Chapter 46 Lies behind his eyes!
|| Author POV ||
Rosa poured the coffee into the cup when Mira stepped beside her.
“Rosalie, pass this to me. There are a few customers, go greet them.” Rosa offered a soft smile and nodded.
She stepped out of the section to greet them but froze in her tracks.
Aria had just entered the café, her fingers tangled tightly with a man’s hand.
Rosa’s lips pressed together into a knowing smile as she recognized him—Noah.
The same boy who had asked Aria to dance that night and Aria secretly had a crush on and also Ivan’s friend.
When Aria’s eyes landed on Rosa, they widened in panic. She quickly pulled her hand away from Noah and hurried over to Rosa, visibly startled.
“Oh my god, Rosa! You work at this café? What a coincidence!” Aria exclaimed nervously. Rosa smiled wide and “What’s going on?” asked softly.
Aria sighed, scratching the back of her neck.
“Well... he asked me out. So, I said yes.” Rosa’s smile grew brighter. “I’m so happy for you.”
Aria made a dramatic face. “I know, right?”
Rosa peeked at Noah and he smiled warmly “Take a seat.”
Aria nudged her arm shyly, earning a teasing smile from Rosa before she walked away.
Rosa started to prepare a special serve for them. As the coffee machine whirred, she hummed softly, her cheeks flushing at the thought of, him.
She couldn’t stop thinking about his words.
His girlfriend?
Rosa smiled to herself but quickly looked up when she heard a soft cough.
“Hi, Rosa.”
Ivan stood near the counter leaning slightly forward against it. Rosa gave a small bow in greeting.
“An iced Americano, please?”
Rosa nodded.
“I saw your friend sitting over there with Noah.” he added casually with a playful glint in his eyes. “Don’t you think something’s going on between them?”
Rosa looked at him with a knowing smile on her lips. “Umm, yes. He asked her out. She told me.”
Ivan nodded. “I won’t sit today. Just make it for me to walk around.” Rosa gave a casual nod and turned to prepare his drink.
Ivan’s eyes stuck on her. He was graduating soon. He’d liked her from the moment he first saw her.
He had first noticed her from the university side while she was on the college grounds. Their academy hosted both divisions on the same campus.
She was younger than him. A pretty girl. Calm. Innocent and somehow unforgettable.
He came here often just so that he could see her.
Rosa prepared his drink and passed it to him with a smile. Ivan smiled taking it. “Ok then, I’ll take my leave.” Rosa bowed to him again and watched him walk out.
She continued working, unaware of how time slipped by.
Aria and Noah had left long ago. Only few peoples were hanging out. Rosa told Mira and then took off her apron. Slinging her bag over her right shoulder to her left side of her waist, she said goodbye to Mira and stepped outside.
The street was dark. Rosa turned to walk, her hands gripping the thin belt of her bag but then she halted, her eyes fixed straight ahead.
Killian stepped out of a car. His eyes locked onto her tiny frame. Rosa’s eyes widened in shock.
Why is he here?
She pursed her lips as he came closer. The frosty air made their breaths visible. She flinched when his icy palm touched her soft cheek. Her heartbeat quickened.
“Let’s go.” Killian muttered, his piercing blues locked on her wide lilac eyes.
“Wh-why did you come here?” she stammered.
Killian leaned down to her height, his breath grazing her ear.
“To see my girlfriend.” he whispered deeply.
Rosa stared at him stunned. His words made her feel butterflies into her tummy. Her veins felt like they were burning. A blush bloomed across her face.
Killian noticed it immediately, her shy reaction, the way her lips twitched slightly. It made something possessive flicker in his gaze.
“H-how did you know I-I work here?” she asked, eyes filled with innocence. Killian’s lips curled up. A quiet chuckle escaped him.
This girl.. she really had no idea. No idea she’d been under his gaze this whole time. Watched. Protected and owned in silence.
Rosa tilted her head slightly, curiosity blooming in her eyes, her lips parting as if she wanted to ask more but her voice never came.
Killian raised a hand, his cold fingers brushing against the back of her head. He gently pulled her closer, tilting her face to his.
“I know everything.”
Then slowly pressed his lips on hers.
Rosa froze at first. He pulled away after pecking her lip. She blinked up at him through her long lashes.
She blushed hard. The thought that they were something more than just professor and student hit her again.
