Chapter 28
twenty-eight
“What are the odds of that, dark man? You were almost safe.” Fargus’s smile turned voracious. “Now, hand her over.”
Vade had a death grip on her thigh, but Orelia pried his fingers off and sauntered around the table, swishing her hips in a tantalizing motion.
Fargus’s woman practically ran to Vade.
The golden man squeezed Orelia’s backside, grinning wide enough to reveal a shiny gold cap gleaming on one of his back teeth. “Just as firm as I thought.” He smacked her ass, then patted his thigh.
Orelia perched herself atop his leg, finding him bonier than he looked. She tried to find a comfortable position, but nothing quite worked.
The blonde swung her long, lean legs across Vade’s lap, but he hardly seemed to notice. His gaze was solely focused on Orelia. The woman whispered something in his ear, but his eyes stayed on the witch.
Soft fingers tilted her head. From afar, Fargus had appeared handsome, but up close, he was far less pleasing, with an oily smile and possessive hands like he had the right to her body just because he’d won a hand in a card game.
The weight of the fae’s presence intensified, but everyone else at the table seemed oblivious. Perhaps she’d just become attuned to his displeasure.
Good. He deserved to suffer for the way he’d behaved.
She slid a hand up Fargus’s fine-stitched tunic and twirled one of his blonde curls around her finger, smiling at him like she was smitten. “You’re much better company, I must admit,” she said.
“Yes, the dark one is far too grim.” Fargus leaned closer, and she knew he was eyeing Vade when he spoke into her ear. “He looks rather jealous, don’t you think?” he said loud enough for the whole room to hear.
Vade was sneering so hard she thought his mouth may become permanently fixed in that position.
“He does,” she said in a sensual voice.
“Maybe we can give him something to really be jealous about.” Fargus grabbed her by the waist and arranged her so she was sitting on his lap, facing Vade.
He hooked his legs inside hers and widened his stance, spreading her legs so wide that the slit in her dress exposed her underwear.
Fargus wrapped his arms around her and splayed his palms across her stomach, breathing softly against the crux of her neck.
Feeling more comfortable in her own skin than she ever had, the exposure of her body didn’t make Orelia shy away. She didn’t care who saw. After all, she’d never see these people again.
She turned her head and planted a firm kiss on Fargus’s lips. He tasted of smoke and liquor, oscillating between repulsive and sweet, but she wanted to give Vade something to agonize over. He plunged his tongue into her mouth, running his hands up her stomach and squeezing her breasts.
“I love a set of good tits. I especially like it when they barely fit in my hands.”
Orelia chuckled and let heavy eyes fall on Vade. The blonde on his lap looked around, twisting her hair, clearly bored. His nose crinkled with annoyance, hand firmly grasping his drink.
She smiled in return.
“I want to feel you.” Fargus dipped his fingers beneath her underwear and paused on her center. “Fucking hells, you’re dripping. Such a good little whore.”
The glass in Vade’s hand broke. Blood dripped from his palm, but he didn’t take his eyes off Orelia’s. The blonde jumped off him as the waitress from earlier rushed over and began picking up the pieces of glass.
To anger her arduous traveling companion further, Orelia wiggled, urging Fargus for more.
She pushed aside the repulsion at what he did and who he was.
She needed to be touched, even if it was by an asshole like him.
She let her mind go to a darker place where she imagined Vade lived constantly.
All that concerned her was getting a reaction from the man who looked like he wanted to kill her.
Orelia gasped, arching her back as Fargus pumped two fingers inside her.
When she moaned, Vade’s attention went to her exposed entrance.
His shoulders rapidly rose and fell, knuckles pure white, the chair arm groaning under his grip.
The blonde tried to sit back on his lap but he shooed her away, saying something over his shoulder.
Fargus squeezed her breast with his other hand. “I don’t think he likes seeing you with me.”
Orelia began rocking against his fingers, licking her bottom lip. If Vade wanted her to slip into a role, she’d do it, and she’d do it well. She kept her eyes on the man across the room. “I think if you fucked me on this table right now he might really start to hate you.”
Vade growled.
The dealer dealt another round of cards, and Fargus removed his fingers to look at his hand.
“Last round. Place your bets.”
Orelia convinced him to wager the majority of his money, licking a line up his neck when he pushed his fingers back inside her. “You’re a feisty little thing. I’m taking you home with me. I don’t care what your angry friend says.”
