Page 198 of Mayhem and Minnie

We’re both standing on the precipice, but she’s waving a very clear stop sign so we don’t fall.

Is it hard? Damn sure.

But if this place actually exists, if there’s an actual opportunity for her to stop being hunted and for us to spend an eternity together… That’s a gamble I’m willing to take.

I know what everyone must be thinking. Who is this Marlowe and what happened to the selfish bastard from before?

The answer is rather simple.

Minnie happened.

“We need to talk about those soldiers coming for you. What’s the plan?” I change the topic. I’m going to save my Lucien rage for when his remains get delivered to me. Then it’s game on.

“We’ll need to leave this world soon,” she answers slowly.

“Okay.” I nod.

“You’re…fine with that?” She blinks.

“Of course. We’re in this together. Where you go, I go and all that.”

“Except it’s not that easy.” She sighs as she manifests the book away. She turns to face me and crosses her arms over her chest. “Mortals cannot stay in a foreign world for more than a few days. And even those days are torture as the new world slowly depletes your body of its strength.”

“Great to be mortal,” I mumble drily.

“There’s a way, though. There are certain potions that would allow you to live in another world without issue. For that, we must find a number of special plants. The only ones who might have these plants in Anthropa are witches.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do,” I tell her.

She stares at me. Her chin is lowered into her chest, her big eyes looking at me strangely.

“What?” I frown.

“I’m trying to understand you,” she mentions slowly.

“You’re not the only one,” I fire back.

She scowls.

“I just told you we cannot be together physically for the foreseeable future and that we must leave your world, and you agreed just like that?”

“Why do you find it so hard to believe? You’re mine. Whether I’ve fucked you or not.”

She blinks.

“I just… I didn’t expect this, that’s all.”

“And what did you expect?” I raise a brow.

Her cheeks redden and she looks away.

“For you to be tired of waiting and take me anyway.”

“What?” I ask, taken aback by her answer.

She bites her lip as she all but avoids to look at me.

“You thought I’d what? Rape you?” My voice becomes harsh as outrage slowly fills me to the brim. She thought what of me?