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Read book online Β«Kiss of Crimson by Samantha Coville (best love story novels in english txt) πŸ“•Β».   Author   -   Samantha Coville



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empty next to me. The sheets were thrown back and his clothes were picked off the floor. I was so confused and hurt and worried. Had something happened to him? Or had he lied to me and left me to defend myself? I was shocked when my mother calmed me and told me he had left for my own protection and hidden his plans so that I couldn't follow. Even my mother, of all people, could admit he loved me and was being selfless. But I felt betrayed and abandoned.

The revelation of what he had done didn't help. I spent the next few days nearly comatose in my bed. The ceaseless concern of whether he was dead or alive kept me paralyzed. With every second that ticked by, the irrational thoughts filled my head more and more. I wondered if that breath I took in bed coincided with his last a hundred miles away at the hands of Jardin or one of his goons. I knew it was crazy to become consumed by thoughts like those, but I felt responsible for whatever happened to this man I had admittedly grown to love. If I hadn't meddled at the warehouse that night, Arden wouldn't have put his neck on the line for me.

I squeezed my blanket tighter around me and shoved my head into my pillow, screaming into it so that no one could hear. I had run out of tears already. The only thing that was left to do was decide to either brush myself off like nothing had happened or continue to wallow like a spoiled brat. I want to say that I was deciding on the former, but the latter was a much more likely possibility.

When I pulled my face away from the feather pillow, I noticed something that I swore wasn't there a moment before. There was a faint smell in the air, something bitter and earthy. The smell of something burning.

I pulled myself off the mattress and my head felt heavy on my shoulders. Was something on fire in the kitchen? But that couldn't have been right, because I remembered my mother had come in to tell me that she and the entire staff were going to the funeral for the carrier boy. We weren't even able to save him, and he succumbed to his injuries a few days later. The house was supposed to be empty for everyone except me.

So where was the smell coming from?

My feet met the cold wood flooring, and I pulled my robe tighter around my body. I pushed my hair behind my ear and stumbled across the room to my bedroom door. As soon as the door was open, the smell was stronger. It hit me in the chest, the smoke and the stench. I tried my best to wave at the air in front of me as my eyes watered. I fought the urge to scream as I realized the grey clouds were coming from the library, my library.

My pace picked up as I bolted for the library door. It stood cracked open, which was a blessing as I brushed against the handle of the door and felt that it was burning hot. I stepped inside and saw to my horror that there was indeed a fire in my father's library. The red and orange flames licked away at the hundreds of books that he had carefully selected and collected. The room that was my safe haven was going to turn to ashes, and the fire was already too large for me to hope to extinguish.

Then my eyes fell on the woman. Her back was turned to me and all I could see was her flowing brown hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall. I thought maybe one of the servants had stayed behind and was too scared to move once she discovered the fire. I called out to her, but coughed as the contaminated air filled my lungs. The woman must have heard me though because she turned around and I noticed the shining daggers strapped to her waist and thighs, the white of her fangs peeking out in her wild grin.

"I finally get to meet the Lady Eloise." The way she said my name was akin to how I would have mentioned a dead rat floating in the fountain in the backyard. The woman sauntered closer to me and I stumbled backward, catching myself on one of the bookcases that hadn't fallen victim. Not yet. But I needed to get out of there fast.

"I'm Evangeline. You don't know me, but I used to be one of Arden's associates. I've come to... settle a score. I'd say I'm sorry that you're caught in the middle of this, but," she laughed. "I'm really not."

It was like she could tell I was about to pivot and run as fast as I could out of the mansion. Because, with a twinkle in her eye, and faster than I could ever react to, she lunged at me. The last thing I remembered before my vision went black was the sound of a deep growl from her throat as her hands clenched around me.

Twenty

Arden

I broke my phone.

The moment I held it up to my ear, my hand convulsed, and the chrome crumbled under my hand as though it were clay.

I wasted precious time trying to locate a pay phone with a slightly more durable handset.

It still cracked ominously under my grip as I dialed Jardin’s personal number.

I’m surprised I didn’t leave the buttons permanently sunk into the device.

When he picked up, I didn’t bother with the pleasantries.

Evangeline wouldn’t dare act alone, not with someone like Eloise.

She had to have been directed.

And there was only one person who’d dare lay on a hand on Madame Hart’s youngest daughter.

β€œCall your attack bitch off, Jardin, or so help me, you won’t live to see the sun set again.”

He didn’t miss a beat.

β€œI’m afraid I haven’t the slightest idea what

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