Page 50 of A Deal in Darkness
Adriana glances at me, questioning whether I’m serious.
I nod and take another sip of champagne, reclining on the sofa as she decides she likes another pair of shoes. My girl was beginning to get comfortable with the extravagant, exorbitant shopping trip I’d taken her on, but the growing pile of boxes has knocked her confidence.
“Just get what you want, baby.”
She bites her lip nervously, presumably worried that she isn’t pleasing me. Perhaps she thinks she’s spending too much money, or maybe not enough. She glances down at the shoes and I wonder if she thinks they’re not to my taste.
I pull my phone out, excuse myself, and call Eva. My assistant picks up immediately, confirming that she’s either in the process of acquiring the lingerie I’d requested or that it’s already been delivered to Adriana’s closet.
My girl’s in for quite the surprise when we get back home—and I haven’t even shown her any of my other toys yet. First, I need her to accept her place and accept what I know to be true. She’s kinky as fuck, and her tastes are varied. She loves praise and degradation, humiliation and adoration, and she’s both timid and adventurous.
Adriana’s a fascinating mix, and she is truly unique.
I’ve played with thousands of women and never found one like her, and she is worth the time I spent waiting. She’s worth the effort of protecting and as much as I dislike attachment, it would be a lie to say I have no feelings towards her.
Eva passes me some information about some of the other demons and my ears prick when she describes their movements. I know when those other fuckers are up to no good, and this lot is planning something. They’ve also roped some vampires in by the sound of it, and this needs stamping out. Quickly. Before it escalates and I’m forced to deal with it myself.
It'll be inconvenient if I have to get involved.
Worse, it’ll mean leaving Adriana here or taking her to the underworlds with me—and she isn’t ready.
I bark some orders, hang up, and message Byron.
He also responds instantly, agreeing to do what I need him to. My temper flares when he asks how Adriana is doing and I send a short, sharp text reminding him of his place.
When I turn around, Adriana has made her way to another part of the shop and is admiring some more bags. Her fingersrun over their leather and she tries them on her shoulder before gingerly putting them back on the shelf. The shop assistant is trying to encourage her, but Adriana is hesitating, clearly wanting them but holding back.
I call the manager over and settle the bill, including for the bags Adriana put back on the shelf. The driver can take the vast array of boxes and packages home while we are spending our time doing something more pleasing.
“Do you mind a short walk?” I ask, smiling as I walk over.
“Where are we going?” Adriana replies.
I beam down at her and place a kiss on her cheek. “It’s a surprise. You’ll like it.”
The shop assistants practically swoon and Adriana shoots them withering looks. She’s jealous, and that’s good. Jealousy means she cares. She’s marking me as hers, and I’m more than content for her to be possessive, especially if it gets her closer to where I want her to be.
I guide her out of the shop, showering her with adoring looks as I tuck her under my arm. She protests that we need to pay and I reassure her it’s all taken care of, failing to mention the additional bags I’ve bought her.
We stroll down the street, and she leans into me. Adriana’s relaxing and we talk about her new job. She’s excited, and it’s adorable, and while she holds my attention, I keep an eye on everything else going on around us.
The streets of London are far from safe, and Adriana doesn’t realize how dangerous they can be. I’ve held control for the past century, bringing more order to the carnage that existed before. Demons, warlocks, vampires, and other creatures of the darkness thrive on chaos, and it’s difficult to control.
I’m ruthless, but even I cannot stop every fucker who thinks they can climb the hierarchy of power. There's a lot of movement at the lower levels and that's healthy, weeding out the weak among us.
Every so often someone gets ideas above their station and thinks they can challenge me. It's an act of idiotic bravery and I've stamped every damn attempt out ruthlessly. I've executed everyone known to anyone who tried to usurp me, sparing few and protecting my reputation.
Adriana looks up at me and smiles, carefree and happy. I like her like this. She's allowed herself to forget about the things that have been tormenting her and live in the moment. I hope it's the beginning of her acceptance, but I've lived long enough to be skeptical of such foolish notions.
“Where are you taking me?” she asks, giggling.
“It's a surprise.”
She rolls her eyes and runs her hand over some flowers at a florist. She stops and I wait, noticing a warlock lurking on the street corner. I know him well and he's a devious fucker. He's ambitious too, and his appearance isn't coincidental.
“Do you like these?” Adriana asks.
“I think the question that matters is whetheryoulike them,” I reply, quickly texting Byron the details of what is happening as I pretend not to notice the warlock.