She watched as Killian slipped off his coat and gently draped it over her small frame. The warmth and the scent of him made her heart flutter. Rosa stared up at him silently.
Wasn’t he the same man who always scolded her? The one who barely spoke? Who kept his distance? Who looked at her like she was nothing but a nuisance?
She couldn’t wrap her head around any of this.
Rosa took a courageous breath “Th-then do you want to have a drink w-with me?” she asked shyly, her voice so soft it nearly disappeared into the cold air.
Killian tilted his head toward the café, then back at her. “As you wish, my little rabbit.” Rosa froze.
This... this wasn’t the man she knew!
They walked into the café together. Mira’s jaw nearly dropped when she spotted Rosa beside a tall intimidating man. She blinked a few times, trying not to squeal out loud. Instead, she nodded politely, barely managing to hold in her excitement.
Rosa lowered her head a little, suddenly aware of how strange it must look. A man with her in the café she works. She felt awkward. Not sure where to place her hands or how to meet his gaze but still sat on a corner.
Killian sat across from her, his piercing blue eyes locked onto her like she was the only thing that mattered in the room. He didn’t speak.
He just...watched.
Watched her play with the rim of her sleeve. Watched her bite her bottom lip nervously. Watched the pink tint on her cheeks that refused to fade.
He wondered how he ever pretended to stay away. How he convinced himself all the time that this obsession was just temporary. That he could handle her softness without breaking his own rules.
But the truth clawed at him now. He couldn’t stay away. She had ruined him. So he broke his rules.
He wasn’t the type to fetch a woman. But here he was... because he missed her like a fucking lowlife. Like a man starving for something only she could give.
After placing the order, Rosa quietly sat with her hands neatly rested on her lap, her legs swinging beneath the chair. She could feel his intense gaze on her.
She lowered her eyes. How did everything change so suddenly?
Like a dream... one she never dared to believe would come true. Now, it was real. He was real. And he was hers even if only in this moment. Yet, She loves this side of him even more. More than before.
The time passed in silence. Once they were done, Killian simply stood up and led her out of the café. He settled her inside the car like she was a kid. The engine started. The world outside blurred. The drive was quiet. His profile was sharp under the passing lights. His hand gripped the wheel.
When the mansion appeared, Rosa expected him to pull in. But he didn’t. He stopped outside the gate, letting the car idle on the road.
Rosa turned to look at him confusedly. But Killian was already stepping out, walking around the hood. Before Rosa could touch the handle, the door opened.
Then his hands slid under her arms, picking her up like she weighed nothing. Rosa gasped with wide eyes.
He silently carried her to the front then placed her on the hood of the car. The metal was icy against her thighs. Rosa shivered at the sudden cold touch.
Her breath stilled. The night air bit at her skin but all she felt was heat. She looked up and her lips parted to speak--
Only to gasp. The sound died against his mouth as Killian’s lips crashed into hers with brutal urgency.
Her head spun. Her toes curled inside her shoes. His kiss was so desperate like a man tasting something forbidden after years of restraint. He kissed her like he hated the wait. Like he hated himself for needing her this much.
Rosa whimpered softly, trying to steady her thudding heart. His lips were so warm, she didn’t want him to pull away.
Killian groaned deep in his chest. One hand tangled in her hair, the other pulling her closer by the waist, forcing her body to arch toward him. He kissed her harder and deeper like he wanted to erase every trace of air inside her lungs and fill her with only him.
His lips had tasted her and now his fingers were digging into her like she belonged to him.
His teeth grazed her bottom lip before pulling it making her gasp. His forehead pressed against hers, their breaths were visible in the cold. His thumb stroked her cheekbone, trembling from restraint.
“I tried to stay away.” his lips brushed hers again. “But you make it impossible, little rabbit.” he kissed her again.
Killian’s hands trembled slightly against her skin, his body thrumming with a hunger he’d buried for far too long. He fought with his sanity. The hunger in him was ravenous and feral.
His lips moved over hers in desperation. He kissed her like a man on the edge of losing control, like each press of his lips was an attempt to quiet the storm inside him.
He tried, God! he tried not to devour her or drag her into the shadows of his twisted cravings.
Sometimes, the urge was unbearable. He wanted to ruin her softness, to make her cry his name while trapped beneath him, to mark her until she forgot who she was before him.
