Page 207 of Conquered

Here’s hoping we have long enough spoons.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

LILLY

The winter chill hits my skin, goosebumps pebbling all over my arms and back as I take Loki’s hand, and he leads me up the front steps. They look like marble, grey veins running through them until they have the appearance of bone in the moonlight. When we reach the top, the devil himself is there to greet us, columns of marble on either side of him.

“Welcome to Vanderbilt Manor,” Julian welcomes me, all charm and lethal smiles, his hands outstretched to encompass the grand home behind him.

The mansion reaches up so high that I can’t see the top and is made from the same bone coloured marble. It stretches either side of us, seeming to disappear into the distance, it’s that vast. I can appreciate the beauty in its history, but it’s austere, all hard lines and harsh decoration. There’s nothing soft and welcoming here.

He walks towards me, stepping right into my personal space, his hand going around my waist as he tries to pull me away fromLoki, who keeps a firm grasp of my hand. I shiver, and not from the cold when his thumb traces the bare skin at my back.

“Exquisite, as always, Darling,” he whispers against my cheek, placing a soft kiss there that leaves bile in my throat. I don’t know if I misheard, or if he purposefully left off the ‘Miss,’ but I’ve never disliked my surname before now. He cheapens it, making it sound like an endearment he has not, will not, earn the right to use.

His lips linger on my cheek for a second too long, his hand too, before he steps away and frowns down at Loki’s hand, still clutching mine as he steps forward beside me, Jax coming up on my other side. They encase me in their scents, vanilla and citrus, lending me the strength to shake off Julian’s inappropriate touch.

“Boys,” he says dispassionately, nodding at them both. “Shall we?” Holding out one arm, he indicates that we follow him as he heads inside, a butler closing the door softly behind us.

The grand entrance hall is huge, but dark despite all of the lights, of which there seem to be hundreds. The walls are painted a deep navy, adding to the dark and gloomy feel, and huge portraits of presumably the Vanderbilt ancestors line the walls. The floors are black and white chequered marble, and there’s a double staircase, also in marble, leading to the next floor. We pass by several dark wood doors, all closed, and although there must be heating somewhere for the air feels warm, shivers climb up and down my body at the coldness of the interior. There’s no life here, only pictures of the long dead.

Julian stops in front of a set of wooden doors, which open from the inside as if by magic, although as we pass through, I see more liveried servants. We enter a vast dining room, panelled in dark wood with more portraits lining the walls and a huge marble fireplace on one wall.

An impossibly long table sits in the middle of the room, lit candelabras along its centre, and sparkling glasses, plates, and silverware in front of each chair. It looks as though we are the last to arrive, as most of the chairs at the far end are full with whom I assume are the guys’ parents and members of Black Knight Corporation. Everyone looks up as we enter, and I find myself wanting to shift under their scrutiny. Julian leads us past the empty chairs, stopping in front of the head of the table.

I find Kai sitting ramrod straight next to an older, distinguished looking gentleman, with salt and pepper hair and a very eighties moustache.Gross. Kai’s honey eyes are dark, and when he meets mine, it takes everything in me not to react. Not to run to him and drag him away, never to return. He has the look of a man who is drowning, desperate for air but unable to reach the surface. My hand tightens on Loki’s, and he follows my gaze, a frown drawing his perfect brows together.

“Lilly, may I introduce Stephen Matthews, Kai’s uncle,” Julian says, and I look to the side, finding eyes similar to Kai’s staring back at me. “He stepped up when Kai’s parents tragically lost their lives in that fatal car accident, all those years ago.”

Stephen nods his head, his eyes devoid of...anything. There’s no warmth there, or even dislike. There’s nothing, and I feel cold all over. It’s like being stared at by a shark who doesn’t care if you live or drown in the watery depths.

“A pleasure,” he says, his voice a cruel hard thing that sends unwelcome shivers over my skin.

“P–pleased to meet you,” I manage to murmur, taking a deep inhale when I feel Jax stroke my free hand, stepping up close behind me.

“Loki, Jax, you know where your seats are. I can show Lilly to hers,” Julian says, his tone curt and expression pinched.

Loki reluctantly lets my hand go, my fingers feeling bereft as he leaves me with a look full of worry. He goes to sit next toKai, a beautiful woman with the same auburn hair tumbling over her shoulders, sitting on Loki’s other side. I can see his features reflected in hers, although where Loki is warm and inviting, hers is a cruel beauty, sharp and unforgiving. She must be his mother, and on her other side is a blond man, with the same emerald eyes as Loki. They look me over, undressing me, and his tongue darts out over his lips as if he likes what he sees.

I can’t suppress the shudder as Julian introduces us.

“This is Chad and Rebecca Thorn, Loki’s parents.”

“A pleasure, Miss. Darling,” Chad says, his voice low like Loki’s but lacking the sensuality of his son’s timbre.

“Lovely to finally meet you, Lilly. I can call you Lilly, can’t I?” Rebecca says, her voice sugary sweet, but like Snow White’s apple, there’s poison lurking in the depths.

“Of course, Rebecca,” I smile saccharinely back, having to suppress the chuckle at the way she flinches and narrows her eyes when I use her Christian name. “Nice to meet you, Chad,” I add, hating the oily feeling that slivers over my skin when he hears his own given name from my lips.Fucking Chad.

I look over when I hear a chair scrape on the marble floor, to see Jax sitting next to a tiny blonde woman. She looks up at him with such love and sorrow in her eyes that it takes my breath away. He looks down and gives her an affectionate smile, taking her hand and kissing the back of it sweetly.

“Rafe and Jannet Griffiths, Jax’s parents,” Julian continues, leaving the top of the table and stepping next to me, taking my elbow. My heart rate kicks up a notch, knowing that I’m in the hands of a predator, but I shake my head when Jax looks ready to get up and knock Julian the fuck out.

“So, you’re the cunt leading all our boys around by their dicks?” I hear a gruff voice say, and my head turns sharply to see a guy of similar, if slightly smaller, build to Jax; basically hugeand hulk-like, sitting next to Jax. I don’t miss Jax’s mum flinch at his crude words or Jax’s growl.

“That’s me,” I smile sweetly at him. “You must be the pathetic excuse of a man who beats his wife and child to make up for his micro penis.” I hold his gawking glare, even as his face goes an unhealthy shade of purple, and I hear Loki covering up a bark of laughter with a cough.

“Why, you little bitch!” Rafe roars, shooting up from his seat, as if to make his way over to me, but Jax gets to his feet as well.