She presses the knife to his chest, her hand shaking, her voice steel. “Did you rape her?”
He freezes, his eyes going to me, then back to her. “No, no, of course not,” he cries, but that hesitation is enough, I see her stiffen.
She digs the knife in deeper, her hand steady now. “Do not lie to me, or I’ll let him do whatever he wants until you tell him the truth.”
Fuck, my cock twitches in my jeans, and I debate palming it. Watching her hold that knife…having her in my den, joining in. It’s doing things to me.
“I-I—she asked for it!” he screams. “Walking around in those little undies, teasing me—”
His voice cuts off in a shriek as Roxy yells and slices down his chest. Stepping back, chest heaving, eyes hard and angry, she tosses me the knife. I catch it mid-air, making sure to grab the sharp end so it cuts my hand to match hers. “Do whatever you want to the bastard, make it hurt.”
“Yes, Little Bird, whatever you want,” I purr, as she hops up on a counter at the back, swinging her legs as she watches me. I step back to the man. She said make it hurt. I can do that. Continuing what I started, I flip the blade and catch it with my damaged hand, pressing it to his skin in one smooth move.
I slice off one nipple without warning and toss it away, grab my lighter, heat the blade and, as he screams, press it to his flesh. The smell of sizzling meat wafts to me before I do the same to the other one. He slumps then, passing out, so I wait for him to wake up. It’s no fun when they aren’t awake.
“You do this a lot.”
I look over at my little bird. “It’s my job.”
“A killer?” she inquires, not judging, I think, just trying to understand.
Wiping my blade, I nod. “We all have our roles. It’s what makes us so good—we each know our place and have our strengths.”
“Will you tell me?” she asks.
“I could, it’s not like you can tell anyone, but, Little Bird, what’s it worth?” I purr.
She swallows. “I thought gambling and bets was Kenzo’s department?”
Ah, Little Bird sees more than they think, I knew it. Heading her way, I lean against the cupboard and pin her there with my arms on either side of her. Even in this blood-soaked room, with a man hanging from chains behind me, her eyes dilate. Little Bird wants this, wants me, wants to be free, even if she doesn’t realise it.
“It is, but it doesn’t mean I won’t make a deal with you for information. After all, I do work to get just that,” I whisper, wanting to taste her more than I want to take my next breath.
Her eyes flicker between mine as she debates her next words. “Promise you won’t hurt me?”
I laugh. “No, I won’t ever promise that. I might hurt you, I might even kill you one day, but we both know that’s where the attraction is. You’re walking a blade’s edge, pretty little bird, and one day, you might just slip, but wouldn’t the fall be worth it?”
I can hear the hammering of her heart as her eyes drop to my lips. “Fine, what do you want in exchange?”
“Your surrender,” I growl. “I know there is a wild one inside you, like me, just waiting to be set free. I noticed it in your eyes the first time I saw you. You will do anything to survive, like us. You’re more like us than you can imagine. You see the darkness, and you walk that line, one foot in and one foot out. Put both feet in, Little Bird, this is your world now. Filled with bloodshed and snakes. You want something, then take it. Do whatever the fuck you want, Little Bird, because the rest of the world does.”
“That’s-that’s what you want?” she snaps. “Me to be like you?”
“No, for you to be yourself, the one you hide, even from you. But today, today I will take something smaller. A kiss, Little Bird. Kiss me, and I’ll tell you what you want to know,” I murmur, watching those lips.
“You swear?” She sighs.
“Every day.” I smirk.
“Fuck, okay.” She jerks her head forward and kisses me, hard and quick, before pulling away. “Tell me.”
“What was that?” I laugh. “A real kiss, Little Bird, like you mean it.”
She snarls, getting annoyed now, her irritation overruling her fear of me. Her hand comes out and grips my shoulder, dragging me closer as she slams her lips to mine. It’s hard, angry, and hateful. At my forcing her, no doubt, but she always had a choice, and she chose.
She chose me.
She tastes like sweetness and life, she’s oh so fucking alive. Electricity arcs between our lips, her denial and my lust mingling with our breaths. Gripping the back of her head, I drag her closer, my hand tangling in her silky silver hair. I press my teeth to her lips until she opens enough to let me slip my tongue inside. She gasps and pushes closer, loving it even as she fights me.
Her body quivers against me, my cock so hard, I feel like I’m about to explode just from a kiss alone. She moans, a breathy little sound that goes straight to my cock. The sound seems to snap her out of it, but I refuse to let her go. I force my tongue deeper, dominating her mouth, marking her lips, bruising them. Taking what I want.
She gets angry, and starts slapping and clawing at my bare shoulders with her tiny kitten claws. She can do better. I saw her take down Garrett. She wants me to stop? Then I want to see that Roxy. Tugging her closer, I press my hardness between her legs, and she freezes before her fighting gets worse. Grinning against her mouth, I kiss her harder. “You can do better than that, Little Bird,” I murmur, before biting down on her bottom lip.
She groans and slaps me. The sound is loud in the room as my head whips to the side. My eyes wild, chest heaving, and cock hard, I slowly look back at her. She’s got wide eyes again, but her bruised, raw lips tip up in a smirk, one I return. “You’re getting there, Little Bird. Soon, you will be free.” A groan comes from behind me as the man wakes up. “Until then, ask away.”
“Tell me what everyone’s job is,” she demands, her voice husky as her tongue slips out and tastes her lips, making me grunt.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I snarl.
“Like what?” she questions, tilting her head.
“Like you want to eat me, so fucking hungry,” I snap.
“You taste like fire,” she whispers, and then sucks in a breath. “Tell me, I paid up, now it’s your turn,” she retorts, angry at herself for getting into that position. For letting herself enjoy it.
Poor Little Bird has no idea how much she’s going to enjoy what else is to come between us.