Twisted Together (Monsters in the Dark #3)(151)

He wouldn't.

"You can lie all you want, but I don't believe you."

Franco shuffled behind me. "Put down your gun, Lynx. Now."

Blair fanned to the side, building a wall of men all bristling with weapons.

"Stand down. This is mine. Do not move." My voice echoed with authority. The men fell silent.

Lynx smiled. "A woman with power. I like it." He stroked the muzzle over Q's cheek, indenting his skin, making him sway in the bindings.



       
         
       
        

My stomach snarled.

No one had the right to touch him. No one! He's mine!

Another step. I raised my gun. Give him to me. There would be no reasoning with him. In order to get to Q, I had to win. I had to take not ask.

"You like power? You have none. Take a look. You're outnumbered. I have a gun trained on your heart and your threats mean nothing to me. Stop touching him and I might let you die cleanly."

"I told you I'd come for you, Tess. Never doubt how much I love you." Q's voice echoed in my head. He'd sacrificed so much for me. He'd brought me back to life. And I'd repaid him by sliding into the darkest part of me. The part I never wanted to know. I have to. I'm doing this for you.

A moment spread like an eternity. Finally Lynx removed his weapon from Q, training it on me. His crocodile gaze glinted, lips pulling back against crooked teeth. "What's your name?"

I took another step, my finger trembling over the trigger. "Why?"

He cricked his neck, the gun steady in his hands. "Because I'd like to know the name of the woman I'm about to slaughter. I'll murmur it in a curse every night while I rape a woman-all the while imagining she's you."

The vile sentence didn't affect me. I was beyond affecting. "My name is Tess Snow. And you won't be cursing it. You'll be whimpering it."

He laughed. "Come closer and we'll see." His red shoes inched toward me, closing the gap, bringing us closer to the final conclusion.

"Tess! Don't." Franco's voice rang around the space. I ignored him.

"Do you know what I am?" I whispered.

Lynx's nostrils flared. "What you are? You're nothing but a-" He shook his head. "Wait, no … I see it-you're … "

"I'm his. I married the night and became his monster. And you should fear me." Nothing else existed inside. No residual issues of kidnapping, death, or pain. Nothing but peace.

I controlled my fate. Right here. Right now. And my fate was to kill and be killed. We would die together. I would wear his blood as I descended into the underworld.

"You ask if I see what you are. I do." His demeanour changed from angry to smooth. "You're not worthy of death, Tess Snow. Your previous owner is dead. I claim you as my new property. Come to me and I'll let you live." His gaze slithered over my body. "I'll treat you right. I've searched all my life for a woman like you."

Another step. Only a metre left. Grabbing distance. Shooting distance.

"A woman like me?"

"A woman so broken she doesn't even know. A woman strong enough to survive anything because she no longer feels anything." His arm lowered a little, believing his fantasy-that he could win me. That he could acquire me. 

I laughed.

Everyone froze-the dungeon pulsed as I slipped from sanity to insane. I lowered my gun.

I'd never felt more clear. More powerful. He's already dead. I knew how I'd do it. "You want to own me?" Softness entered my voice, ghosting over the tiles toward Lynx.

"Tess-come back here," Franco ordered. "Whatever you're doing-stop it."

The awareness between me and Q's killer grew stronger, blocking everyone out. I didn't look at Q or pay attention to Franco. I was single-minded. Locked on my prey. Mouth watering with the knowledge I'd won.

Lynx smiled, eye's glinting with interest. "Yes. Stand by my side. I would be proud to keep you. You'd have my word I would never sell you-as long as you stayed this cold." His accent danced with sensuality, dragging me closer toward him. Idiot. Buffoon.

"You want to own my body. But what about my mind?" One last step. Space meant nothing anymore. Such a short space. A killable space.

His pistol lowered, hypnotised by his own illusion. "I want to own all of you. Give it to me and I'll treat you better than he ever did."

He. Q. My heart launched out of my chest, winging to my dead master. My skin was sleet and snow, but it was almost over. Soon, my maître. Soon, I'm coming for you. I noticed everything as if I'd stepped outside my body. Every nuance, every threat was achingly clear.