The Moment Before We Kne
Chapter 197
Adrian Kael
I walk down the hallway with light steps, almost floating, until I find
a dark corner. Silence envelops me, and a smile forms on its own-
wide, sickly.
A laugh explodes from my throat, echoing through the corridor, loud
and uncontrolled, as if my sanity has been ripped away. My chest
rises and falls in rapid gasps; my entire body vibrates with
excitement.
“Ah… Magnus… so beautiful when he gets enraged.”
I hug my own body, feeling the heat rise through my skin. I slide my hand over my face where he struck me and run my tongue over my
lips. The metallic taste of the memory makes me shudder.
Damn… How can he be so sexy even when he attacks me?
When he hit me in front of everyone, I saw in his eyes the immediate
realization of his mistake. I almost pulled him to me right then and
there; I almost kissed him in front of the entire prison.
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But he needed to learn.
He needed to be punished.
Rebellious boys don’t go without a reprimand.
Those buttocks… hard, firm, made for striking. Every slap brought me
closer to an orgasm. Even though I love him, I must maintain a firm
grip: show what happens to those who disobey me.
Rebellious boys need to be punished.
Now I have another matter to settle. When I carried him through the
hallway, I wanted everyone to understand: the Enforcer has fallen,
and the throne has passed to me. Still, I will not tolerate anyone
humiliating my husband.
No one, besides me, has that right. I correct him so that he obeys;
when he obeys, I treat him with affection. If necessary, I even
apologize for my methods.
But humiliate him? Only I do that. And only I can fix it.
Whoever dares to mock him will pay dearly. No one ridicules Magnus without my authorization; I will not allow them to despise him or
make fun of him.
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Navarro’s group… I know how much they hate my Magnus.
Navarro might even be a useful ally, but if he steps out of line, I’ll break him myself.
I don’t care about alliances.
Whoever approaches him without my permission will learn, in the
most painful way, what it means to mess with what belongs to me.
I resume my walk through the corridor, already focused on my next
target: the old group that used to serve my Magnus.
They think I didn’t notice when they laughed and mocked my
husband. I chose not to interfere; I wanted to observe what his
reaction would be. But to my surprise… who would have thought the
target would be me?
I run into David on the way. As soon as he sees me, he hurries to close
the distance, far too curious for his own good.
“What did you do with the Enforcer?” he asks, his voice tinged with
unease.
I shoot him an icy look, not liking the boldness.
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“And why do you want to know?” The question comes out harsh and cutting, forcing him to take a step back.
“I–I… I just wanted to know. I’m sorry.” His discomfort increases as I hold his gaze.
I take a step forward, the shadow of my body projecting over his.
“A word of advice, David. You can ask me anything.”
I move closer and grab his chin with force. The low groan of pain he
lets out through his teeth satisfies me.
“But never, ever, ask about my Magnus. Understood?”
My sharp gaze pierces through him, cold and steady. He swallows
hard and nods quickly, terrified. A slow smile appears on my lips as I
release his chin.
“Great. I like you, David. It would be a shame to have to discard you.”
He takes a deep breath, trying to regain control.
“I’ll keep that in mind, boss. Forgive my insolence.”
I give him a light pat on the shoulder, a false gesture of camaraderie.
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“No problem. You didn’t know, and that’s why you made a grave
mistake. Next time, you’ll know better.”
“Yes, sir. I won’t make that mistake again.”
I pass by him and resume my path with calm steps, feeling him follow
behind me through the corridor.
When we reach the cafeteria door, I stop and hold out my hand; he
stares at me, not understanding.
“Your weapon. I’m going to need it. I have no desire to get my hands
dirty. I touched something sacred.”
A wide smile opens on my lips; I lick them, remembering the slaps I
gave to my husband’s buttocks. A sound of discomfort escapes David.
I lose control when the subject is Magnus. Impeccable, worthy of
worship. Just remembering someone who lay with his body and
touched his lips, and the disgust rises. The images burn: foreign
hands, laughter, the audacity to take what is mine.
They paid dearly; I personally saw to removing them from this world,
Even so, I find no peace; perhaps there are still those who covet my
king.
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Whoever crosses that line will have their fate sealed; I will eliminate
anyone who dares.
“Here.” His voice pulls me from my reverie.
David hands me the weapon, and I take it calmly, feeling the cold
weight of the metal in my palm. I appreciate the object for its
precision, and, for a second, I almost caress it.
“Beautiful. Weapons have a beauty of their own, don’t you think,
David?” I ask, smiling softly.
I see him swallow hard.
“Yes, sir. Beautiful. May I ask what you’re going to use it for?”
Nervousness jumps in his eyes.
His body has gone tense; it’s curious to see how the man who was so
friendly with me before, even if for money, now stares at me
consumed by dread.
I wonder: am I really that scary?
What was once a joke has transformed into rigidity; fear has begun to
control every gesture.
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“I’m going to get rid of some sons of bitches who dared to mock my
god.”
I answer calmly, and before we enter the cafeteria, I look at him.
“David, why are you so afraid of me? Am I really that scary?” The
question comes out smoothly.
His eyes widen.
I know I am sick, cruel, obsessive, possessive, a psychopath, and a
maniac. All that and more. To me, it doesn’t sound like a burden; it
sounds like a definition. Most would call it a flaw, but I call it
essence.
It’s who I am.
And yet, this fear I see in his eyes makes me curious.
Why?
Am I really that scary?
To me, it’s normal to want to slit the throat of anyone who dares to
laugh at him. It’s natural to want to break bones just because
someone dared to look at something they shouldn’t. There is nothing
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Chapter 197
wrong with keeping what is mine chained up; what’s wrong would be
letting it escape.
Yes, I am cruel.
Yes, I am crazy.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
