Page 44 of Act of Passion

Elm smiled but it never reached his eyes. “Now, Brooke, this charade has gone on long enough. You’ve had plenty of time to come to terms with your future. Come with me now, and I will let the rest of the people in this establishment live. Resist, and I will have my men kill each oneslowly.”

One of the men she hadn’t killed yet leaned over. “Boss, what is that smell onher?”

Elm squared his shoulders. “Fae.”

“No other Fae chick I’ve smelled was this good,” said theman.

“She’s from my line,” said Elm. “Women among our line are rare. Probably why her father tried so hard to hide her with a human as a child. He was smart to suppress her gifts, leaving her smelling human for solong.”

The man in the mask soundedstrained.

“The redhead smells the same,” saidJohnson.

Elm nodded. “Because she too is from my line. Not surprising the two found one another. Like seekslike.”

“So you want to bang your sister?” asked another of themen.

Elm centered his icy gaze on the man. “Of my line does not mean related to me. You are a wolf, yes? Are you related to everyone in yourpack?”

“No,” the guysaid.

Brooke closed her eyes, trying desperately to keep her mind from going back to the time she was held prisoner by Elm and others like him. Back to the worst months of her life. The time when she learned monsters were real and she was one ofthem.

Pull it together, she said to herself.If you let him win, he’ll destroy everyone youlove.

She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. “I’m not going back with you. I’ll never go back to thatplace.”

Elm grinned. “Brooke, you misunderstand. I have no intention of returning you to the holding cells. I’ve bargained with them to keep you formyself.”

Tut growled so loudly that there was no way to ignoreit.

“You can’t win this, Tut,” said Auberi. “Trying will be yourend.”

“Smart man,” said Elm, narrowing his gaze on the men. He threw power at them and Brooke looked to them, fearing they’d bedead.

They weren’t. Her magik had somehow managed to blockElm’s.

“I’m never going to be some fucked-up version of a wife to you, sicko. I hate you,” said Brooke, wanting to keep Elm’s attention on her and off the men behindher.

Elm grinned. “Now Brooke, is that any way to speak to your futurehusband?”

She flipped himoff.

He snorted. “While you are gifted, you are no match for me. Do not force me to harm you. I will,” he said, looking hopeful that he’d get to doit.

She narrowed her gaze on him, knowing how he liked to mentally torture others in addition to physically torturing them. And she knew how he didn’t like being questioned or challenged. “Aww, Elm, I’m disappointed. You talk a big game but really, you need a bunch of punk-ass flunkies to do your dirty work. If I’m so limited in my skill set, why not just come and get meyourself?”

“Boss, want us to shut the bitch up?” asked Johnson, making a move to come atBrooke.

Elm threw magik at Johnson and all the rest of the men, thrusting them back against the walls of the room, pinning them in place. He set his sights on Brooke and removed his jacket, casting it aside before he rolled up his sleeves, his gaze never leavingher.

He moved to her in four long strides and began to circle her slowly, licking his lips as he stared at her. “You are so beautiful, Brooke. I dislike knowing I will have to beat you into submission. But I will be quick aboutit.”

She stayed aware of where he was at all times. “Pfft, bet a lot of women already know just how quick you canbe.”

He came at her from behind and she ducked and twisted around, avoiding beinghit.

He looked gleeful. “Interesting. You are faster than you were when last wemet.”

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