Page 51 of Sin

Take that Grumpy Brit Number Two.

The call connected after two rings, and Lilith’s perfectly made-up face came into view. Her hair was done in a pinup style with a red silk scarf tied in a neat little bow at the crown of her head. She looked ready to pose for a rockabilly photo shoot. Shoulders bare, black corset, cleavage cleaving, lips painted crimson to match the scarf. Damn, she was good.

“Merri, darling. What a surprise. I thought the boys would’ve had you under lock and key.”

“They do. That’s why I’m calling.”

One of her perfectly sculpted brows arched. “Oh? Do tell. You know I love a piping hot tea break during a session.”

As if it had been timed, Crombie’s voice rang out from somewhere off-screen. “Oh bloody hell, Lilypad. Not again.”

Lilith’s lips twisted into a faint smirk. “Quiet, Drystan. Or I’ll make it last even longer.”

Her submissive—though, in truth, there wasn’t much submissive about the fae prince—let out a low grumble before she turned her attention back to me.

“What’s got you looking so down, sweet girl? Are your guards mistreating you?”

“Mistreating?” I repeated, mulling over the word. “No. Not exactly. Ignoring, more like.”

“Ignoring you? I find that hard to believe.”

“You wouldn’t if you could see how they act around me. Seriously, they barely speak to me. One has exchanged all of five words with me. Two of them would rather watch paint dry than even look at me. And then there’s Sin, who just wants to fuck me.”

She grinned. “Of course he does, my love. You’re exactly what he needs.”

Examining her manicure as though this wasn’t my entire life we were discussing, she hummed.

“Auntie Lilith, please. I need to get out of here. I can’t live like this. I have no one to talk to. No one to keep me company.”

At this, my aunt frowned. “I’m sorry, darling girl, but you must start considering your new lodgings as your home for the foreseeable future.”

“What?” I all but screeched. “Auntie Lilith, no. I can’t stay here indefinitely. Surely you’ll handle whatever threat is out there like you always do, and then I can come home.”

“You are home, darling. Best make peace with it. This isn’t the sort of threat one canhandleeasily. It could be... a while before it’s safe for you again.”

Once again, Crombie’s derisive snort met her words, but my aunt silenced whatever he might have said with a warning glare.

Panic and frustration warred inside me. Stuck here with four men who hated me, feeding off of nothing but my clients. That wasn’t sustainable. Not if my appetite had anything to say about it. And the truth was, I didn’t do well in pure isolation. I never had. I was like a flower denied sunlight, and I’d wilt until there was nothing left. Being around others, even if I didn’t engage with them, filled me with energy.

Iniquityhad offered that in spades. And even Blackwood, to a degree, had provided me with the buzz of overwhelming emotions to siphon as needed. By comparison, being locked inGrim’s penthouse was a bit like being on an unwilling hunger strike. These four had all the emotions of a fucking rock garden.

“She has four cocks at the ready. Explain to me why she’s whinging.” Crombie came into the frame, fully nude, save the cage Lilith had put around his package.

“Ugh,” I cringed, shielding my eyes. It wasn’t the nudity, mind you. But Crombie was practically my uncle. No one wanted to see a family member under these conditions.

“Go back to your corner, pet. I’ll see to you soon enough.” Lilith’s voice was a steely purr that told me he was in a lot of trouble. Then she returned her attention to me. “He’s right, though. You must win them over. Make them your allies.”

“Were you not listening to the part where three of the four refuse to engage with me?”

She waved a hand as if that was no big deal. “Use the charm you were born with and gain the devotion of each and every one of them. That will make your life much easier.”

“Lilith—”

But she cut off my protest with a tight smile. “You know what you need to do, darling. So do it.” Then she clapped her hands and blew me a kiss. “Right, well. It was lovely to see you, but I must go. Brats to punish.” She winked. “Ciao, sweet girl. I can’t wait to hear how you bring these men to their knees.”

As the screen went dark, I let her words tumble in my head, knowing she wouldn’t have given that advice if it wasn’t exactly the right thing to do. Auntie Lilith was the wisest creature I knew. She was also ancient. The original demon. If anyone knew how to get shit done, it was absolutely her. I simply had to use some of the tactics she always kept in her pocket.

Charm.

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