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Now with Kat, I was further reminded of the pain and guilt I carried for my sins.

“Cut me,Katze.” I grit my teeth, suddenly okay with the idea that she would be the one to end me. She had every right to. “If you are going to do it…” I grabbed her wrist with my free hand, pushing it harder against my throat. “Then do it.”

She swallowed, her chest rising and lowering rapidly, not moving a muscle while fire danced behind her eyes. The desire to watch me bleed out was written on her features. “What did I teach you?” I regripped her arm, more blood trickling down to my chest. “If you hesitate…” My fingers pressed down hard on her tendons, weakening her hold. In a blink, I whipped her around me, her ass slamming into my cock, my hand forcing hers to hold the knife against her own neck, my mouth skimming the back of her ear. “You die.”

She let out a gasp, a shiver running violently through her. Everything right and wrong slipped away, my body reacting to the feel of her. Her tank had pushed up, and my cock nestled against the seam of her ass.

Fuck.

Lust washed over me like lava, scorching through me until I couldn’t think. I went still because, with only onetinymotion, I would be inside her. I knew how fucked up and wrong that was, but my cock ached to move, to thrust into her pussy and take everything out on her, letting her punish me back.

She remained still, our chests heaving together in a static frenzy. I could feel her heat pulling me in like magic, her wetness, and I struggled to keep from acting on my desires, which was rare for me lately.

Since Lexie, I had felt nothing. Even with some woman wrapping her mouth around my dick or riding me, nothing ebbed the pain. Filled the hole in my chest. Brought me back to life.

“Captain,” a voice bellowed. Scot pushed through my door, half-dressed, a gun in his hand. Vane was right behind him, his eyes black and blue, nose crusted with blood. Weaponless.

Scot came to a stop, his eyes widening at the scene before him. Then his shoulders eased, his head shaking like he expected this. Vane almost looked like he was ready to collapse with relief.

“Captain—”

“Vane, shut the fuck up,” I muttered, not moving an inch from her. They could see I was naked, but from this angle, they couldn’t tell I was about an inch from sliding into her. With the way Vane and Scot both looked at her, I wanted to do it. To fuck her in front of them. Bury inside her and release.

Marking her.

As if she could feel my thoughts, sense the alpha need in me, a puff of air only I could hear hit the back of her throat, her muscles quivering against me.

What the fuck are you doing? Get your dick away from her. She’s Rotty’s kid!

Sucking in, I pulled away. My blade was still against her neck, but I wasn’t pressed into her.

“Sir, I’m sorry. I was just going to let her go to the bathroom.”

“Vane, I’m about to use this knife on you,” I growled, my cock angry, craving to settle back into her heat.

The faster I got this girl off this ship and away from me, the better.

“Scot, take her back to the brig.” I lifted the knife, pushing her toward him. Everything changed in a beat. Twirling around, Kat wrapped her foot around my calf, whipping me off my feet. My ass hit the wood with a thud, the knife falling from my fingers. The tiny girl leaped onto me, snatching up the weapon. I sucked in as her bare, wet pussy slid down my torso, making me groan. She pointed her father’s blade right at my heart.

In a blink, her body went up, hissing and clawing at the air as Scot lifted her off me. The blade clanked next to me.

“I will fucking kill you, Croygen, for what you’ve done!” she bellowed, thrashing in Scot’s grip, trying to get back to me. “I will slice your throat, dagger your heart, and then eat it like catnip!”

Dragged kicking and floundering, her hollers echoed back to me all the way from the belly of the ship.

“See?” Vane exclaimed. “She’s a lot more powerful than she looks.”

“Vane.” I clenched my jaw, staring at the ceiling. “Get. The. Fuck. Out. Now.”

Vane reacted instantly, hustling through my door, giving me a moment.

I continued to lay still. My mind and body were at war. Taking in a deep breath, I tried to rein in my emotions. To get a grip on myself.

Kat had almost skewered my heart… And I had never been harder than I was right now.

Centuries earlier, I had ordered Katrina off my ship because she was starting to wreak havoc with my crew.

It seems nothing had changed.