“A pleasure,” he says, his voice a cruel hard thing that sends unwelcome shivers over my skin.
“P–pleased to meet you,” I manage to murmur, taking a deep inhale when I feel Jax stroke my free hand, stepping up close behind me.
“Loki, Jax, you know where your seats are. I can show Lilly to hers,” Julian says, his tone curt and expression pinched.
Loki reluctantly lets my hand go, my fingers feeling bereft as he leaves me with a look full of worry. He goes to sit next to Kai, a beautiful woman with the same auburn hair tumbling over her shoulders, sitting on Loki’s other side. I can see his features reflected in hers, although where Loki is warm and inviting, hers is a cruel beauty, sharp and unforgiving. She must be his mother, and on her other side is a blond man, with the same emerald eyes as Loki. They look me over, undressing me, and his tongue darts out over his lips as if he likes what he sees.
I can’t suppress the shudder as Julian introduces us.
“This is Chad and Rebecca Thorn, Loki’s parents.”
“A pleasure, Miss. Darling,” Chad says, his voice low like Loki’s but lacking the sensuality of his son’s timbre.
“Lovely to finally meet you, Lilly. I can call you Lilly, can’t I” Rebecca says, her voice sugary sweet, but like Snow White’s apple, there’s poison lurking in the depths.
“Of course, Rebecca,” I smile saccharinely back, having to suppress the chuckle at the way she flinches and narrows her eyes when I use her Christian name. “Nice to meet you, Chad,” I add, hating the oily feeling that slivers over my skin when he hears his own given name from my lips.Fucking Chad.
I look over when I hear a chair scrape on the marble floor, to see Jax sitting next to a tiny blonde woman. She looks up at him with such love and sorrow in her eyes that it takes my breath away. He looks down and gives her an affectionate smile, taking her hand and kissing the back of it sweetly.
“Rafe and Jannet Griffiths, Jax’s parents,” Julian continues, leaving the top of the table and stepping next to me, taking my elbow. My heart rate kicks up a notch, knowing that I’m in the hands of a predator, but I shake my head when Jax looks ready to get up and knock Julian the fuck out.
“So, you’re the cunt leading all our boys around by their dicks?” I hear a gruff voice say, and my head turns sharply to see a guy of similar, if slightly smaller, build to Jax; basically huge and hulk-like, sitting next to Jax. I don’t miss Jax’s mum flinch at his crude words or Jax’s growl.
“That’s me,” I smile sweetly at him. “You must be the pathetic excuse of a man who beats his wife and child to make up for his micro penis.” I hold his gawking glare, even as his face goes an unhealthy shade of purple, and I hear Loki covering up a bark of laughter with a cough.
“Why, you little bitch!” Rafe roars, shooting up from his seat, as if to make his way over to me, but Jax gets to his feet as well.
“Sit the fuck down,old man,” he snarls, and warmth suffuses my limbs at his defence of me.
I smirk as Rafe does as his son orders, and takes his seat once more.
“You like to keep things interesting I see, naughty girl,” Julian chuckles next to my ear, and I literally have to swallow down vomit at his words, chastising me like he’s my sugar daddy.Fucking hell.
His blasted hand lands back on my bare skin making me jump, and he guides me to an empty chair next to Jannet Griffiths, Ash on my other side.
“And you know me and my wife, Samantha,” Julian finishes, pulling out the chair for me as his wife doesn’t even look up from studying something on the table.
“Nice to see you again, Samantha,” I say, lowering myself in my chair as Julian pushes it in. She looks up, startled.
“Oh, Lilly,” she starts, her voice soft and wispy like a puff of smoke. “I didn’t know that you were coming.”
“I told you, Mom,” Ash says from beside me, his hand coming to my thigh and squeezing gently underneath the table.
“Silly me,” she says breathlessly, then goes back to staring at her empty plate. She jumps when Julian claps his hands.
“Let’s begin!” he calls, and the doors open to reveal servers in smart black tailcoats and white gloves, holding small plates, which must be our starters.
Ash leans in, his ginger scent calming me as it wraps around my body like a warm hug.
“Princess,” he murmurs in my ear, the same one his father just spoke into, but the shivers I get this time are all from pleasure.
“‘O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear;
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!