trap he has already laid for me in the not-so-distant future, but I am smarter than him. I am better, and more importantly I am blessed by God, not him.
“Ezekiel will never touch you again,” I say, my voice firm. “He will never be left alone with you again. I will never let anything happen to you. Do you understand that?”
She stiffens in my arms, her body tense. Instead of being comforted, she seems to grow more angry, her emotions a storm that I can feel radiating off her.
“Do you think that’s enough?” she snaps, her voice trembling with rage. “Do you really think that will give me peace?”
I pull back slightly, my gaze steady. “What else do you want from me?” I ask, my voice calm but firm.
She shakes her head, her eyes blazing with fury. “You promised me vengeance,” she says, her voice low and fierce. “And now that I want it, you’re breaking that promise.”
My lips curl into a faint smile, my gaze darkening. “Clearly, you misunderstand me,” I say, my voice low and dangerous. “Ezekiel will be dealt with.”
She freezes, her eyes widening slightly. “He’s Esau,” she whispers, her voice trembling. “He’s their leader…”
“…and I am the Grand Master,” I reply, my voice firm. “I will make him pay. I will make them both pay.”
“Them?” she repeats, her words confused.
“Your father was the one who sold you,” I say, my voice cold. “He will pay the price for that crime, just as Ezekiel will pay the price for everything he did to you.”
She stares at me, her eyes wide, her breath catching in her throat. For a moment she doesn’t speak, and I can see the wheels turning in her mind, the realization dawning on her.
And then she kisses me.
It’s sudden, desperate, her lips crashing against mine with a hunger that takes me by surprise. I kiss her back, my hands tangling in her hair, pulling her closer.
She starts yanking at my clothes, her hands trembling but determined. I pause, pulling back slightly, my gaze steady.
“Is this really what you want right now?” I ask.
“Right now, I want to forget all the pain,” she whispers, her voice trembling. “To forget everything, and I seem to only be able to do that when you’re fucking me.”
I don’t hesitate. I kiss her again, my hands moving to her clothes, pulling them off with an urgency that matches hers.
Her body is warm against mine, her skin soft and smooth. I kiss her neck, her shoulders, my hands roaming over her body, exploring every curve, every inch of her.
She moans softly, her hands tangling in my hair, pulling me closer. I kiss her breasts, my tongue flicking over her nipples, teasing them until they’re hard and sensitive.
She arches her back, her breaths coming in short, panicked gasps. I move lower, kissing her stomach, her hips, my hands gripping her thighs, spreading them apart.
I kiss her inner thighs, my tongue teasing her, making her squirm. And then I kiss her clit, my tongue flicking over it, teasing her until she’s moaning loudly, her hands gripping the sheets.
I slide a finger inside her, feeling her tightness, her warmth. She moans, her hips bucking against my hand, her body trembling with pleasure.
I add another finger, moving them in and out of her, my tongue still flicking over her clit. She’s close, her body trembling, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps.
And then she comes, her body arching off the bed, her moans echoing through the room.
I kiss her thighs, her stomach, her breasts, my hands roaming over her body, exploring every curve, every inch of her.
She pulls me up, her hands tangling in my hair, pulling me into a kiss. I kiss her deeply, my hands gripping her hips, pulling her closer.
I slide inside her, feeling her tightness, her warmth. She moans softly, her hands gripping my shoulders, pulling me closer.
I move slowly at first, my thrusts deep and deliberate. She moans softly, her hands gripping my shoulders, pulling me closer.
I move faster, my thrusts harder, deeper as she moans loudly, her body trembling with pleasure.
I kiss her neck, her shoulders, my hands roaming over her body, exploring every curve, every inch of her. She’s close again, her body trembling, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps. And then she gives in, her body arching off the bed, her moans echoing through the room.
I come with her, my body trembling, my breath coming in short, panicked gasps Before
I collapse beside her, pulling her into my arms, holding her tightly.
She’s quiet, her body warm against mine, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps.
I kiss her forehead, my hands roaming over her body, exploring every curve, every inch of her.