strength.”
Her smile widened. “You think I’m beautiful ?”
He laughed softly. “I’m not blind, Marie. I thought so from the first time we met. I also happen to think you are like a breath of life, confident, and what some might call reckless… I call strength. So whatever this asshole has to say to me about you is of no consequence. What he may have to say about me means nothing. He doesn’t know me, and those who cast stones at those they don’t know are cowards who use the defamation of others to boost the low opinions they have of themselves.”
She stared at him as he swiped his finger across her screen and answered her phone.
“Hello.”
“Who is this?” Marko’s anger was palpable in his tone.
“Uriah, we met at one of Bain and Izzy’s get-togethers.”
“Yeah, I remember you and your hoard of brainless muscle . Put Marie on the phone.”
Uriah chuckled. “She’s busy moving on from the little man who resorts to name calling when he’s caught in the wrong. She doesn’t want to talk to you, and she doesn’t want you calling her anymore.”
“Put her on the fucking phone.”
“Yeah, that’s not going to happen… What is going to happen is that I am going to call some of the brainless muscle from the security firm I own to track all the calls that come through to Marie’s phone and, if you call again, then we will deal with this in person. Do you understand?”
“Fuck you.”
“Does that mean you understand?”
“You can fucking have her . She’s not that great a lay anyway.” Marko spat.
Marie sucked in a sharp breath , and Uriah tightened his grip around her waist as he growled, “One more venomous word from your foul mouth and I won’t wait for you to call back before I seek you out… Have some respect for the woman you claimed to have loved for over a year.”
The line went dead. Uriah set her phone down before turning to see her face buried in her hands. He reached over to guide her hands away, but she resisted. He sighed and adjusted so they were lying on the couch. He wrapped his other arm around her and held her.
She whispered through her hands. “That was mortifying.”
Uriah shook his head and squeezed her. “No, it was the ranting of an asshat .”
She let out a quick burst of laughter and peeked at him through her fingers. “Did the word taste funny on your tongue?”
He smiled at her. “Did I sound weird saying it?”
“A little,” she admitted. “You’re very old-world gentleman … or at least, that’s mostly how you’ve appeared every time we’ve ever talked.”
“I like to think of myself as a gentleman… I think that’s a good thing , though.”
“It’s a really good thing… You just don’t see it very often.”
“Chivalry is not dead, Marie. Maybe you just haven’t found the right guy.”
She smiled and relaxed against him. Maybe she just had.
“Good night, Uriah.”
He started to get up to let her go to one of the bedrooms, but she flung her arm over his waist and snuggled her face against his chest. “Can we just stay here?”
He pulled a blanket from the back of the couch over them. “Sure thing. Good night, Marie.”
“Night, thanks for being there for me,” she said on a yawn.
He smiled as stage seven came and moved on… He was feeling like plain old Uriah once again.
Chapter Eight
Makyle strode through the dark halls of his castle. He moved with confidence, his eyes drinking in the details of the black marble that created the only home he’d ever known. He couldn’t remember what life was before he found himself in the walls of the castle that housed the rulers of the Dark side of the Underworld. All he knew was who his family was and what he was supposed to do.
Rules—his life had been born of rules. It was what defined him and his siblings. Only he didn’t like or understand the rules anymore. He wasn’t really sure he ever did. With a quick scan around the hall, he slipped inside Jelena’s
Her smile widened. “You think I’m beautiful ?”
He laughed softly. “I’m not blind, Marie. I thought so from the first time we met. I also happen to think you are like a breath of life, confident, and what some might call reckless… I call strength. So whatever this asshole has to say to me about you is of no consequence. What he may have to say about me means nothing. He doesn’t know me, and those who cast stones at those they don’t know are cowards who use the defamation of others to boost the low opinions they have of themselves.”
She stared at him as he swiped his finger across her screen and answered her phone.
“Hello.”
“Who is this?” Marko’s anger was palpable in his tone.
“Uriah, we met at one of Bain and Izzy’s get-togethers.”
“Yeah, I remember you and your hoard of brainless muscle . Put Marie on the phone.”
Uriah chuckled. “She’s busy moving on from the little man who resorts to name calling when he’s caught in the wrong. She doesn’t want to talk to you, and she doesn’t want you calling her anymore.”
“Put her on the fucking phone.”
“Yeah, that’s not going to happen… What is going to happen is that I am going to call some of the brainless muscle from the security firm I own to track all the calls that come through to Marie’s phone and, if you call again, then we will deal with this in person. Do you understand?”
“Fuck you.”
“Does that mean you understand?”
“You can fucking have her . She’s not that great a lay anyway.” Marko spat.
Marie sucked in a sharp breath , and Uriah tightened his grip around her waist as he growled, “One more venomous word from your foul mouth and I won’t wait for you to call back before I seek you out… Have some respect for the woman you claimed to have loved for over a year.”
The line went dead. Uriah set her phone down before turning to see her face buried in her hands. He reached over to guide her hands away, but she resisted. He sighed and adjusted so they were lying on the couch. He wrapped his other arm around her and held her.
She whispered through her hands. “That was mortifying.”
Uriah shook his head and squeezed her. “No, it was the ranting of an asshat .”
She let out a quick burst of laughter and peeked at him through her fingers. “Did the word taste funny on your tongue?”
He smiled at her. “Did I sound weird saying it?”
“A little,” she admitted. “You’re very old-world gentleman … or at least, that’s mostly how you’ve appeared every time we’ve ever talked.”
“I like to think of myself as a gentleman… I think that’s a good thing , though.”
“It’s a really good thing… You just don’t see it very often.”
“Chivalry is not dead, Marie. Maybe you just haven’t found the right guy.”
She smiled and relaxed against him. Maybe she just had.
“Good night, Uriah.”
He started to get up to let her go to one of the bedrooms, but she flung her arm over his waist and snuggled her face against his chest. “Can we just stay here?”
He pulled a blanket from the back of the couch over them. “Sure thing. Good night, Marie.”
“Night, thanks for being there for me,” she said on a yawn.
He smiled as stage seven came and moved on… He was feeling like plain old Uriah once again.
Chapter Eight
Makyle strode through the dark halls of his castle. He moved with confidence, his eyes drinking in the details of the black marble that created the only home he’d ever known. He couldn’t remember what life was before he found himself in the walls of the castle that housed the rulers of the Dark side of the Underworld. All he knew was who his family was and what he was supposed to do.
Rules—his life had been born of rules. It was what defined him and his siblings. Only he didn’t like or understand the rules anymore. He wasn’t really sure he ever did. With a quick scan around the hall, he slipped inside Jelena’s
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