Page 70 of Perilous

I lean over her and lower my mouth down to hers. I kiss her as she sleeps. She groans, waking up, kissing me back.

“Trust,” I say into her sleepy mouth.

“Trust,” she whispers back.

She falls back asleep.

I have to take care of something right now. I have to leave her be. I know if I wake her and tell her to drink someGHBshe will. She will listen. She will obey. She will respect my command.

I’m not going to do that. But I’m also not going to just leave the fucking room and leave her be. Trust only goes so far at the moment.

I roll Annika to her belly and order her hands behind her back. She listens without a word. I tie her hands behind her back, very tight. She groans but she doesn’t protest. I do the same to her ankles and then tie the ropes holding her wrists and ankles together. That’s how she’ll sleep.

Yes, it’ll be uncomfortable, butoh fucking well.Life is uncomfortable. Life is painful.

Sometimes our best made plans get completely fucked up for no good reason at all.

* * *

“Are you sure?”

“I’m fucking more than sure right now.”

“Even with your face looking the way it does? Is she fucking blind?”

“You’ve asked questions and I’ve given you answers.”

“I should have known. Distracted by delicious cunt. You do realize I may have to take a taste for myself, right? I mean, if it’s that good. It only makes sense.”

I cannot express the rage I feel at that comment.

Luc knows it. Luc plays into it.

I have to be very fucking careful right now…

“She’s delicious. She’s something worth what I’m doing. I never thought it would happen.”

“I guess I figured eventually. Let’s be real, once one jumps, they all jump. My brother made the first move. Him and that sweet Serafina.”

“Nobody has influenced me.”

“You do know this doesn’t change anything. What I’ve requested. What I’ve demanded. It doesn’t change. Think this through.”

“I already have. I need this to happen. So I can focus elsewhere.”

“Right. Of course.”

“I don’t have to ask permission for this. I’m speaking to you in advance out of respect, Luc. Either way I’m showing up. I want the ceremony to be done my way. That’s how it goes. Correct?”

“Of course. Tradition. Who am I to break it? I’m not a bad guy, Perilous. I’m not evil. At least not in the way you think. We all make very hard decisions in life. You included. Just tell me though… you’re sure…?”

Am I fucking sure about this? It’s none of Luc’s goddamn business. Whether I’m drunk, sure, sober, high, angry, happy, horny, or hard… it’s not Luc’s concern. What’s going to happen next… is going to happen next.

I just have to make this happen carefully so I don’t end up having my throat slit in front of my brood and in front of the Legion.

ChapterTwenty-Two

ANNIKA

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