Vade played a hand, his nostrils flaring and skin flush. She’d never seen him so out of sorts.
Good.
“I want to know what this hole feels like.” Fargus removed his fingers and trailed them over her thigh, skirting around to her ass.
Orelia started to panic, her lust disappearing. She didn’t want him there. Fargus held her tightly to him, covering her necklace with his forearm.
Her heart started beating erratically. She couldn’t reach her emerald. Trying not to make a scene, she locked eyes with Vade, hoping he could sense her silently struggling.
Fargus slipped his wet fingers between her ass cheeks, and Orelia was about to tell him to ‘stop’ when a cool sensation brushed over her backside. She waited for his fingers to penetrate her, but there was nothing.
“What in the hells?” Fargus shifted and thrust his arm forward like he was trying to shove his fingers inside her ass.
The cool touch blocked him, and Orelia looked down to see shadows slithering under the table.
“What is this?” Fargus fidgeted, seeming not to notice the coiling snakes of a Myrker’s power writhing near his feet.
“Get off of me, you sorceress!” Fargus shot to standing and shoved her off him.
Vade was up in a flash, spinning Orelia around so her back was against his front. He wrapped his arms around her, covering her chest. His chin brushed her temple as he said, “She is not a sorceress, but she is mine. And you’re done playing with her.”
Fargus pointed a finger at her and yelled something at the dealer, but Orelia couldn’t hear him over her heart pounding in her ears. Vade walked them backwards, righting her dress in the process, before sitting in his chair.
Orelia resumed her place on his lap, instantly returning to a comfortable position. She curled into him and spoke into his ear, head turned away from the table. “Thank you.”
Vade held her close. A shadow curled around her ankle under the table, offering a reassuring touch. Orelia draped her arms around his neck, and when her eyes met his, she let her apology shine through.
Vade had never looked angrier.
“She is a sorceress! Something stopped my hand!”
“Shut up and sit down, Fargus. Stop talking nonsense.” Egan rolled his eyes and downed his drink.
“I know you did something, sorceress, and I’ll find out what it was.”
“I won,” Vade said with cool indifference.
Fargus looked at the table, shock widening his eyes. He snarled at Orelia. “You two were working together on this. You made me bet higher knowing he’d win, didn’t you, whore? You cheated!” He stormed toward them, and Vade shot up, putting Orelia behind him.
The shadows in the room darkened. Vade’s anger was palpable, and she’d gotten so used to its weight that she’d forgotten how imposing it could be when he was well and truly angry. “Stand down,” the fae said calmly.
Fargus got in his face, but Vade had at least three inches on him. “Or what?” Fargus taunted. “I have very powerful friends, and I will find out how you cheated. Then you’ll be sorry you ever fucked with me. Do you even know who I am?”
She knew Vade was smirking, though she stayed rooted behind him. “I know exactly who you are.”
“You can’t cheat in Devil’s Reap, Fargus. Just accept that you lost and be done with it,” Riata said.
“Quiet, you red bitch,” Fargus snapped.
Orelia peeked around Vade to see the golden man’s hands were balled into fists.
Batalins appeared from the shadows. “Is there a problem here?” one of them asked in a voice almost too deep to sound real.
Orelia pressed herself to Vade’s back. He reached a hand around and rested it on her hip, guarding her from the side.
“No problem. Isn’t that right, Fargus?” Vade asked, arrogance lacing each word.
After a few seconds of silence, Fargus retrieved what little money he’d won off the table, snapped his fingers at the blonde he came with, and the two left the gambling den.
“Lovely time as always,” Riata said flatly, gathering her chips.
Viktor and Egan did the same, grimacing at the obscenely large pile of chips in front of Vade’s place.
Riata tipped her drink to him. “Congratulations. It was nice to see someone beat that asshole, even if it did mean taking my money with it.”
Vade gave her a weak acknowledgement. The dealer tossed him a large purse, and he filled the bag with his winnings. When he was finished, and the others had done the same, they were ushered past another curtain and led into a narrow hallway.
Orelia stuck to Vade’s side as he let the others pass, keeping his focus on Egan. They came to the end of the hall and were greeted with a steel door with a pair of eyes peeking out a small window.
“Drop it in the slot,” a mysterious voice from behind the door said.
The other players and their companions talked amongst themselves as their chips were exchanged for coin, with Orelia and Vade being the last in line. She wasn’t sure if she still needed to play the part, but she sidled up to Vade and wrapped an arm around his waist.