Page 17 of Broken Surrender
“So I’ve heard. I’m eager to see how the trials go.” I stood, handing my business card to him. The guards stepped forward to protect Vaughn. “Tell your boss that I’m ready to sign.”
We shook hands, then Vaughn ran his fingers through his gray hair. “As soon as he’s back, I’ll tell him. We’ll be waiting for you.”
I ordered my driver to get us back to my estate as soon as possible. On the balcony, with a drink in one hand, I glanced at my backyard. Corinne was on one of the lawn chairs, moving it next to the sand garden, her dark hair fluttering in the wind.
What the hell was she doing?
I ran down the stairs, leaping across the yard.
“Hey! I was just—”
“You’re going to get yourself killed.”
“I just wanted some fresh air.”
I grabbed her by the shoulder, ushering her inside.
“Thisis how we keep you safe.” With a firm grip, I led her back to the basement. The house staff averted their eyes, giving us privacy. “If anyone found out that you were still alive, they’d find another way to—”
“What? Usemeagainstyouagain?” She rolled her eyes and every muscle in my body tensed. I clicked my teeth. She was right. “I’m aware. But this ‘game room’ is literally a cage.” She sighed, throwing her arms up at the ceiling. “If we live in Opulent Gates, couldn’t you get a private beach home by now?”
Her skin was slightly flushed like she had been outside for a while. And the color was nice on her, and made her look healthy. But she was sixteen and didn’t know anything. And I was never going to let another person near her until I could guarantee that those people were gone.
“Youwillget your private beach,” I said. “But you have to trust me. We’re close. Too close to risk anything right now. And if they see you?” I scanned our surroundings, making sure all the guards were in place. “Who knows what they’ll do.”
She rolled her eyes. “No one cares about what happened five years ago.”
“I do,” I said.
She scoffed, then fell down on her couch in a dramatic fashion. “You’re the worst,” she muttered.
“I don’t like this any more than you do.”
She blinked back tears. “But at least you get to live above ground.”
My jaw clenched. Again, she was right. I needed to finish this. I didn’t have any choice. But there was only so much I could do while waiting to take the final steps of my plan.
Until then, I could train Lena to be my puppet.
After grabbing a bag of my tools, I went over to the Dalton House, using the back door again. This time, Lena was sitting at the kitchen table, dressed in jeans and a loose v-neck shirt without a bra, her breasts hanging down, her nipples hardening through the shirt as she laid eyes on me. She focused on the book in front of her, trying so hard to erase the blush rising on her cheeks.
She hadn’t jumped this time. She was anticipating me. The training was working, then.
“When we’re at the masquerade,” I announced, eager to cut to the chase, “we’ll have to act like a couple.”
“A masquerade?” she asked, looking up briefly from her book. “With masks?”
“For the members and initiates.”Notfor the sacrifices.
She wrinkled her nose, catching my subtext. “Will I wear a dress? What about dances and stuff?”
“Yes.”
She paused, pressing her lips together. “Isn’t the whole thing a little old-fashioned?”
“Perhaps. The tradition dates back for centuries. Who are we to question its relevance?” I asked. I imagined her naked, completely exposed, even her face, while masked men from the Syndicate took turns beating her. But the final strike would always be mine. “I’m disappointed you won’t be wearing a mask. You’d look good in one.”
And nothing else.
