Chapter 13

Keir

When I arrived at my office, the plan was to complete what needed to be done and return to the flat in time for Lillian's evening training. I had told the twins I would miss the morning session and to fill in for me, though I suspected that wouldn't happen.

I had to put that out of my mind, though, or I'd get behind and miss out on even more trainings with Lillian. I'd been having to work different hours than usual due to her training schedule, but once we were at the end of this, all the sacrifices would be worth it.

My plans went up in flames when I saw my father enter my office and strut to my desk with a sinister look on his face.

His plan was obvious the moment he told me I would be entering all the paperwork for the last week into the computer systems: keep me busy and away from Lillian.

"We have employees specifically for that," I countered. Those said employees, of which there were several, spent most of their time entering data. It was not a one-person job.

Sneaky prick .

Not surprised by my defiance, he shrugged. "I gave them the week off. They were overdue for a break. Someone has to pick up the slack. Lucky you."

I sighed and rolled my eyes. He was confident, and I knew he had leverage. I needed to know what he was going to hold over me.

"And if I refuse?"

"I was hoping you'd ask," he said with a tilt to his voice. He clasped his hands together slowly in front of him. "If you refuse, I hope Lillian's prepared for her first trial…" I lifted an eyebrow as he trailed off. "Because it will happen tomorrow."

"You can't—"

He put up a finger, silencing my protest. "I can and I will . Don't push me, Keir." I clenched my jaw tight, grinding my teeth. "So what'll it be?" he asked, his eyes daring me.

I let my jaw tick a few more times, glaring at him before answering. "Where's the paperwork?"

A sinister grin spread from ear to ear. "Bring it in!" he hollered toward my door.

Four carts were pushed into my office, stacked high with papers. It took everything to keep my jaw from hitting the floor. Holy shit . I groaned inwardly. I would not be seeing Lillian tonight, and the thought bothered me more than I would've liked to admit.

Things had been tense between us, but that didn't mean I wanted to miss out on my already limited one-on-one time with her. It was my only chance to be that close to her, though watching her sweat and breathe hard as she punched and jumped around was more than I could bear, which is why I went back to my room every night hard as a damn rock.

"See to it that it all gets entered, or work until midnight, whichever comes first," my father said with a small chuckle as he started toward the doors. He stopped short and turned back to face me, his eyes filled with fierce confidence. "Your efforts are futile, by the way. She will fail… and then, she'll be mine."

Hearing him call her his made me sick to my stomach. The thought of what he would do to her, the ways he'd torture and hurt her if he got his hands on her, made me angry.

Silence overtook the room once the door was shut. I blew out a breath as I stared at the mountains of paperwork waiting for me and rubbed my face with my hands, trying to mentally prepare myself for the mindless work ahead of me.

It was worth the inconvenience, though. His threat of moving up the trial was serious, and I wouldn't put it past him to move it up for the fun of it. For now, we had to follow his rules. Maliciousness was his game, and Lillian was the pawn.

The flat was quiet when I got home, as expected. It had been hours since everyone typically went to bed. I hadn't finished the paperwork—no one could have in one day—but I'd worked until midnight, just as he'd commanded.

I walked straight past the living room, stopping at the bar to pour myself a strong drink before going to the kitchen. I was starving. Thankfully, Ida left a plate of food for me in the fridge.

After eating, I pulled the top button of my shirt loose, then the next, as I made my way to the hall to my room. I stopped in front of Lillian's room, a habit of mine I didn't care to break. It was something I did often. Sometimes, I swear, she left it open just for me so I could catch peeks of her getting dressed, like she knew I was watching.

I heard nothing as I pressed my ear to the door. They were asleep.

A small part of me wished she'd stayed up, waiting for me to come home. Why would she, though? After the way I'd treated her? Fuck . I'd messed up big time. I'd let her peel back my layers, see me vulnerable, then pushed her away again.

Had the twins not saved me by walking in that day, I might've kissed her, sending us into an even deeper spiral. I'd wanted to, though. Every moment since, my thoughts were filled with what her lips would have felt like, tasted like, pressed against mine.

My heart physically ached as I pulled away from her door and headed down the hall to my dark, empty bedroom. I stopped short when my heart began racing. No, that wasn't my heart. I turned to see her door cracked, a sleepy, emerald-green eye peeking at me.

Hey , I thought to her, licking my lips as a sudden nervousness crept over me.

The door opened a bit more, revealing her curious look.

Hi , her soft voice responded.

I didn't mean to wake you.

You didn't. I was awake.

Can't sleep?

I was worried about you. You missed our training. I was afraid you wouldn't come home.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. She'd waited for me.

I'm sorry I worried you. Everything's okay. I just had a lot of work to do .

I had no plans on telling her the sacrifice I'd made for her sake. She had enough on her plate.

Lillian just looked at me, a stillness filling the space between us. After several moments of nothing, I figured she was done talking. I expected her to close the door and slip back into her safe space with the twins, who gave her everything she needed, everything they had.

I couldn't help but be surprised when she opened the door even more and tiptoed into the hallway, closing the door quietly behind her.

She was dressed in her pajamas: a purple tank top and gray cotton shorts. Her nipples were hard, pressed against her shirt, begging to be sucked into my mouth. The bottom of her tank had ridden up to reveal the smooth, pale skin around her belly button. As my eyes trailed lower, her legs pressed together. She was aware of my ogling.

I closed my eyes for a brief second then forced them back up to her face, refusing to indulge myself in another look at her perfect body. I didn't deserve it.

