God and Monsters

Chapter 31

I fucking hate turbulence.

Just as I begin to swipe my red lipstick on my lips, the plane rumbles, and crimson is now on my goddamn cheek. Huffing, I grab a baby wipe from my carry-on bag and swipe it off.

Xavier flew into L.A. last night, so we're on Lisa's private jet and about halfway there. We have intel that he'll be attending an exclusive underground club tonight, so looking expensive is required. I'm anxious about seeing Xavier again, so I decided to occupy my time by getting ready during the flight rather than drowning in the anxiety and sweating off my makeup. Makes me wonder if Xavier has ever felt that way. His arrogance is a testament to how stupid he is. He's gone several months without hearing from L, and he thinks he's safe enough to come out of hiding for a weekend.
Honestly, I find it fitting. If he thought he could buy me and keep me as his personal sex slave without Lisa finding him, surely he'd be confident enough to walk into a club and think he'll come back out on his own free will.

The club he'll be frequenting is geared towards those with dark desires. According to Lisa's research, all the women are there of their own free will, which will allow us to focus solely on Xavier. That is nothing short of a blessing. It would be that much harder for the both of us to walk into a place where women are being trafficked or abused, and not take the entire building down.

And honestly, I would be worried for Lisa if that were the case. She has positively burnt down the world to find me, and she hasn't stopped since. She tracked down Rocco's friends, and several of the guests who attended the Culling and sent them all six feet under. Well, technically, they're dust in the wind now.

Between training and keeping watch over me, to hunting down Claire, Xavier, my captors, and anyone that stepped foot in that house-I don't know how she has any headspace left to think. She tried to take down a few more auctions too, but I drew the line there and demanded she brings in her other mercenaries to take her place in the meantime. It didn't take much to convince her, which only proved how exhausted she was. She's a machine, and lately, I've been having to coerce her with make- out sessions to get her to relax. The asshole succeeded in getting me addicted to her lips since the car chase, and I can't even be mad when it's the only thing that seems to keep either of us sane.

"You look beautiful," a deep, baritone voice says from behind me. I turn to find Lisa leaning against the doorframe to the mini suite, staring at me like I'm a glass of the finest whiskey, and she would kill for just a sip.

"Thank you," I murmur, swiping my hands nervously over my dress. It's a blood red strapless number, cut below the curve of my ass on one side and then dramatically tapers down, the silk flowing to my ankle on the other. It reminds me of the dress I wore when she took me to Mark's estate last year. Pretty sure I'll never look at a red dress and not think of what she did to me in that movie theater. Especially now, when she's prowling towards me with my black and purple blade and a strap in her hand, accompanied by a devilish glint in her eyes. I'm wearing five-inch black heels, yet still, I feel like a little girl standing next to Lisa. She has to be pushing six-foot-one.

"Don't forget these," she says, holding up the knife and lacy strap. "You're not going unprotected."

"Wouldn't dream of it," I murmur, enraptured by her. My heart clogs in my throat when she lowers herself before me.

"What are you doing?" I breathe, watching her long fingers reach out and grab my ankle. Her touch feels electric, my leg twitching from the feel of her skin slowly grazing my skin. I hold my breath, my heart speeding as her hand disappears beneath the silk and travels farther up.

"Placing the crown on my queen," she croons.

"What do you mean?" I mumble distractedly, shivering from the electric currents traveling up my leg.