Page 151 of Wicked Empire (Knight's Ridge Empire 3)

CHAPTERTHIRTY-ONE

Sebastian

My phone ringing somewhere in the flat drags my attention from my girl sleeping in my arms.

I took her again against the wall in our huge walk-in shower, and then again, only slower, after I lowered her to our bed.

I didn’t want to fuck her in there the first time. I wanted to take my time, savour her, show her just how fucking incredible she was.

And after I made her come another handful of times, she curled up on my chest, her hair still wet from our shower, and passed the fuck out.

I got it. I was fucking exhausted too after the past twenty-four hours. But I was still buzzing. The memories of our place going up, the fresh images of Stella delivering our message fucking perfectly to the Reapers, concern over what Theo went back for, and how Toby and the others got on stop me from relaxing at all, even after all those releases.

Slipping out from beneath her, I silently pad across the room in search of the noise.

I find my phone still in my trousers pocket on the kitchen floor.

Pulling it out, I stare at the island with a smile on my lips.

Fuck, she looked insane laid out on there, waiting for me.

My cock swells just from the memory, although that high soon dies a little when I see Theo’s name lighting up my screen.

“Hey, bro. How’d it go?” I ask the second the call connects.

“Yeah, it’s good. Dad’s got Jonas. Stubborn fuck isn’t talking, so he’s giving him a little time to think about his actions.” I can’t help but smile at the amusement in Theo’s tone.

“How’s Tobes?” I ask, knowing that it’s going to be one of the first things Stella is going to want to know when she wakes up.

“He’s good. Little fucker is drowning in bloodlust right now.”

“Good. Tell him to make it fucking hurt.”

“Don’t worry. He’s well on board with the plan. How’s Stella?”

“She’s good, man. I’ve been… taking her mind off it all.”

He scoffs, and I can imagine him shaking his head.

“Of course you have. I wouldn’t expect anything else from you two. Keep an eye on her though, bro. Remember your first kill?” he asks. The image of the first life I took slams into me and a shudder runs down my spine. I was so young. Too fucking young. It wasn’t just the lying cunt at the other end of my gun who died that day; so did the shreds of my innocence I was still holding onto. I never really got a chance to be a kid, but that moment, that was the final straw. The day I became a man. I just needed my body to catch up with my mind.

“Yeah, like it was yesterday. I’ve got this. She’s gonna be good.”

“I know. She’s a fucking goddess.”

I scoff.

“I’m going nowhere near her, man. Don’t start on that bullshit. Unless of course… you’re not man enough.”

“You fucking well know I am. So are you—” I’m about to ask if he’s gonna go and find a willing girl to celebrate with tonight when a blood-curdling scream fills the flat. “Fuck. I gotta go.”

“Go be with her,” I hear Theo say before I cut the call and run through our new home.

I don’t slow as I get to the bedroom door and fly into the room, but the sight before me stops me in my tracks.

Stella is sitting in the middle of the bed, her arms wrapped around her legs, her entire body trembling as silent tears stream down her cheeks.

“Stella, baby,” I whisper, not wanting to startle her if she hasn’t heard me.