Lucius (Acquisition Series #4) - Celia Aaron Page 0,17

me. “I’ll have a gin and tonic. Double.”

It seems I’m not the only one with a rotten liver, according to Teddy. Our server arrives after I send him a glance, and I order her drink.

Once he’s gone again, I sip my own cocktail and study my enemy. I can imagine her mind is a whirlwind of worry and fear right now. Terror, maybe. She’s probably scared that I—

“I hate your fucking guts.” Her voice is low, almost feral. “This changes nothing. I’m still going to take Magnolia from you.”

I didn’t think I could get shocked anymore. I was wrong. This woman—fuck, the brass balls she has. She wants me dead, and I want to know what she tastes like.

“There’s no chance of that, darlin’. If you’ll remember your history, you’ll know that the Vinemonts always come out on top.”

Her nostrils flare as I emphasize the last two words. Interesting. Maybe little Evie has grown into a woman who wants things she shouldn’t. Like, for example, the man who killed her brother in cold blood. In my defense, Red Witherington was a murderous bastard who would’ve robbed, killed, and raped his way through this world if I’d left him alive. Still, blood is blood. He was hers. And his blood is on my hands.

“I don’t care what fairy tales you and your vicious brothers tell yourselves about your family name. I know who you are and what you’re capable of.”

“You do?” I sip my drink as hers arrives. “You know all the men I’ve killed? The ways I did it? How much I enjoyed it?”

“I saw you, Lucius.” She grips her drink, her knuckles going white.

Our food arrives, and she glares at me the entire time our servers lay out a feast before us.

Once they’re gone, she continues, “I saw what you did to Red. I saw the glee in your evil fucking face as you sank the knife into his heart while I begged you not to.”

I shrug.

Her eyes flash, and she starts to rise.

I reach out and grab her by the hair, keeping her in her seat.

She lets out a scream, and then she looks around. Her voice, a pitch higher and feigning desperation: “Someone, please, help!”

The restaurant doesn’t react. Everyone continues eating, drinking, talking—though perhaps it’s a little more subdued than before.

I pull her closer to me, leaning her from her chair so far that she has to rely on my hold in her hair to keep herself upright. “No one’s going to help you, Evie.” I duck my head and run my lips across her throat.

She gasps. “Help! Please!”

Licking the fluttering vein along her neck, I get a faint taste of her, of the sweet and salty. Fear and desire. Fuck, I want so much more.

With a push, I release her, and she rocks back into her chair.

“Out,” I say quietly.

The entire restaurant stops. Each person rises, and everyone files out the front door as Evie watches, her eyes huge. Even the wait staff and the kitchen workers leave.

She looks around, eyes wide and confused, then slowly returns her gaze to the only other person here.

“Would you like to scream some more? I quite enjoyed it.” I take my fork and knife and begin cutting into my rare filet as if nothing is amiss.

“You fucking bastard. You set all this up. Every bit of it.”

I can’t tell if she’s in fear or awe. Maybe some of both.

“Did it turn you on when I pulled your hair?” I take a bite of steak, the meatiness melting on my tongue.

“Did it turn you on when I shot you in your black heart?” she fires back.

I smirk. “Actually—” I fork a piece of filet and offer it to her.

She ignores it.

“Actually, yes, Evie. It did.” I eat the piece she wouldn’t touch. “Now, tell me. Did you choose to wear that virginal little sundress so you could seduce a member of the board?” I glance down at her hard nipples as they press against the fabric. Fuck, I could cut my tongue on those, and I sure as hell want to try and find out. “Did you want him to take you to the bathroom, yank down those panties and fuck you against the wall?” I chew slowly as she glares at me.

“What makes you think I wore panties?”

I stop chewing. My mouth waters, but not for steak.

She smirks right back at me. “Like I said. It doesn’t matter if you know who I am. I’m going to take what’s