Page 65 of Queen of Diamonds

Silence hung between them, neither looking at me.

“What happened?—?”

“Don’t.” Knight’s voice was more dangerous than I’d ever heard it. He still wouldn’t look at me.

I got to my feet, staring at him.

“Knight,” Zed hissed. “None of this gets better if she goes into heat. We can’t actually keep her in that cell.”

Silence followed, and Zed stepped toward me, reaching up and unhooking the rope that was keeping me here. I tugged it free around the cuffs, still looking at Knight, whose jaw was firmly clenched.

Zed nodded his head in a ‘follow me’ motion and stepped away.

Right. Okay, I guess I was just expected to do what I was told at this point.

With a scowl, I listened because the alternative was him dragging me by the damned cuffs.

He led me back to the room, grabbing something black and small from the counter on the way, but I couldn’t see what it was.

“Here’s the deal,” he said once we were in. He tossed the black thing at me, then dug in his pocket and produced a key. “You can come out of this room, but only if you wear this.” I frowned, trying to understand what I was looking at as he undid my cuffs at last.

“A… collar?”

“Perimeter spans the warehouse.”

“Perimeter?” I asked. Like a… I blinked, mouth going dry. “A shock collar?”

Zed shrugged. “We use it for Kyan’s ruts if we have to be out. If it works for him, I can be damned sure you won’t be going anywhere.”

“Is this a joke?”

“You can always stay in here.” He shrugged, folding his arms as he watched my expression with a little too much satisfaction. “I’m not forcing you.”

I stared at him, entirely lost for words. “You’re just trapping me in a tiny room?—”

“Nope.” He snorted. “We’re not doing this whole thing where you pretend you didn’t get us involved with Brotherhood shit without telling us. Pout all you want. That”—he pointed at the collar—“is your call. Knock on this door if you decide you want out.” With that, he vanished, shutting the door behind him.

I looked down at the collar in my hands. It was black, and made of leather, with a little device attached at the front. It looked like as soon as it closed it would need a key to undo it.

This was… well, it was madness.

I touched my neck, trying to unclench my jaw as I stared at it.

It wasn’t just madness… It was kind of… a claim, as twisted as that was.

Oh.

I needed to get a grip. So did my body. At the thought of it, slick was pooling between my thighs.

I really needed help.

KNIGHT

It took her less than a day.

Less than a fucking day for her to knock on that door to be let out.

It was midmorning when it happened, and I glared at Zed as he crossed toward it, wanting to stab him for the little spike of smugness that shot through the pack bond.

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