Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 125083 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125083 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
“I have to say, I struggle to understand what it is about Ishtar that once appealed to you. Yeah, okay, she’s beautiful. But she’s also a pain in the ass.”
He pursed his lips. “She didn’t used to be so petty and vindictive. Those qualities crept up on her during our imprisonment. But she was always a person who needed to be the dominant figure in a relationship. I was never going to be a submissive partner. In that sense, we were each a challenge for the other. Challenges give you a reprieve from boredom.”
Wynter sniffed. “I guess.”
Cain bit back a smile at the slight note of jealousy in her voice. He didn’t think his little witch would appreciate that he liked it. “I didn’t care for her. She didn’t care for me either.”
“You sure about the latter? Because she seems intent on snagging you.”
“Ishtar has a habit of wanting what she can’t have. She pursues it because to actually obtain it would shine her ego and make her feel empowered.”
“And a part of her doesn’t like others playing with her old toys.”
“There’s a little of that, too.” Cain stroked a hand over her sleek, dark hair. “She’s no threat to what you and I have, Wynter. She never held even the slightest bit of appeal to me that you do.”
“Did you put one of those barrier things inside her?”
He shook his head, watching as some of the starch slipped from his witch’s shoulders. Once upon a time, his monster had wanted Ishtar plugged, but it hadn’t pushed Cain to do it, just as it hadn’t attempted to take the matter into its own hands. And Ishtar had hated that his creature showed no real possessiveness toward her.
“You know, you said this barrier you put in me would fade. It hasn’t.”
He smiled. “And how would you know? Tried pleasuring yourself again, did you?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Actually, no, I simply decided to check. You thoroughly see to my needs, which means I don’t have to do it myself nowadays.”
“I intend to see to them again once we get to my Keep. Or … perhaps I could do that right here before we—” He cut off as a crash came from above them that was quickly followed by muffled feminine oaths. “What was that?”
“Anabel, tell me you’re not testing shit on yourself again!” Xavier yelled from downstairs.
“I knocked over a lamp, that’s all!” the blonde shouted.
“You don’t have a lamp!”
Another crash, another female curse.
“Dammit, Anabel, don’t make me come up there!”
“Try it and I’ll fry you!”
Both continued to bicker loudly until a monstrous wild-cat roar split the air.
“Christ Almighty, can a woman not read in peace?” griped Hattie from the neighboring room.
Wynter swiped a hand down her face. “No, I’d rather we just head to your Keep now. I don’t think you need to ask why.”
He felt his mouth quirk. “No, I definitely don’t.”
“It really is a horrible way to die, I’m telling you,” said Anabel as she wiped down the kitchen table the following evening. “One of my worst and most traumatic experiences for sure. I still have nightmares about it.”
Delilah paused in sweeping the kitchen floor. “What did you do to upset him so much?”
Anabel did a double-take. “What?”
“You must have done something. What was it? Did you insult him? Tease him? Criticize him? Flip him off?”
“He was a shark, Del. I really don’t think any of those things would have bothered him all that much.”
“They don’t just savage people like that for no reason.”
“Well, I didn’t do anything wrong.” Anabel scrubbed the table a little harder than necessary. “I was surfing, minding my own business.”
“Likely story.”
“It’s not a story, it’s the truth.”
“Maybe he was rabid,” suggested Hattie, drying the plate Wynter had just washed. “That disease can make an animal crazy. ”
Wynter felt her nose wrinkle. “I don’t think sharks can catch rabies.”
“Wynter’s right, they can’t,” said Xavier, taking the dry plate from Hattie and putting it away in the cupboard. “It’s a mammalian disease.”
Delilah looked at Anabel. “Then we’re back to you provoking the shark.”
“I did not provoke him,” the blonde insisted. “I can’t believe you’re blaming me for my own death. Where’s the compassion? Where’s the sympathy? Where’s the distress you’re supposed to feel?”
“Why would I be distressed?” Delilah went back to sweeping. “I didn’t know you back then. You were a whole different person.”
Hattie glanced at Anabel. “This does explain why you wouldn’t watch Jaws with us at one of the motels we stayed it.”
Anabel jutted out her chin. “The flashbacks are painful, all right? I see no need to worsen it for myself by—stop it, Del, you’re not funny!”
But Delilah kept on humming the Jaws theme tune.
Wynter tossed the woman a look. “Leave her be.”
“I just wanna know what she did to the shark,” said Delilah.