Twisted Devotion (Kings & Consorts, #1)

by Poppy St. John

What was social media good for if not endless hours of distraction?

“Who did this to you?”

“You should see the other guy,” he said lightly.

When I looked into his eyes, I didn’t see the ghost looking back at me. I saw flesh and blood. Not a monster. A man. My Ruarc.

“You hurt me, Ruarc. You just fucking left. You just…”

“Before we do that, there’s something I was hoping you’d help me with.” I followed his gaze to the door. “Nixon’s in the trunk.”

I was glad it was Nixon; the first corpse I’d feed to the flames.

No lights, no activity. Ruarc came straight to me, but there was a chance my dad was watching. That he might see me. I laughed at the ridiculousness of it. Never enter the mortuary after midnight.

“You used a knife?” I asked. “It was personal,” he replied, like that explained everything.

Kissing a man in the cold room of my family mortuary while the incinerator heated up to cremate his long-time friend was far from the happily ever after I imagined. But this wasn’t the end, it was just the beginning.

“Is the oven preheated?” Ruarc asked, a dark brow lifted as he pulled away. I cringed, but laughter filled my throat. “Please don’t call it that.”

“You say I stole you away. I say I set you free.”

“You called this place your prison once but that was only because you were too afraid to admit that you’ve never felt more at home.”

“You’ve never felt more you, than when you’re with me.”

Emily was mine. But now I belonged to her, too.