Page 109 of A Crown Without Mercy

She placed her hands on her hips. “Was this another test?”

“Yes. We were curious how far you would go. Now we know.” Riordan then took one step forward.

“So you want to play games?” she asked, as she took one step back.

“This is not a game, Sylvana,” Riordan replied.

She spun in a circle and consumed them in a thick, icy mist obscuring everything from view, and ran toward the gate.

She tried to leap over the gate and screamed when one of them wrapped their arms around her waist and pulled her back. “You will need to do better,” Nicolai laughed as he gracefully landed on the ground with her dangling over his shoulder.

“This is not funny! I want to go home.”

He set her down and Riordan and Kieran stepped into view appearing to be amused rather than angry, to her relief. “We can do this all day,” Kieran said with a half-cocked grin.

“Would you like to walk inside, or would you like to be carried?” Riordan asked.

“Neither,” she protested.

“We should punish her for her disobedience,” Nicolai said.

“I have a few ideas,” Kieran added.

“Stop it,” Sylvana demanded.

Riordan spun his hand in a circle and red, silk rope appeared. “Ties and binds would be fun.” He then draped it around the back of his neck and held the ends. “We will even give you a head start if you want to run.”

They took one step toward her, and she held her hands up and stepped back. Even though she was angry, she could not help herself, and she started chuckling. “I’m not playing your stupid games.”

Kieran faked a lung, acting as if he was going to grab her; she yelped and jumped back and they laughed aloud.

Riordan slid the rope from around his neck and wrapped the ends around his hands; before she knew what happened, she was face to chest with him and the rope was around her lower back, holding her firmly against his body. “I must admit I’m turned on.” He slid his hand down her pants and strummed her sex with his fingers. “Wet already?” He winked.

She placed her forehead on his chest and her hands on his waist.

“I say we take her right her,” Kieran added. He stood behind her and slid his hand under her tunic and massaged her breast while Nicolai fisted her hair, pulled her head back and seductively, slid his tongue across her full lips. Her mouth parted with desire, and she placed her palm on the back of his head and pulled his mouth to hers.

She moaned softly when Riordan pushed two fingers into her core.

“Is this what you want, Sângele Nostru?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

He removed his hand and cupped her face in his palms. “This will have to wait. We have business with the Guild.”

“Wait—what?”

“Riordan, you cannot be serious,” Nicolai stated.

“You want us to show up with hard-ons?” Kieran joked.

“It’s called self-control, brothers.” Riordan then draped the rope around her neck and tied it in a loose knot between her breasts. “Keep this safe for us. We plan on using it later.”

Riordan took her hand in his and led her back into their home. “Just a heads up. I will have this place as secure as an iron tomb.” He then kissed the back of her hand as they left. Nicolai and Kieran looked back and rolled their eyes before shutting the door to the formal sitting room.

She plopped onto her back on the settee and sighed.I will not sit here by myself all day,she thought while slipping the silk rope between her fingers.“Ven, can you hear me?”

“Sylvie?”

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