Page 120 of Beloved Sacrifice

“First, I need to see Rose and Weston.”

Juliette took a breath and let it out slowly. “Rose is my responsibility. Weston is a legacy, but not a member. He’s free to go, but Rose stays.”

Marek shook his head. “No, I’m afraid that won’t work.”

Juliette’s blonde brows rose. “Oh?”

“They’re mine.”

That surprised them, Marek could see it on their faces.

“Like, you’re all in a trinity?” Franco asked.

“I feel no need to label it. But they’re mine. I had sex with them. Care for them. And to be perfectly honest, they need me.”

Devon looked at him like he was nuts. Franco nodded. “I feel you, man.” His eyed Juliette and Devon. “I know how that goes.”

Devon glowered at his husband, but when Franco reached out a hand, Devon took it.

Juliette had ignored the byplay and was looking at Marek. “I’ll lock you in with them on one condition.”

Marek didn’t miss the fact that she’d said she’d lock him in with them—if he insisted, he’d be a prisoner too.

They were worth it. He’d never question that his grandparents, on both sides, loved each other, but he’d assumed love came after their arranged marriages. He’d assumed that he would be like his parents and fall in love with one someone.

Turns out he was a mix of both, because he’d fallen in love with two people. They needed him, and he needed them.

“What condition?”

Juliette smiled.

Devon came back for them a few hours later. Weston was glad. Stupid to be glad, because this was probably the end for them, but the waiting was soul-crushing.

And, of all the mundane things to intrude on a life-changing moment like this, he had to pee.

Devon opened the door and stared at them. Rose was still on his lap. At one point, he’d felt wetness on his scalp from her tears, but he hadn’t commented—just held her.

“Come,” Devon said softly.

Rose slid off his lap and waited as he pushed up. His legs were a bit numb, and there were places on him that ached from the fight.

He stood, with less control than he would have liked. He’d either twisted his right knee or taken a blow to it that he hadn’t noticed at the time. Rose took his hand in hers. He led her to the door, keeping himself between her and Devon. If he had a chance, he’d try to take Devon out and they’d run for it.

In reality, they wouldn’t get far, but he wasn’t going to walk into this like a sheep to the slaughter.

Devon led them out of the side hall, passing other closed doors. Weston vaguely remembered where they were from his solo explorations after breaking in via the Grand Master’s office.

They emerged through a heavy wooden door, into the grand entrance hall. Devon pushed the door closed and it disappeared into the marble-lined hall, the outside of the door being faced with the same marble of the walls.

The grand entrance stretched out to their right and left. Columns supported the double-high arched ceiling. The hidden door was directly behind one of the columns, which no doubt helped to hide it. Massive double doors at one end of the hall marked the entrance to the formal rooms. Opposite them, down the long expanse of hall, was an elevator door. Weston had never used that entrance, the one accessed from the rare books room in the library above.

“The elevator isn’t operational.” Devon’s tone was almost apologetic. “As a security measure, we disable it unless we know someone’s coming.”

Rose nodded once and squeezed Weston’s hand.

“This way.”

Devon led them twenty feet down the hall, to the point where two other corridors branched off. They weren’t like the tunnels, or even the trim corridor they’d been in. They were wide and well lit, lined with the same marble as the entrance hall.

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