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Azriel rose to his feet, and Mr Fisher quickly did the same.

“I think this meeting is over,” Azriel said sternly, extending a hand to Mr Fisher. “My stepmother, as you see, is somewhat overwhelmed.”

“I do not see why.” Mr Fisher shook Azriel’s hand and looked down at me. “I can see how fond you are of her, surely you will not let her starve.” He leaned in, giving Azriel a wink. “One hundred pounds a year, sir. Mark my words, a single woman has no need for anything more than that. In fact, it would be an extremely generous endowment.”

“Yes, thank you.” He gestured to the door with an open hand. “Please, let me escort you out.”

I heard their voices outside the door, more vile laughter from the filthy weasel Fisher, and then finally there were footsteps, and Azriel reappeared in the room.

I rose to my feet, seized by a desire to see blood, his blood, spilled all over the floor.

“You knew.”

Azriel shook his head. “No.”

“Liar.”

“I did not know.”

“Liar!” I picked up a vase from the table beside me and flung it across the room at him. It missed him by two feet, smashing into pieces on the floor. “You knew! That is whyyou were so self-assured! Because you knew that no matter what I agreed to, I’d be bound to you anyway!”

“I did not know, and it would not have changed anything for me.” He strode across the room, grabbing me by the waist and pulling me to him. “You are mine, Evie, and no matter what has happened today, you will always be mine.”

I shoved my full weight against his chest, fighting him off. “Get away from me!”

His hand clawed around my jaw, pushing my head back as he leered down at me. “My father was nothing but a self-serving liar. I hated him as much as you did. He would have told your father anything to have you.”

“Let go of me!” I struggled against him, my face aching as he continued to hold me in his grip.

“Do you regret using your little contraption?”

I stopped moving, staring up at him. “What are you talking about?”

“The douche, Evie.” He moved his face closer to mine, his breath skating across my lips. “My father may have been stupid but I am not. And I tell you now, if I find out you used that thing again, I will fucking sodomise you.”

I gasped, beating my hands against his chest. “Let go of me this instant!”

Azriel shoved me backwards, so I fell down against the chaise, his weight landing on top of me. With his whole body, he caged me in, my head caught at such an angle that I could not avoid his eyes.

“You do not wash me out of you, do you understand?” He shoved a hand underneath my skirts, and I was too shocked to stop him as he forced two fingers inside me. “This? This belongs to me. And I will breed you like a fucking brood mare as I see fit. Now, my little viper, have I made myself clear?”

“You want to bring children into this filth? Into thisdebauched, forsaken house?” I clenched my thighs together, squirming as I tried to escape his hand. “It is vile, Azriel. You are just like your father and will be just like him to any children we are cursed with!”

His eyes flared, yanking his hand from under my skirts to grip my throat. “I am not my father,” he growled. “I am nothing like him.”

I laughed spitefully in his face. “No, you are worse. At least my marriage to him was decent.”

“Decent?” Azriel laughed right back at me. “Oh Evie, there was nothing decent about that marriage besides your ability to lie back and take his pathetic attempts at fucking. That you did admirably.”

“It was at least a proper marriage!” I sucked in a breath as he squeezed my neck harder. “At least I could show my face, being his wife! As yours, I shall be shunned, and ruined.”

He lowered his mouth to my ear. “Then I shall be your ruin, beloved, and I shall enjoy nothing more than spoiling you for any other man who would dare look at you. Perhaps then you will understand that I am the only true thing you have in this world.”

He rose from me suddenly, straightening his jacket, watching me with open amusement as I frantically pulled my skirts back into place.

“You will have my child, Evie, I will make sure of it.”

“I would rather die.” I glared at him, smoothing my hands over my hair.