Page 31 of Queen of Diamonds

“You don’t understand. You have to let me go.”

He ignored me, waiting quietly.

I took a breath, forcing a snarl on my face as I reached for the clasp of my bra and unhooked it. If he wanted to see the weapons, we could do that without losing the dress. He raised an eyebrow as I fought to get it off. I threw it at him too, holding my head high as another folded blade bounced across the mattress. A little part of me calculated going for it, but there was no way Zed wasn’t waiting for exactly that. And then what? Put a knife to his throat to escape.

“Shit.” His eyes were fixed on my tits, which were on full display through the dress.

My lips drew in a snarl.

“Never found a set quite as good, you know? Would it go to your head if I said I missed them?”

My mind battled with that. Never found?

How many Omegas had they been with since I’d left them?

“Trip on your fucking knife,” I spat.

His grin was wide.

“Am I reading that right—are you jealous?”

“I hope it lands right on your dick.”

He stepped toward me, eyes twinkling dangerously. “Oh, the arrogance.”

“Me?”

“Tell me what you think of that, sweetheart? That we’ve banged more Omegas than I can name since you left.”

A wounded growl rose in my chest born of instinct and nothing else. I tried to stop it, but I couldn’t, years of agony, of nightmares, catching up to me in one moment. Zed had me by the throat, pinning me to the wall.

“You betrayed us,” he hissed. “You don’t get a claim.”

I shut my eyes, trying to find safety, solace. Trying to calm my breathing. His cool scent of snow santal made it impossible.

“Do you understand me?”

I didn’t answer.

“I’ll bring an Omega home tonight and make you watch,” he threatened.

I buried every instinct deep, buried the pain at the thought, and swallowed every bit of pride I’d so desperately clawed back in the years since I’d escaped Ace.

“I understand,” I hissed.

No claim.

I couldn’t love them.

Even if that love had been the pillar of my survival for years.

Still was, a little voice whispered.

And he could never know that.

“So. That’s all?” he asked.

“All what?”

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