Page 104 of Bliss & Her Idols

“You’re impossible. I advise you not to push me, brother.” Rory clicks his fingers at Jin like he’s a dog. “Here, Idol. You have some explaining to do back on the estate. Then you have appointments and practice. You have a lot to catch up on. I’ve had to rearrange things on your schedule three times. Let’s go.”

Cricket and I throw ourselves forward, grabbing hold of Jin’s arms.

Jin’s shaking but trying hard to appear strong. “I don’t want to go with you, sir.”

Rory gapes at him. “What?”

“These two Omegas,” Jin smiles down at Cricket and me, “have shown me that I’m notyourpossession, sir. I’m not just anIdol. You can’t treat me like this. I’m worth more than that.”

Torin grips Jin by the chin, kissing him deeply. “Proud of you.”

Rory sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I need a drink.”

Cricket bounces on his toes. “We’re rebelling.”

“I can see that.” Rory taps his foot. Then he looks at Jin with an edge of desperation that I don’t understand. “Come on, Idol. We can still salvage this situation. The PR department have set up some good interviews with friendly journalists, where we can spin all of this. Then we’ll drop a new song as soon as possible. I’m harsh, I know. But I’m on your side. I’m trying to help. Don’t make me…”

“What?” My throat is tight. I know that tone. “What are you going to do?”

When Rory’s gaze meets mine, his green eyes spark with a mix of frustration and defiance. “You simply need to sign NDAs—”

“Not happening.”

He grits his teeth. “Idol, this is your last chance to return to the estate with me. I have already given you more chances than Mena told me to. Immortal has been sent to the Re-education House because of you.” I don’t know what the Re-education House is, but it’s clearly nothing good because both Torin and Jin look like they want to hurl. “I’ll pretend that I haven’t heard you break the rules about sharing our secrets with outsiders. Do you know the risks that I’m taking for you? If you don’t obey me this time, then I will go with option two, and I promise you that you’ll hate it.Here.”

He clicks his fingers again.

“I’m a Dragon and not a dog,” Jin drawls. “Fuck. Off.”

Rory looks so shocked that I’m certain no Idol has cussed at him in public before.

Torin laughs, running his fingers through Jin’s frost white hair. “Only I can tame dragons.”

Suddenly, Rory looks very tired. “Don’t you remember last time you tried? Did you think that because this time it was in public, our sister would have changed her mind? That she’d have cooled off and would let you have some fairy tale happily everafter? You can push me around as much as you like but you’re still my baby brother. I protect you from Mena.”

Torin looks startled and taken aback. “I don’t understand.”

“When did you?” Rory snaps. “Jin has broken too many rules. Mena wants to make an example out of him. If you try to fight now, then Mr. Stapleton and those nice men outside with the guns, are ordered to drive you to the Alpha Center to be locked up for the remainder of the year. It won’t be as fun as your stint in Dublin. Your precious Omegas will be taken separately to the Institute for, as they put it in their own words,being rebellious. They’ll probably be auctioned and bonded to some other pack, once they’re reconditioned. If they speak aboutanyof this to the press, then our lawyers will eviscerate you.”

Cricket whimpers in distress.

I’m frozen in fear.

No, please, no.

I want to rage, shout, scream.

Just how powerful is this Idol pack that they can order that?

“I’m going to kill you, Rory,” Torin says with such quiet intensity that I believe him.

So does his brother.

Rory hugs his arms around himself. “I’m trying to protect you, whether you believe it or not. You’re an asshole. The Idol only had a year left on his contract. Why couldn’t you dumbasses have waited that out, huh? Mena may have let you bid on him after that. But now, she wants him to be the star of the show in a week’s time.”

Jin makes a sound like his soul is being torn from him.

Dread grips my throat.

---