Chapter Seven Sanctum #4
He moved again, in between her breasts and splayed his fingers around her neck.
His large hand swarmed her and squeezed, not enough that it was painful.
Adan raised her chin as much as she could.
"She needs a strong handler, our king was more than happy to oblige."
His hand moved into her hair at her nape and forced her head back.
Lennox looked directing into Adan's mis-matched eyes, and she could have sworn she saw him wink before releasing her.
She was panting, not with lust but with rage.
"Maybe you could let me take her off your hands." Lennox levelled the Duke with a look of icy fury. "When you're done with her of course." He stumbled.
"She's mine." The words were nothing but lethal venom.
Deadly and accurate and final. The words of their Head of House--unyielding.
By the way they all bowed their heads, Adan knew they would comply.
The dominance in his voice was enough for Adan to sit up and listen—even so far as to think of willingly complying.
It was nothing like that kings compelling powers and she was not part of House Shadow.
The radiating heat of Lennox started to sear into her skin, though she did nothing to move from his hold.
"For now." Lennox's head snapped towards Ashburn.
"The whole court saw the king chain you two together to search for Captain Jax. The king will expect his bitch back once you succeed, or die trying."
Adan met his cold and calculating eyes, and did not balk.
She knew the king did not accept mistakes, let alone complete failures.
"Who knows where she might end next." He winked and it made Adan's skin crawl.
"Now is all that matters, tomorrow there are no guarantees."
Lennox hissed out the threat through grinding teeth.
He took the crumpled cards from Adan and tossed down his winning hand and rose from the table, taking Adan with him.
His arm still bound around her middle, keeping her close.
"Goodnight gentlemen, enjoy the table." The door to the exit opened, and the guard came inside, and this time, he stayed.
To watch those three men and their companions who were being left alone in his office.
He led her back out into the club, which had grown in size and sin. He didn't let go of her until he was helping her back into his carriage.
"Was that necessary?" She snapped the moment the assistant closed the door.
"We got what we needed, didn't we?" He glanced out the window.
"Which was what exactly?" She was fuming. She needed time to go over everything she had learned.
"Now we know why Jax is so valuable. If he has found a Phoenix, the king will stop at nothing to find him and them. It also means were not the only ones looking for him."
"I could have told you that. Besides, phoenixes haven't been seen in years, the last one died in his dungeons. He keeps their ashes, consuming them grants him a longer life. And If he were to be killed he would just be brought back with the use of those ashes.
There is no telling how many lives he has consumed over the years."
Adan could keep the distaste from her voice, the words tasted like ash in her mouth.
"Doesn't mean they didn't go into hiding, they are gifted with long life, and regenerative blood. Not to mention their ash. Like you said, it could bring anything back to life. And if what you're saying is true, the king could have infinite lives, if he had enough phoenixes."
"He did. Now he only has three jars left." There was a time when the king had hundreds. "How does this help us find Jax?" She crossed her arms over her chest, happy to have her coat back on.
"I needed to confirm what I assumed, and those three gossip mongers were the key. They would have solid sources, and they love to talk around beautiful woman." He eyed Adan up and down.
"You're a pig. For what you did in there. What you do. Who you are." She spat.
"And what is it that I do?" He asked, mischief sparkled in his eyes.
"You take advantage of woman, you lock them up and subject them to sexual slavery all while profiting off their suffering."
"I do all that? Wow, I've been rather busy lately."
He mocked, until his eyes narrowed to hard steel.
"I did not create the laws of Lymia. Do I capitalize on them? Yes. I won't deny that."
He snapped out, his hands formed a vice around Adan's neck.
Her hands went to his wrist, her nails drawing blood, He didn't even wince.
"I find it funny that you will make allowances for Czandra Belflore, but you see me as a wicked devil."
He pulled his hands away, and took the gold collar with him.
She hadn't even noticed what he was doing, and she couldn't look away from him.
She couldn't escape him in this small moving box, and his hands had just been all over her.
"You let those men—"
"What!?" He was losing a grip on his prescient control. "I let those men do what? Those were their women, that they purchased, and collared. I have no right to do anything when it comes to them. The same way, they would have no right to do anything to you. If you knew what they were thinking..."
"I can guess at what they were thinking, I know men like that. I'm not some simpering virgin, but how can you just look away from what goes on here?" Her face heated, and her blood was on fire.
"I do it for the same reasons that anyone here does anything in this town. For my fucking self. Are you really so different?" He levelled her a glare.
"I would never —"
"Czandra does, and you look away. Why?" But she couldn't answer that. The truth would kill hundreds, and doom even more. She would not damn them, and she could not trust Lennox with that truth.
"She's like a mother to me." Half-truth.
"Liar." He hissed. "Never lie to me again, love."
"Fuck you." She moved to hit him, and he grabbed her wrist mid-swing. "Let me go, and let me out. I'll walk." She tried to shake his grip free, but he wouldn't budge.
"In that outfit?" He raised a brow.
"I can handle myself."
"Clearly." He squeezed her wrist in emphasis.
"You stubborn, controlling—"
"Yes, and you're an arrogant, naive, hypocrite." He finally let go of her.
Adan silently seethed in her seat all the way back to the castle. It wasn't until they pulled up to the courtyard that Lennox offered, "need me to walk you to the door?" His chin rested on his hand and smirked as the carriage door opened.
She ignored the question, but gave out a threat of her own. "If you ever touch me like that again, I'll cut your balls off." She snatched her dagger off the seat before disappearing into the night.