Tragic King (The Dominant Bastard Duology 2)

“Do you talk to me the way you’d talk to other men, Mr. Solis?”

“No, Sir. My apologies.”

Severin bit Rodrigo’s bottom lip hard enough to make him grunt, then slapped his balls. Rodrigo’s handsome face contorted with pain, but he didn’t cry out or swear. His expression alone was enough to make Severin’s dick hard.

“So my brother has been actively trying to seduce you both, and neither of you told me.”

“Yes, Severin,” Rodrigo admitted, not meeting his gaze.

“I didn’t want to ruin things between you.” Minnow shifted on the counter and the gap between her socks and her skirt hem displayed his brand of ownership on her thigh. “But yes, it’s true.”

Severin rose and began to slowly pace.

Fuck. If Loïc was being pushy with his submissives, what was he supposed to do? He didn’t want to toss the stupid kid out on his ear – he didn’t have anyone else in the world, except their sisters, who wouldn’t give him the time of day – but he also didn’t want him thinking he’d excuse this ongoing crusade to either insinuate himself into their relationship, or steal his lovers. For his own peace of mind and Loïc’s safety, either he had to send his submissives away, or send his brother away.

“You two are moving to Rodrigo’s until I get Loïc settled somewhere else,” he said finally. It would be good for Minnow to be closer to town anyway, right? She was always stuck at the house with him, and she was too loyal to admit she felt trapped. Maybe Rodrigo could take her on his next trip to Europe or something. She’d probably like that even if she objected.

“What?” Rodrigo said, his dark eyes troubled.

“No!” Minnow shouted, her tone bolder than a submissive’s should be. “No! You don’t get to run us off because this is awkward for you. Who’s going to cook and clean and take care of you? I need to be close to you.” She shook her head. “Absolutely not. This is exactly why I didn’t fucking tell you.” She slid off the counter and stormed over to him and shoved him with both hands, not that it budged him. “You’ve been trying to get rid of me since the day we met, and I’m not fucking going!” She made an adorable sound of rage and kicked his shin. Her socked foot was no match for the leather of his work boot.

He caught a handful of her hair and forced her to her knees too. “If you want to disagree with me, Miss Korsgaard, you’d damn well better use prettier words.”

“I –” Her breath caught and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Please don’t send me away, Master.”

“You’re being melodramatic, Miss Korsgaard. You’ll be fine. It’s not for long, and I think it’s best for not only you and Rodrigo, but for Loïc. If I can give him my undivided attention and get him moved somewhere and settled in his relationship with me, maybe he’ll feel better.”

“You said I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere without you,” Minnow whispered, her fingers on her collar. “Now you’re just sending us away like it’s no big deal. So what? It’s a big deal unless you decide it isn’t? That’s not how rules are supposed to work.”

“He wants us out of here because he’s jealous. He doesn’t want Loïc lusting after you just in case you choose him instead.”

Severin’s anger flared at Rodrigo’s words. He wasn’t wrong, but it wasn’t polite for him to point it out.

“You didn’t see wh

at I just saw, Rodrigo. I’m worried that maybe she’s not safe. I can’t guarantee they’ll never end up alone together again. I can’t supervise every interaction. I mean... I don’t think he’d do anything violent, but do we really know him? I’d send him away without hesitation, but he’s my brother even if he is a stranger, and he seems to be in a bad place right now.” As it was, he was itching to go check on him. Visions of Loïc’s limp body dangling from a noose in the foyer came to mind.

“Severin, I think Miss Korsgaard needs reassurance.” Rodrigo was glaring at him and subtly jerked his head toward her.

All of the emotions in the room were making him uncomfortable and he wished he could retreat to his forge and not talk to anyone for a few days. One by one, people were adding themselves to his formerly solitary life whether he wanted them to or not. They all wanted more than he had to give. He didn’t have good words to reassure people with, and he knew how to take care of Minnow after he’d beaten her now, but dealing with hurt feelings wasn’t within his realm of expertise.

“Take care of her, Mr. Solis.”

He strode from the kitchen as if it was on fire and, like a fucking coward, went to work on a bike.

Chapter Eight

Minnow woke to a series of tiny kisses making a shivery trail over her lower back. Sunlight filtered through her eyelids, bathing her mind in a warm orange glow. She stretched, every sore muscle and bruise reminding her of the night before.

The smile that had hovered on her lips died.

The night before, Severin had moved her and Rodrigo to Ro’s house. They’d had an amazing, orgasm-filled evening, but then he’d ridden his motorcycle off into the night, leaving her at her new home, with her new master. He hadn’t said the words, but she understood what it all meant.

The kisses trailed along her back were sweet and made her stomach tighten with need. She’d cried herself to sleep in Rodrigo’s arms, and he’d stayed with her through all of it, reassuring her when she knew he was probably feeling the exact same way. Fucking abandoned.

His mouth down to her ass, and even though she didn’t want to respond to his slow seduction, her body was far too familiar with the pleasure he could bring. Goose bumps rose on her skin, tightening her nipples and raising the hair on the back of her neck. She made a plaintive sound, but he spread her legs and his fingers found her pussy slick and ready despite herself.

He chuckled. “You can keep pretending you’re asleep, but your breathing is too erratic for me to believe it.” He turned her over.