Page 48 of Scarlet Mark

“Nikolai?” I repeated.

“One of my best friends.” His lips curled. “Another Cavalieri. He’s the only one helping with some of the items on our list.”

I frowned. “Which ones?”

“The two campaign donors who have homes in Florida—Davidson and Kirpatrick.”

My blood ran cold at the mention of two of Malcom’s best friends. They’d been there my first night. The one where… where I became acquainted with Malcom for the first time.

It was Kirpatrick who had finally broken me.

Bile rose in my throat at the thought, my body turning to ice.

Killian laid his too-hot palm over mine and brought my hand up to his mouth for a kiss. “They’ll never touch you again, Amara,” he murmured. “And trust me, Nikolai and Ava will be sure to make it hurt.”

I swallowed, my heart thundering in my ears. Not just from the memory, but also from the realization that we were doing this. That Killian was really helping me.

No one had helped me before.

Everyone just used me.

I didn’t know how to accept this, how to process the feelings behind it. It wasn’t completely for me, but a form of revenge for Killian, too. He wanted to destroy Malcom for trying to kill him. I understood that.

Yet, somehow, this had become deeper.

Because Killian made me add Clarissa and Geoff, and all their known associates, to our list. And none of them bore value to his ultimate goal, because Malcom’s ties to the auction circuit were minimal, me being the only link.

Which meant Killian only intended to kill them all as a way to seek justice.

For me.

And for the multitude of lives they’d ruined.

He kissed my hand again before releasing me in favor of the gearshift. “We have dinner plans at eight near Raoul’s expected location. I want to take a walk around the area, survey the security and whatnot. Tomorrow, the fun starts.”

“Fun,” I repeated. “Right.”

He chuckled. “You’ll see, kitten.”

I just shook my head. Him and that nickname. I wouldn’t tell him that I liked it. That it turned me on every time he used it. That I dreamed of him whispering that endearment in my ear after giving me a crude command.

Suck my cock, kitten.

Ride me, kitten.

Mmm, I’m going to devour that sweet cunt, kitten. Make you scream for hours.

My thighs clenched, the need coursing through me a cruel taunt. I’d never wanted a man like I wanted Killian. And he seemed to be enjoying torturing me as a result.

Maybe I just needed to jump him.

Take off all my clothes and demand he fuck me.

I knew how to seduce a man, so why was Killian so different?

Because you like him, my mind whispered.

I growled in response, irritated.That should make this easier, not harder.