Queen Takes Rose (Wicked Villains #6) - Katee Robert Page 0,12

if my mother had anything similar set up for her people when she was in charge. I have next to no information about the years she ruled this territory. My grandmother refused to speak of it, and it wasn’t as if I could go in and ask people who had actually been there. I considered it, of course, but ultimately chose not to. Even Hades’s immaculate records are sparse when it comes to her.

The parking garage looks like every other one I’ve been in. Malone barely waits for the car to stop before she opens the door and motions me to follow with an imperial flick of her fingers. I start to climb out of the car, but Malone once against scoops me into her arms.

I’ve been carried a lot. Some Doms really like this sort of thing, but I didn’t think Malone was one of them. She’s only a few inches taller than me, but her strong arms band around me and I have absolutely no fear that she’s going to drop me.

That doesn’t mean I like this.

“Put me down.”

“You’re speaking out of turn again.” She doesn’t glance down, just eats up the distance between the car and the elevator with that stride of hers, completely unchanged despite the fact that I’m in her arms. She waits for Sara to push the button to call the elevator. “At this rate, I won’t let you come the entire two weeks you’re with me.”

I want to pretend she’s bluffing, but I’m not that naive. Malone is more than capable of following through on that mildly delivered threat. For the first time in a very long time, I have to fight to lower my eyes and inject some submission into my tone. “I’m sorry.”

“No, you’re not.” She steps into the elevator.

Sara follows and presses the button for the highest floor and the one below it. We rise in silence. I expect Malone to set me down, but she shows no interest in doing so. The doors open on the second-highest floor, and Sara steps out. They turn back and level a severe look at me. “Don’t try anything. If you do, once she’s done fucking you up, I’ll fuck you up.”

This isn’t an idle threat, either. I press my lips together and nod. As if I’m not planning to do exactly that the first chance I get. As if the very reason I took this assignation wasn’t to get close enough to slip a knife between Malone’s ribs.

It’s not going to be easy. I knew that even before Allecto made her doubts known. Malone is a fucking Amazon from Sabine Valley. The name isn’t the only thing they share with their ancient Greek counterparts. They’re a matriarchal warrior society built of clans, and Malone was part of the ruling family. She’s a formidable enemy in every sense of the word.

She is a warrior by both the literal and corporate definition. It’s going to take everything I have in order to succeed in taking her out. And patience. Lots and lots of patience.

And then we’re rising again. This time when the doors open, we’re not looking at a corporate-type hallway. There’s a nondescript white room with a single door in it. Malone walks into the room and looks up at the camera positioned against the ceiling. A few seconds later, the lock clicks open, and she pushes through the door.

The apartment is decorated exactly like I imagined it would be. Clean lines. Minimalist decorating. Elegant furniture. Color scheme that leans white and gray with a few pops of silver and crimson to keep things from being soulless.

She sets me on my feet. “Get rid of that hideous thing.”

I look down at my teddy. “I like it.”

“You look like a sorority girl playing dress-up. Take it off.”

I almost argue, but the memory of the car has me reaching for the hem of the teddy and pulling it over my head without complaint. Malone takes it from my hand and strides deeper into the house. “Follow.”

I grit my teeth and obey. I round the corner in time to see her stuff the nightgown in the trash can in the kitchen. She keeps going before I can take a moment to study the room, stalking down the hallway and opening a door.

It leads to a room outfitted in high-end kink gear. There’s a spanking bench, a contraption meant to suspend someone on, and a hook attached to the ceiling in the middle of the room. From