Ruthless Creatures (Queens & Monsters, #1)

by J.T. Geissinger

I know better than to mix business with pleasure. I just need to focus and do what I came here to do. If only she weren’t so goddamn beautiful. I don’t like to break beautiful things.

“For future reference, if you see a woman wearing a wedding gown, the only acceptable thing to tell her is that she looks beautiful.” “You are beautiful,” comes the hard reply. “But it has nothing to do with that fussy fucking dress.”

“Thank you.” “For what?” “For making me feel something. It’s been a long time since someone did. I wasn’t sure I could anymore.”

“She’s a pretty girl. But there are a million pretty girls in the world.” He lifts his hand and lightly touches my cheek. His voice softer, he says, “There’s only one of you.”

He murmurs, “I want everything you have to give, Natalie, for as long as you want to give it to me.”

Deadly soft, he says, “Careful, beautiful girl.” I love it when he calls me that. It makes all my hollow spaces fill up with crackling white light and start singing.

I whisper, “For a guy who claims to be such a bad scary criminal, you’re a big softie.” “Only for you.”

“I’ll have to make you fall in love with me before I tell you all my darkest secrets.” Make you fall in love with me. He keeps upping the ante in this conversation. I thought I was dead ten seconds ago, but now I’m buried six feet underground. “Oh yeah? Why’s that?” “So you won’t leave me … even though you’ll want to.”

“All those years I spent waiting … I don’t think it was for him anymore. I think it was for you.”

“My beautiful girl. I’ve been helpless against you from the first day we met.”

“Let me get this straight. You’re telling me that after sleeping with me once, you’re willing to support me financially from now on?” “Of course.” “Don’t make it sound so reasonable!” “Why not? It is.” “No, it’s absolutely not.” “You’re mine now. It’s my duty and pleasure to take care of you.” Who talks like that? What’s happening? “Give me a sec. My head is spinning.”

“You’ll be sending me an allowance now, is that what I’m hearing?” “Yes.” “Great. I’ll take it in gold bars, please. I’ve always wanted to stack them into a giant pyramid in the living room to see if I can communicate with aliens.”

This girl's humor cracks me up!

The longer this conversation continues, the more I’m liable to topple sideways to the floor and crack open my head. “Baby?” “Hmm?” “You okay?” “Just a small brain hemorrhage. Nothing to worry about.” “You’re so damn cute.” “Glad I amuse you.”

😂

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. The best thing, and also hands-down the fucking worst, because of who I am and what I do and all the shit that goes along with that.

I whisper, “I’m a ride or die. All in or nothing. It doesn’t matter where we live or how far apart we are. I’m yours. You make your vows in blood, but I make them with my heart. And my heart belongs to you now. I don’t need a picket fence or picnics in the park. I only need what you give me. And it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever known.” After a moment, he says roughly, “Which is?” “Yourself.”

“Don’t worry, buddy. Mommy has an unloaded shotgun she can wave around and probably scare an intruder away with.” Sloane pulls the cork from the wine bottle. “And Auntie Sloane has a snubnose .357 Magnum in her boot, which is loaded, so you really shouldn’t worry.”

Dead 😂😂

She must hear the longing in my tone, all the longing and desperate need, because her voice grows worried. “Are you okay?” I answer truthfully. “No.” Her voice rises. “What’s wrong?” “I left something in California.” “What?” “My heart, baby. My cold, dead, worthless heart, which didn’t even beat before I met you.” There’s a period of silence, then she whispers, “I’m in love with you.” Now I do groan out loud. She just shot an arrow through my chest. I’m fucking dead.

Kage 🫠🫠🫠

I’ll go live in Antarctica, where the only single males are penguins.

😂😂😂

I’d start a support group for women who’ve fallen in love with and been betrayed by the assassin who was sent to kill them, but the only member would be me. Help. I’m going insane.

Nobody threatens my baby.

Instead of being a good assassin and shooting me in the head then dumping me into the lake, he thought it would be fun to make me fall in love with him first. Which he did, the bastard.”

Apparently, I have a very specific type: mafia men who lie through their teeth to get into my pants, but have no intention of staying with me. Or keeping me alive.

“I was never playing you, baby. I loved you from day one.”

My heart 🥹🥹

“There’s nowhere on earth you could hide from me.”

She says, “Thank you.” “For what?” “Saving my life.” We stare at each other. The air between us crackles. I say softly, “I told you, baby. It’s my duty and pleasure to take care of you.”

Gazing down at me with adoring eyes, he whispers, “Ya tebya lyublyu. I love you. Ty nuzhnah mne. I need you. Ty moya. You’re mine.”

“Green, honey. All the green in the universe.”

This is it. This is the way the dreaded Reaper meets his end, at the hands of an angel with a sword for a tongue.

Natalie Peterson is the brightest flame, and I’m the moth flying straight into her fire.

🔥🦋