Page 60 of Vicious Knight

“Do you still want to lie to me?” He searches my face as if he’s still checking to see that I’m the girl he shouldn’t know about.

“Let me go.”

He gives me a steely stare and stands. “Okay. I’ll let you go. But if I do so now without hearing the truth, you can deal with my uncle instead. You can lie to him with your parents in the room next to you and tell him you’re not Annika Bershov. Rest assured he will not be as gentle as me, nor would he hesitate to kill all of you. Considering you should be dead already, it would be no problem for him.”

“No! Please.” I push against the cuffs, trying to reach for him. “Please don’t tell him. Please, Thorne. Please don’t.”

I hate begging him but I would do it forever if it kept my mother and Levgen safe. I’m not even thinking about myself anymore.

I totally fucked up and allowed the worst person possible to discover our secret.

“Does that mean you confess, little deer?”

With all the reluctance in the world I find myself nodding and I can’t believe this is me. All the omens I sensed before leaving L.A. were right.

I shouldn’t have come to Raventhorn.

A lone tear tracks down my cheek. More follow even though I do my best to keep them away.

The time for bravado is gone. I don’t know where I stand now or what to do.

Thorne sits back on the bed and gazes at me. At what feels like my defeat again.

“What are you going to do to me?” I have to know.

“You’re not ready to hear that yet.” The sexual spark I’ve seen several times before flickers in his eyes.

It’s out of context to what is happening, and I don’t know how to take it or his comment.

“Are you going to keep me locked up in here? Is that what you’re going to do? Lock me up and get your uncle, who’ll kill me and my parents.” More tears come and I feel like such a fool.

Thorne just stares at me, watching me fall apart, then he reaches for my wrist and undoes the first handcuff.

Trembling, I watch him, wondering what he’ll do and say next.

He releases my other hand and stands.

“Get up.” He motions for me to stand next to him.

My arms hurt from being raised above my head but they are the least of my worries.

I get off the bed and stand next to him on shaky legs.

He seems much taller than usual but that could be because I feel like I’m shrinking away in the darkness of my worries.

He leans forward and I remember what it was like to kiss him. I must really have lost my mind if I can think of such a thing at a time like this.

“Go back to your dorm.”

“That’s it?” I dare to hope.

“No. That’s not it. I’ll let you know what I decide to do with you.”

“When?” I can’t wait indefinitely.

“I don’t know yet.” The ghost of a smile tugs on the corners of his lips. “Until then, do your best to not get expelled, and if I were you I’d keep this between us. As in, your parents mustn’t know that I know your secret. Do you understand me?”

“Yes.” I nod fast.

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