Chapter 7: Prelude to the Slaughter

The next morning at 6:00 AM. Upper East Side, Voss Tower, rooftop infinity pool.

Landon Voss sliced through the water like a shark, sprinting the final fifty meters. The sound of water breaking was sharp as a blade. As he surfaced, his assistant handed him an encrypted tablet. The screen was frozen on a surveillance capture from the Long Island estate last night:

Kai Reyes carrying a nearly naked Ava into a bedroom. Under the moonlight, the chains on the back of her gown were broken. Her white back was covered in fresh scratches and kiss marks. There were suspicious wet patches on her inner thighs. Kai’s hand gripped the small of her back, fingers digging deep into her flesh, as if trying to crush her.

Landon stared at the photo for ten full seconds. His pupils contracted to pinpoints. In the next second, he crushed the tablet with his bare hand. Shards and blood dripped from his fingers into the pool, dying the water crimson.

The assistant didn't dare breathe.

Landon grabbed a towel, wiping his hand. His voice was absolute zero. "List every club, warehouse, yacht, woman, and dog house Kai Reyes owns in New York. By tonight, I want him to regret being born in this city."

The assistant stammered, "Sir... you have a three-year non-aggression pact with Reyes..."

"Pact?" Landon laughed, a sound full of murder. "He touched what's mine. The pact is toilet paper."

At the same time, St. Luke's Hospital VIP Ward.

When Ava woke up, she felt like she’d been run over by a tank. Collarbone, chest, waist, thighs—fresh bites and bruises everywhere, wilder and deeper than the ones Landon had left. She moved, and the tearing pain between her legs reminded her how crazy last night had been. When Kai had pinned her to the bed, the ferocity was almost enough to dismantle her.

She turned her head. Kai was leaning against the window smoking. His leather jacket was open; the black snake tattoo was red from scratching, looking like it was moving on his skin.

"Awake?" He blew a smoke ring. His voice was raspily sexy. "You were wild last night, little beauty. Crying and begging me... your voice is gone."

Ava ignored him. She sat up, clutching the sheet as it slipped, revealing large purple bruises on her chest. She picked up the shreds of her dress from the floor and wrapped them around herself, face impassive. "I took the drug, you provided the antidote. We're even."

Kai raised an eyebrow, tongue pressing his cheek. "Even? I saved your life and cleaned up that poisonous snake Victoria for you, and that's how you count?"

Ava sneered. "I didn't ask you to save me."

She tried to get out of bed but her legs gave way. Kai moved fast, catching her by the waist and pulling her into his chest. He lowered his head and bit her earlobe. "Stubborn mouth. Who was crying last night, begging me to go 'deeper'? Who scratched my back saying 'Kai... I'm dying...'?"

Ava trembled, ears turning red. She drove her knee hard toward his groin. Kai groaned and let go. She seized the chance to put distance between them, voice cold as a knife. "Touch me again, and I'll make sure you can't get it up for the rest of your life."

Kai stared at her for three seconds, then burst out laughing. It was a chaotic, appreciative sound. "Fine. I like roses with thorns."

He pulled a solid black credit card from his inner pocket and tossed it on the bed. "Two billion inside. Password is your birthday. Consider it payment for last night."

Ava picked up the card. With a flick of her wrist, she bent it in half and threw it back in his face. "I am not a whore."

Kai licked a bead of blood where the card had nicked his lip. Fire burned in his eyes. "I know. You are a Queen."

2:00 PM. Rosier Holdings, Emergency Board Meeting.

Ava walked in wearing a black skirt suit, buttoned to the chin, hiding the tapestry of old and new marks on her neck. The room went dead silent.

Alexander sat at the head, face green, veins popping. Victoria was absent. Official reason: "Sudden acute appendicitis." Reality: After Kai’s men removed ten of her fingers last night, she was thrown off a Long Island pier. Fate unknown.

Ava slapped a share transfer agreement onto the table. "According to the agreement signed three days ago, Rosier stock has risen 27%. Clause triggered. 51% absolute control is now mine."

Alexander slammed the table. "You wish! That Florida land is the family’s ance—"

"Ancestral property?" Ava cut him off, voice light as a feather. "Twenty years ago when you kicked my pregnant mother and me out, why didn't you mention ancestral property?"

She snapped her fingers. The big screen lit up. It was the full surveillance footage of Victoria dosing the drink, plus the audio recording. The image was clear enough to see the malicious grin as she dropped the pill.

"Want to ruin me?" Ava leaned forward, smiling gently at Alexander. "Sorry. I'm much dirtier than you."

When the meeting ended, Ava was officially Chairman and CEO of Rosier Holdings. Walking out of the building, the sunset stretched her shadow long, like an unsheathed sword.

Downstairs, Landon was leaning against the door of his Maybach, smoking. Suit crisp, eyes ready to devour human flesh.

When he saw the fresh ring of bite marks on her neck—marks clearly not his—his eyes went pitch black.

Ava stopped in front of him. "Something wrong?"

Landon crushed his cigarette. He grabbed her wrist, hard enough to crush bone. "Who did you sleep with last night?"

Ava raised a brow. "None of your business."

Landon leaned down, voice a mere exhale of air. "Ava Rosier. You better pray I don't find out it was him."

He let go, got in the car, and slammed the door. The car screeched away.

Ava stood there, fingertips purple from his grip, and suddenly smiled.

10:00 PM. Ava had just showered, hair dripping, when the doorbell rang.

Thinking it was Summer, she opened the door. It was Landon. Jacket over his arm, shirt open, eyes bloodshot as if he hadn't slept in three days.

Without a word, he pinned her against the hallway wall. His knee forced her legs apart, hand diving under her bathrobe, finding the still-swollen flesh.

"Wet yet?" He bit her ear, voice terrifyingly low. "Or can you not get wet after Kai f*cked you?"

Ava gasped, but her body trembled at his touch. Landon laughed, a sound full of malice. "Looks like you still can."

He ripped the belt of her robe, picked her up, and threw her onto the bed.

The mattress shook. Ava’s cries and Landon’s tortured panting filled the night. He was trying to take her apart. Every thrust was a punishment, driving her to sob until she lost her voice. Yet, at the peak of the madness, she wrapped around him, biting his shoulder, leaving new marks.

The climax was forced higher and higher. Ava cried until her throat bled. Landon gripped her jaw, forcing her to look at him.

"Remember," he rasped. "You can only be mine."

Ava smiled through her tears. But when he slammed into her again, she cried out another name.

Landon froze. The blood vessels in his eyes exploded.