The Skull King (Skull 1)

He hooked one leg out the window then looked back at me. He wore a thoughtful expression, as if he was considering saying something else before he left.

“What?” I whispered.

He held my gaze for several seconds, still thinking about his response. He made up his mind and didn’t say another word as he crawled through the window and disappeared into the night.

29

Balto

I sat on the couch in the living room with a glass of scotch in my hand.

It was one of the rare times I had a drink without actually drinking it. I kept staring at my cold fireplace, thinking about the revelation I still hadn’t accepted. The man I hated most was married to the woman I liked the most. It made fucking her more enjoyable because it was such a betrayal to that asshole.

But I also didn’t want her to fuck him anymore.

I came inside her so many times, but now the idea of him coming inside her afterward just pissed me off.

A man that pathetic didn’t deserve a woman like her.

Only I deserved her.

I didn’t mind taking my time with Lucian, forcing him to face public humiliation in the most torturous way possible, but now that Cassini was involved, it complicated things. It made me want to rush to the finish line. That way, I could kill him or order him around.

The fact that he was married to her only made me hate him more.

Fucking piece of shit.

I picked up my phone and called him. It rang several times before he finally answered.

“Who is this?” he barked, trying to sound like a man when he was nothing but a boy.

A man never asked who was on the other line. A man never cared enough to ask the question at all. “What have you decided?”

He must have recognized my voice or used common sense to figure out my identity. I was probably one of the few people in the world who would actually speak to him that way. “I’ve decided nothing.”

I wouldn’t give him any more time. He was only being brave because we were speaking on the phone and not in person. If only he knew I’d fucked his wife in her bed just a few nights ago. I’d have no problem sharing that information now—but I couldn’t risk her safety. “I’ll be at your place tonight at ten. Have your answer ready.”

“Step foot on my property—”

“And what?” I asked, amused. “Hire all the men you can find. But we both know it’ll never be enough.” If we met at a neutral location, he could have it wired with explosives. But meeting at his property ensured that wouldn’t happen. And I only gave him a few hours to prepare for the meeting. It wasn’t enough time to get much done. “We’ll have this conversation in the same place as last time—and I want your wife there.”

“She stays out of this—”

“Either she’s there, or I’ll make her be there.”

Lucian turned quiet.

“The Skull Diamond or the partnership. You’d better have an answer when I arrive.”

30

Cassini

I knew something serious was happening when the entire property was swarming with armed guards. There were at least double the number of men on duty.

Did that mean Lucian knew Balto had been here?

He hadn’t questioned me or punished me, so that seemed unlikely.

Lucian barged into my room without notice. It was the first time he’d acknowledged my existence in over a week. He hadn’t asked me to share meals with him or come to his bed. But now he seemed to have bounced back. “We have company coming tonight. I want you to look your best.”

“What kind of company?” Lucian never had people over. When he socialized, it was always outside the house.

“Just do as I ask.”

I wanted to slug him in the stomach every time he made a comment like that. “What time?”

“Ten.”

“Ten?” I asked in surprise, thinking that was oddly late to be having someone at the house.

“You heard me.” He turned back to the door.

“Anything else I need to know—”

“Just be ready and be quiet.”

I wore a backless black dress with heavy makeup. I had no idea what to expect, but I looked my best just as Lucian asked. I’d have to sit there during a business meeting and pretend to be the well-behaved wife even though that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Criminals always backstabbed each other, so why hadn’t someone backstabbed Lucian yet?

I wished Balto would kill him.

Before ten, I walked into the living room and spotted Lucian sitting at the table on the patio.

Maria noticed me. “His Grace would you like to join him outside.”

I hated hearing the servants call him that. He wasn’t the pope or a king. He was just a smart man who knew how to make a couple of bucks. “Alright.” I walked outside to find Lucian alone, the table empty of drinks and food.