There were nights he imagined things no man should. He had imagined hr legs shaking around him and her voice wrecked from crying his name. He wanted to ruin her in the most beautifully cruel ways.
But now when that hunger rose, the memory of their first time burned behind his eyes, her broken breaths, her trembling body and those beautiful tear-filled eyes. She was too soft for his darkness.
She barely handled him then, he wouldn’t risk shattering her again.
Still his obsession festered. Grew like ivy around his ribs. So he kissed her harder like it would fix everything. Like he could drown his lust in her breath. Like that would make him less of a monster.
But he knew.
He knew he was dangerous.
And he never felt guilty.
He wanted her.
So she was his.
There were no barricades. No rules. No escape. He had restrained himself for so long, not out of mercy but strategy. To win her trust. To keep her close and make her his.
Killian groaned low in his throat, the sound was rough and full of frustration. The kiss wasn’t enough. It only poured fuel on the fire already burning inside him. He wanted her entirely.
Her wide lilac eyes looked up at him, her lips still deep pink from the kiss.
His gaze dropped to her mouth again, a dangerous glint flickering in his eyes. He was starving for her.
Rosa blinked up at him confusedly. Her brows twitched slightly. He could almost hear the question in her innocent eyes: ‘Why is he acting like this?’
Because he was losing control. The kiss had only awakened the monster within but hadn’t satisfied it. His chest rose and fell unevenly. He forced himself not to touch her the way he craved. The beast inside him growled demanding more.
His cold gaze slowly dragged over her lilac eyes, drinking in her expression. She had no idea how close he was to snapping.
He leaned in and brushed his fingers along her cheek softly, almost loving. Then his hands slid under her arms, lifting her gently down from the car’s hood and set her on her feet.
“Go inside. Eat your dinner. And finish your homework before I come back. You have an exam tomorrow.” his tone deepened. “If it’s not done when I come back, there will be consequences.”
Rosa’s lips formed a soft pout at his cold demand. It stung a little. But it was just him, his cold nature. She stood before him, with hesitation she asked “Wh-where are you going?”
Killian stilled. For a long moment, he said nothing.
Just stared at her, his little lamb asking where the wolf going at night.
What was he supposed to say? That he was going to spill blood?
He flexed his jaw and gaze darkened. “Nowhere you need to worry about.” he muttered tightly.
Rosa nervously tucked her lips inward and nodded slowly, taking his words like a child given a curfew. Her lashes casting shadows on her flushed cheeks.
She failed to notice the lies behind his eyes!
Killian swallowed hard. The naive and clueless sight of her was enough to bring him to his knees if he let it.
He reached out slowly and threaded through her hair with an unexpected tenderness. “Good girl.”
Then whispered, colder now “Go inside. I’ll be back.” Rosa nodded again, too obedient for her own good.
Killian watched her walking inside. He then turned his back. He couldn’t tell her the truth that he was about to leave a trail of blood!
He inhaled sharply. One last glance at the mansion before slipping into the car and starting the engine.
The night air blurred by. By the time he reached the outskirts of the city, the air had turned colder. The building ahead looked abandoned. Chris stood outside with crossed arms.
“They’re inside.” Chris muttered. Killian gave a single nod. The heavy metal door creaked open as they entered.
Inside the room was dimly lit. The walls were stained, the floor was cracked and the stench of bl00d floated like perfume.
Killian’s eyes locked onto the two men kneeling on the floor. Their wrists were bound behind them and faces were already bruised. They looked up, one with defiance and the other with panic.
Killian’s boots echoed as he walked closer like a predator.
He stopped just a foot away. His shadow fell over them. “You lost my shipment.” his voice was hollow and devoid of mercy. “Worse, you handed it to my enemies.” His tone was eerily calm like the silence before a gunshot.
He let out a humourless chuckle “You thought I wouldn't find out? You thought you could run?”
His tongue pressed against the inside of his cheek.
“I don’t mind rats. At least they’re smart.”
His boot tapped once sharply “But dumb traitors? They’re just... meat.”
The two men trembled. Their knees nearly buckled with terror. The room felt colder. Killian exhaled once.
“Alright.”
He rolled up his sleeves, revealing his inked skin.
“Chris.” he said without taking his eyes off the pair “Bring me the saw. I want to watch their screams split before their throats do.”
A cold spine-chilling smirk crept across his handsome face. Both men jolted with dread, already tasting the blood in the air.