Curse And Craving

54

I pulled his arm snug against my chest. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you earlier today at the museum, and I suppose you were too preoccupied to notice this evening, but I got the necklace off.” Now that the words were out, I did find it odd that he hadn’t commented on its absence. As observant as he was, he surely had to have noticed. Confusion and unease pricked at my insides. “How did you accomplish that?” He lifted onto his elbow and looked down at me, his hand tracing a line where the necklace had been. “I used magic, but I’m not really sure how I did it.” “I’m happy for you. I know you never asked to be sucked into our world.” He smiled and lay back down, pulling me close. “You’ll be safer this way.” Again, his reaction surprised me. I hadn’t expected him to be so laissezfaire about what I’d done. Something was off, but I wasn’t sure what. “Did you check the message I texted you earlier? I thought we could go to the French restaurant that’s down the street from the club.” I wasn’t sure why I was testing him, but something in my gut told me to. “Yeah, I saw that. We can definitely grab dinner.” Don’t panic. Do. Not. Panic. He’ll know. He’ll sense the racing of your heart. I didn’t know what was going on, but Lochlan wouldn’t lie about checking the message, and I certainly didn’t text about dinner. Either Lochlan’s memories had been tampered with or … the man I was lying with wasn’t Lochlan. An image flashed in my mind of Ronan’s eyes incredulously narrowed as he studied me this morning. He’d noticed the necklace was gone. “You’ve figured it out, haven’t you?” he mused condescendingly. “Ah, well. It was good while it lasted. I had hoped we’d get a couple of rounds in before you caught on, but this saves me the trouble of pretending.” He rolled to the edge of the bed and stood, allowing his glamour to fall away like water down a window. When he came back into focus, Ronan stood before me, now fully dressed. “What did you do?” A whisper was all I could manage. I was horrified. Shocked. Disgusted. “You sure didn't look disappointed ten minutes ago when my c**k was making you come,” he said snidely as he began to riffle through my things. “Tell me where you’ve stashed the necklace.” Self-righteous fury engulfed me. He’d used me. Tricked me in the most unforgivable way imaginable. He was a soulless monster of a man, and I wanted him to die. I wanted to scratch his eyes out and make him suffer. How could he do something so callous? So vile and deceptive? The flames of hatred turned my body to ash. I would kill him. I would make him suffer. I tore from the bed and threw myself at his back, wrapping my arms around his neck and squeezing with all my might. I placed a hand on his face but couldn’t make anything happen. The black veins didn’t emerge, nor did my skin warm with the pull of magic. He lurched backward and attempted to pull my arms from around him, but I was a thing possessed. I refused to be dislodged. “I hate you,” I growled in a voice I hardly recognized. Ronan stumbled to a section of the room with a bare wall and flung himself backward, ramming me into the sheetrock. Once. Twice. Three times. My head slammed against the wall. The impact dazed me enough to loosen my grip, and I slid to the ground. “You brought this on yourself. You should have picked me,” he sneered menacingly. “I was everything you should have wanted. I did everything right. I played the perfect boyfriend—even saved you from the Red Caps when that imbecile led you straight to the trap that was meant for him. I saved you! Not him!” He was psychotic. How could I not have seen it? How many times had we talked? How could I not have detected that he was utterly insane? Still on the floor, I gawked up at him in confusion and disbelief. “Who are you?” His features fell blank as if someone had drained him of emotion. From barely contained violence to mechanical indifference at the snap of a finger. “Where is the necklace?” he asked tonelessly. “What do you want with it?” A glimmer entered his eyes. “It was convenient of you to take it off. I could hardly believe my luck when I saw you in the street this morning. I came to the museum to verify that you were worthless without it, and I was right. Everything lined up perfectly. Not only would I get the necklace but I also got you. Ruined you for him.” His full lips curved back in an evil grin. The dimples and warm brown eyes I’d thought so handsome were nothing but a meticulous mask, hiding the depravity beneath. Tears burned my eyes, but there was no way in hell I was going to let this Fae asshole see me cry. “Looks like all you get is me. Sorry to disappoint.” I was pleased to foil at least one of his plans. “The necklace is gone. You're too late.” He reached down and grabbed me by the neck, hefting me to my feet with my back against the wall. His eyes glittered with madness. “Where is it?” he hissed, spittle dotting my face. “Merlin took it. It's gone,” I forced out painfully past his grip on my throat. He screamed, a volcanic explosion of rage, then slammed my head against the wall. My vision narrowed as cobwebs filled my head. I was vaguely aware of him frantically tearing my room apart, scouring every nook and cranny for the necklace. I wouldn’t have time to retrieve it from the bathroom. All I could do was pray that he didn't find it and that his resulting anger didn't kill me. As my head cleared, I rose to my feet, and the movement caught his attention. He charged over the clothes and debris piled on the floor, backhanding me across the face and sending me back to the ground in a heap.