Chapter 73 Been his queen
Nico POV
She turned around and walked out of the bathroom. She turning her back on me wasn’t something I liked especially when done as a sign of disrespect but she had knocked the wind right out of me. Her words rendered me speechless, leaving me without any intelligent or sarcastic comeback. All I could do was stare at her as she walked out.
Lila was right this time. I needed to decide whether I wanted her to be the queen at my side or the slave at my feet.
That night I sat in the chair across from the bed and watched her toss and turn between the sheets. It was dark, only the crescent shaped moon casting a dim light through the room. At first I wanted to tie her hands to the bed to make sure she wouldn’t touch herself while I slept. But then I realized I wouldn’t be able to sleep. Not only could I not get the image of Lila cutting herself out of my head, I also knew, deep down, that it was my fault. I wondered how long it had been since she had cut herself before today. Judging by the way her scars had whitened, it had to have been a long time. She had conquered those demons for a while until I dragged her right back into hell.
It was my fault. I punished her for doing something I had ultimately pushed her into doing. After everything this woman had been through by my hand, how could I have expected her to live and act like everything was normal? Nothing about us was normal. If I had to draft a list of what was right and what was wrong between us, the wrong list would win by a mile but there was one thing, one right thing between us…the way we unashamedly embraced each other’s darkness, turning something so wrong into something that felt so fucking right.
This all started with me wanting to be the devil she saw in her nightmares. I wanted to hurt her. I wanted to see her cower at my feet in fear. I needed her to feel my pain, the pain of losing a brother. I demanded revenge not just for my brother but for the entire Moretti family as a whole.
Now I no longer cared about any of those things. In fact, right now as I stared at her sleeping restlessly, I felt a need to comfort her, to take away her fears and nightmares. I wanted her to feel safe, to feel adored, and to share my bed without fearing me. Yet, a part of me demanded to see her on her knees, begging me, pleasing me, giving me full control over her body. I wanted the best of both worlds, and there was only one way to do that which was to make her my queen by day and my slave by night.
Lila POV
I knew the second I opened my eyes that he was watching me. In fact, I woke up a few times during the night feeling his gaze on my skin, caressing me, teasing me, making me want him in ways I shouldn’t. It was times like these I wished it was possible for me to see him as nothing more than the man who had me kidnapped, ruining my life in the process. Not having this constant whirlpool of mixed emotions cluttering my mind would have made everything so much easier. I desired him yet hated him at the same time. How is that even possible?
“Did you sleep well?”
I heard the sarcasm in his voice. It felt like a goddamn slap to the face. “You tell me. You’re the one who sat in the corner and watched me the entire damn night.”
The bed dipped, and I opened my eyes as he took a seat next to me. By looking at him one would never have guessed that he didn’t get any sleep. He looked fresh, handsome, and so wickedly tempting. The scar around his eye just made him so much more intimidating, adding to the alpha dominance that oozed out of him all the damn time. I could see why Damon felt threatened by him. Nico had a way of demanding respect just by entering a roomthe way a leader should. All Damon brought with his presence was arrogance and violent.
With the back of his hand, Nico caressed the side of my face gently. “I am only going to say this once. Don’t make me say it again.”
I sighed and rolled my eyes. “God, I know, okay. Yesterday was the last time. I won’t cut myself again. Your punishment is still torturing my body right now.”
He smiled and softly tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “I’m sorry, lilay.”
Those tree little words yet three powerful words that made my entire world come to a standstill. I shifted up and stared at him cautiously. “May I ask what it is you’re sorry for?”
“Everything.”
“Everything covers quite a broad spectrum of things. Care to be more specific?”
He got up and buttoned his suit jacket. “Just, everything. Now get dressed.”
“Get dressed for what?”
He shot his cuffs and straightened his sleeves. “Last night you laid out a choice for me, and I’ve made a decision.”
I got out of bed as he turned around and opened the closet door. He reached inside and pulled out a white dress.
I narrowed my eyes. “What is going on?”
“Last night you told me to decide whether you were my slave or my queen.” He walked closer and softly took my hand in his, placing it on the dress. “And I’ve decided.”
“What did you decide?”
By the smile that spread across his face, it was obvious that he saw the shocked expression on mine. He reached out and dragged his thumb slowly across my lower lip. “Would a man give a two thousand dollar dress to his slave?”
“Two thousand” I glanced down at the dress. It was a plain white, mini-skirt, high neck dress with a little detail embroidered on the seam. It was plain yet beautiful. Exactly the kind of dress I’d choose for myself. It was like I was an open book to him. Like he knew everything about me. Except my need to be able to make my own choices.
He cocked an eyebrow. “As a member of one of the richest families in America, you sure look shocked about the value of that dress.”
“Just because I come from a rich family doesn’t mean I like bragging about it by buying expensive things and flaunting it in everyone’s faces.”