Iniquitous (The Marked #3)(11)

And I did.

With flesh and blood aplenty.



I was taken to Engel in a near unconscious state. I couldn't see my face or my back but I knew from the agonizing pain shooting from both of them that Damon and his medieval bat had done a number on me. I could barely see through my left eye and I was almost certain my ribs had been broken.

“You're late,” said Engel as my two guards dragged me into the atrium where Engel had been expecting me twenty minutes earlier.

I lifted my head to speak, but groaned from the throbbing ache that was pounding the back of my head.

“What the hell is the meaning of this?” asked Engel, rising from his chair as he inspected me. His brows were pulled together in a point and his eyes were hard and narrowed. He didn't look pleased.

“She attacked us, boss. Pulled my knife right out of my pocket. Damon took care of her.”

Dominic shifted his weight, almost like a twitch, but he caught himself before Engel could notice.

“You did this?” asked Engel, his eyes snapping to Damon.

“Yes, Sire.” That smug, pleased expression he had earlier when he was beating me three licks away from my death had all but disappeared. Now, he was just a little lackey, cowering before his boss. Sire. Whatever.

My gaze shifted back to Dominic as I clutched my ribs and struggled to breath. His expression was taut, mouth pinched as though he were working hard to keep himself contained.

My eyes settled on his mouth, his fangs, and I longed for him with every fiber of my broken being. I wasn't sure I'd ever longed for anything more in my entire life. The pain in my body was insufferable, vomit-inducing, but I knew he could make it all go away with just one touch…one moment…one kiss of death.

And I needed it. Now more than ever.

“Who gave you permission?” bellowed Engel, pulling my attention back to the scene unfolding before me. He was walking towards us now, heading straight for Damon.

“Sire, I—”

“You were told to bring her to me, nothing more and nothing less. You dare defy me in my own home? To take it upon yourself to punish my guests?”

Did he just call me his guest? Oh my God, he really was demented.

“Sire, I just thought—”

“You’re not here to think, you fool. You’re here to do as you’re told!” roared Engel as his arm swooshed by my right ear in a near undetectable blur, leaving nothing but a gust of wind in its wake.

I had no idea what had happened until Damon's decapitated body slumped to the floor beside me, his head tumbling down next to it a second later as blood sprayed out at me from the tangle of severed arteries.

Holy freaking shit!

A deafening shrill tore from my body as I scrambled back into Maz. He moved right along with me, still squeezing my arm like a vise as we scrambled away from the line of fire. He seemed to be hiding behind me—probably terrified that he was going to be next.

“Settle down, child,” said Engel, his tone flat and uninspired as though annoyed by my outburst. Apart from the slight irritation in his voice, he was as calm as a freaking clam—obviously the makings of a total psychopath. “It's all over now.”

Oh yeah, sure. Unfortunately, my pounding heart didn’t get the memo.

“As for the rest of you,” he continued, facing his hive of undead as he casually walked back to his seat like he hadn't just beheaded someone with his bare hands. “Let this be a lesson to you. There is only room for one king in this castle.”

His minions were awestruck and silent. The sound of it, or lack thereof, seemed to invigorate Engel.

“Bring her to me,” said Engel to Maz as he began unbuttoning his blood-soaked jacket.

Horrified, my eyes shot back to Dominic, pleading with him to do something.

“Boss,” interrupted Dominic as Engel carefully removed his jacket and lay it over the armrest of his chair.

“What is it, Dominic?”

“I was just thinking that it might be beneficial to give the girl a night of rest. Some sort of...peace offering.”

“And why would I do that?” he asked, curiosity coloring his eyes.

“May I?” asked Dominic, motioning that he wanted to approach him.

Engel nodded and Dominic quickly knelt down to whisper something privately in his ear.

At that point, I was sure the entire room of Revs could hear my heart slamming against my ribcage as I wondered what the heck Dominic was saying to him. After a short stint of silence, Engel nodded again.

Okay. A nod. That had to be good thing, right?

“I knew there was a reason I liked you,” grinned Engel.

Oh, God. So NOT a good thing. What kind of diabolical idea had Dominic just put in his head? I was so going to kill him when this was all over and done with.

“Maz, resume your post. Dominic will take over for Damon.” His eyes shifted back to Dominic. “Accompany her and do not let her out of your sight under any circumstance.”

“It would be my pleasure.”

“And I’m sure I don't have to remind you about the rules regarding my property?” added Engel over his shoulder.

“Certainly not. I heard you loud and clear, boss,” nodded Dominic before crossing the room to me.

My body quickly responded with heat and anticipation.

“Good.” Engel's eyes crawled back to mine. “Enjoy your night off, Princess.”