She was looking at me with a small, knowing smile. This time, it was my heart that raced. The most beautiful woman I'd ever laid eyes on stood before me, smiling at me, even after everything I'd done to her.

"It's not too late to train. We could blow off some…" She giggled so quietly, I barely heard it. "Steam."

I sure know you could use it , she pushed into my mind.

I shook my head, fighting a massive grin as I rolled my eyes. "You need sleep, Lillian. Go back to bed." She stood her ground, defiance written all over her face. "I'm serious, princess."

The corners of her mouth twitched. "Always so serious."

She took a couple of slow, methodical steps toward me, the movement making my breath hitch. She was so close, I could smell her, sweet like vanilla and honey. It was intoxicating. It was dangerous.

"Lillian…" I warned pointlessly.

I need this … Her voice had changed in my head. It wasn't playful anymore; it was troubled. I'm scared .

What're you scared of?

My father's face, red eyes blazing and a poisonous grin, flashed before in my head, and goosebumps erupted down my arms. He stood over me, blood beginning to drip from his smile. My heart raced, and my palms felt clammy. I shook my head, trying to force the fear away.

"How did you do that?" I asked her. She didn't just tell me or show me her fear. I'd felt her fear as I saw her view of him. Was our connection getting that strong?

"Do what?" she spoke softly, unaware of what she'd just done.

Before I could tell her, she whispered, "He scares me. He wants me to die, Keir."

"You shouldn't be scared, princess. We still have time to train, to prepare." I started to reach out with my hand, to place it on her shoulder and comfort her. I stopped myself, though, keeping my hands clenched at my sides. "Please don't fret about this. You can do this, Lillian. You are strong, capable. I have no doubt we will all be laughing about the stupid look on his face when you complete that first trial." She threw her attention to the floor, and my hand instinctively tucked under her chin and pulled up until she looked at me again. The tears in her eyes made my heart hurt. I let go of her before my thumb did something unspeakable, like caress her or glide across her lips.

"I know you guys are saying all those things to make me feel better. You don—"

"Stop right there. What would I have to gain from lying to you?" Her eyes searched mine, and I saw the moment she'd found what she was looking for: the truth. "Exactly."

Her body relaxed, and she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. I had to hold back a growl because I really wanted to slam my mouth against her and take that lip between my own teeth. Shit .

"Get dressed. We can do a quick session, I guess," I said roughly, realizing she was right about blowing off steam, and if we stayed in this hallway any longer, my self-control might fail me.

"I don't want to wake the twins up," she said softly, pulling her shirt down and inspecting her clothes.

This was a recipe for disaster. Skimpy clothes, no bra, and she wanted to go bounce around in the gym? I sighed. This is just what I needed: to be close to her while she was wearing practically nothing.

"That's fine. Come on."

She followed me down the hall to the gym. We faced each other on the mats I'd left laid out.

"Take your stance," I ordered, and she obeyed flawlessly. "Let's try some kicking."

"Kicking?"

"Yes. I want you to kick me. I know you're flexible," I insinuated on accident, making her blush. "Try to kick me up here." I lifted my hand to shoulder height.

She bobbed her head and bounced in her stance, preparing herself, before lifting her right foot off the ground and swinging it up into the air.

A shocked gasp left her lips when I caught her ankle in my hand, but she never stood a chance; I would always catch her.

My eyes betrayed me and fell to her leg—more specifically, the apex of her thighs, where her tiny little shorts covered nothing. Satan spare me . This woman wasn't wearing any panties. I could see the flesh of her pussy taunting me.

I immediately dropped her leg, sending her off balance and tumbling into the mats. It was cruel, but the way she shrieked as she landed on her ass made me laugh.

"Sorry," I choked out. "Again." I motioned for her to stand up.

She made no move to obey me this time, sitting up on her elbows instead, observing me with her head tilted to the side. I didn't like it. I felt like she could see me.

"Again," I repeated.

This time, she stood.

We practiced for the next twenty minutes, honing the skill she struggled with more than anything I'd thrown her way thus far. I tried my best to keep my eyes glued to her face, but her tits bouncing around were the most distracting things ever. Once we finished, both glistening with a thin veil of sweat, I told her to shower and go to bed.

"I'm sorry," she told me as she walked past me toward the door.

"What for?"

She stopped halfway between me and the door. "You don't deserve the life you were dealt. I'm sorry you've been treated so cruelly. You deserve so much more."

She left when I didn't respond, leaving me to my thoughts.

I deserved more? Where did all her damn kindness come from? I'd been nothing short of a dick to her, yet she stood there telling me I deserved more.

I looked around the gym absentmindedly, feeling very alone as I tried to gather my bearings. I stormed to my room, and her words echoed in my head as I showered.

You deserve more.

She'd invaded every nook and cranny of my mind, and our training session replayed in my mind. My hand traveled down until it was wrapped tightly around my cock. I thought about the way her tits bounced as we sparred. The peek I'd gotten at her pussy was driving me wild, and I couldn't help but think about how she'd taste as she coated my tongue and dripped down my chin. I stroked myself harder, faster, imagining tasting her sweet arousal as she screamed my name, unable to stop thinking about what it would feel like to finally claim her, to show her I craved her just as much as she craved me. I swallowed a groan as strings of my cum shot out, washing down the drain, but unfortunately, the obsessive thoughts about Lillian refused to disappear with them.

Her words continued to echo in my head as my cum washed down the drain.

You deserve more.

As I laid my head on my pillow, knowing I wouldn't get a wink of sleep tonight, her words echoed in my head.

You deserve more.

Did I, though?