All Chapters of Forbidden Flame: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Nico POVShe 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 t

Lila POVI fe‌lt him smile against my neck. “Feel better?”My heart was still racing, a‍ w⁠i⁠ld⁠, erratic rhythm that refused t⁠o slow‍. My brea⁠thing came shallow, each inh⁠ale catching somewhere b⁠et‌we‌en relief and need. “Much better,⁠” I whispered, my voice⁠ betraying the way m‍y body still tr‌e‌mbled beneath his touch.“Good.⁠” He stepped back, and the sudden loss of his wa‌rmth⁠ made my k‍nees weak⁠e⁠n. His ha⁠nd hovered near my waist for a s‌plit second, as if he knew I m‌ight fall, as if he enjoy⁠ed knowin‌g it. “But that w⁠a⁠sn‍’t what you need⁠ed.”“It wasn’t?” I glanc‍ed ove‌r my‌ shoulder⁠, my pulse hammering i‍n my ears, my legs still unsteady as if he’d dra‍ined s‌omething vital from me and left me craving m‌ore.“That should get you thr‌ough th‍e d‌ay,‌”⁠ he‌ sa‍id calm‌ly, his voice deceptivel‌y‍ composed,‌ “but tonight⁠,‍ once the lig‌h‌ts go out, I’ll give you what you really need.”The sordid promise in his dark eyes made m‍y breath h‌itch. It w⁠asn’t just desire t

Nico POVI noticed him glance from me to Lila, as if to say, “This is not a topic that should be discussed in front of her.” But then I didn’t care. If she was going to be by my side, there would be no secrets between us and no lies. She needed to know everything about my life and how we ran things. She needed to know who I truly was even if it scared the hell out of her.Uncle Lucas took a sip of his coffee. “We have. Apparently Damon is one persistent bastard.”I saw Lila tense when Uncle Lucas said Damon name. She looked at me, and I nodded toward the food in the middle of the table. Slowly she reached for a slice of bread and some avocado spread while I grabbed a cup and poured her some coffee. It was then that I realized I didn’t know how she drank her coffee. Did she even drink coffee, or did she drink tea? If she did, what kind of tea?I shook my head lightly, trying to get rid of all the goddamn questions which the answers held no consequence. I placed the cup of unsweetened b

Lila POVThe only answer he gave me was his silence.I took a deep breath. “And your mother? The woman who gave birth to you. You killed her and you took her life to save mine. Twice, Nico. Twice you pulled the trigger for me, killing your own flesh and blood, so how can you expect me to believe that nothing has changed?”As the last word left my mouth, I felt the blade pierce my skin. Pain seared my flesh, and I gasped when he wrapped his hand around my throat.He leaned down, his lips inches from my ear. “Just because I killed for you doesn’t mean you’re safe with me.”I turned my face toward him. “To me it means I’m safer nowhere else.”Our gazes remained locked. His eyes were cold, his expression hard, but I tried my best not to feel intimidated by him in that moment. “I know what you’re trying to do, Nico, and it’s not going to work.”His grip around my throat tightened. “And what is it that I’m doing?”I brought my hand up to the spot where his knife had nicked my skin and wiped

LILA POVOh yes,” Nico started before turning back to Doc, holding his phone out toward him. “There is this issue of you being photographed collecting your payment from one of Damon men.”I narrowed my eyes and stepped slightly closer to try and see the picture Nico was referring to. Doc stared at the phone for ten seconds then started to fight against his restraints. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Nico. It won’t happen again. I needed the money to pay off some debts but it was a one-time deal, I fucking swear.”Oh God, Nico put his phone back in his jacket pocket, seemingly unaffected by Doc confession and begging. “Nico, please. I swear to God it won’t happen again”Nico swung his fist straight into Doc face, and I heard the distinct sound of bone breaking. I flinched, closing my eyes for two seconds. When I opened them, his face was covered in blood from a cut just above his left eye and by the way Nico jaw clenched, I knew the monster was about to come out. “Did you not lay down the oa