Page 152 of Lock Up the Darkness

As I followed him over, I took in the rest of his bedroom. I’d been too intent on finding him the last time I’d passed through here, and I’d mostly focused on his art studio through the arch doors.

Navy-blue and black were the predominant colors, along with some slate-gray and chrome like his desk. His king-size bed boasted some fancy high-thread count navy and silver bedding, the frame and headboard a sleek black. He had a bookshelf over in the corner filled to the brim. But there were no personal affects, at least none on display. It was all very sleek and functional. Just like him.

I climbed onto the bed and settled beside him.

“Brace yourself,” he warned, a moment before a whole slew of sexual moans, grunts, slaps, slurping and hell knew what else filled the space between us.

“I thought you said no fucking? You really think watching porn together on your bed is a great idea?”

“It’s not what you think. Well, not exactly.” He turned the laptop screen at an angle that allowed both of us to see it.

I felt him watching me as I took in the video playing.

“Familiar, huh?”

I swung my head toward him. “You know I took this footage and destroyed it?”

“I know you destroyed both this and what Tessier and Wild had on Killian in a bid to fix the situation and protect both parties from being hurt, humiliated, and exposed. Very heroic and merciful of you. And a mistake.”

“A mistake?”

“You did the right thing, but it was the wrong decision from a tactical standpoint.”

“How was it the wrong decision when it protected both parties and prevented a clash?”

“Because, little beast, there are people who won’t appreciate your mercy, people who need that clash to occur, an iron grip around their throats threatening to end their miserable lives in order for them to fall in line and recognize the error their ways.”

“Wow, that’s… vicious.”

He slid his finger under my chin, concern bleeding from him as he said, “You can’t allow morality to get in the way. With what’s coming, it’ll leave you at a major disadvantage. You told me once that you were willing to do whatever it takes.”

I jerked my chin from his hold and bit back, “I’ve proven that several times over, Asher.”

“Make sure you can take it all the way. Nothing can be off the table, because it certainly won’t be for the Head Infidels.”

As much as they didn’t taste good, I took his words in, absorbing the warning there that was clearly coming from a good place. It bothered me more than I could hide, agitating me that he was calling my ability to do that into question, highlighting a weakness in me. It was because I’d honestly been worried about it too. As much as I’d tried, there were still lines that I wasn’t comfortable crossing, moral compromises that it sickened me to consider.

But he was right, it really did have to be all or nothing.

It would be for our enemies.

If we couldn’t bring the same to the table, we’d fail before we’d even truly begun.

“Sometimes it takes a monster to destroy a monster,” I murmured.

“Precisely.” He shifted his weight on the bed and gestured at his screen. “You see the alterations from the original? I’m not certain how much you actually viewed when you acquired this file.”

“How is it still here? I permanently deleted it.”

“Off the server, yes. I have an external hard drive where I back up all my files once a week. Although, after your interference, I altered that to every couple of days.”

Crafty bastard.

I took in the video.

“The guy having his dick devoured by Jonah used to be that backup quarterback before, now it’s… Andrew Hollis?”

“Correct.”

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