Page 70 of Forever Touched

Kade roared with laughter again and slapped his thigh. “I can’t,” he wheezed. “I just can’t. This is too good.”

Failing to see what was so funny, I asked, “What’s the mating frenzy?” When all three males turned to me with stunned looks, I wrinkled my nose at them. “What?”

“Looks like we have anotherinnocenton our hands, boys,” Kade said with a fiendish grin.

I snorted, muttering, “I’m far from innocent.”

Everett stared at me in the mirror, for so long that I worried we would crash.

“On the contrary, sweet Adalyn,” Kade spoke again. “You’re far more innocent than you think.”

“Oh, really? I’ve had sex hundreds of times with dozens of strange males. Still think I’m innocent?”

I’d meant to remind them of who I was, to make them see that I wasn’t this virtuous little girl with a clean slate. I was a blood whore. I’d let countless males violate my body. I was tainted. Tarnished. The exactoppositeof innocent.

Then why did they suddenly look sad, like they felt sorry for me?

Feeling all sorts of uncomfortable, I looked out my window and lapsed into silence.

After a long moment, Everett said, “Yes, Adalyn, we think you’re innocent. You didn’t choose this life. You were forced into it.”

A retort sprang to my tongue, but I chose not to voice it. I was tired of trying to convince him that no one had forced me into becoming a sex worker.

Thankfully, Loch chose that moment to change the subject. “What are we going to do when we reach Faircroft Manor?”

“Demand Madame Faircroft release Adalyn from her debt,” Everett matter-of-factly replied.

“But what if she decides to enforce the pactum? Adalyn could get hurt or worse.”

“Then I’ll just have to kill her,” Everett said, so dangerously soft that goosebumps erupted over my flesh.

“I know how you’re feeling right now, Ev, I really do. But if we kill her without proper cause, then we could have a political nightmare on our hands. You already killed two Venturi, and their deaths won’t go unnoticed for much longer.”

“They deserved it. I would kill them all over again if I could.”

“Regardless, we’re supposed to be restoring order and peace tothe kingdom after what happened with the rogues. Who knows how many people saw you walk out of the club with Adalyn last night. There will be talk. Rumors. It’s only a matter of time before they link the Venturi deaths to you and begin to panic. And if you kill Deloris simply for employing a witch, it could incite another revolution.”

“But she isn’t justemployingAdalyn. She’s whoring her out to slimy rich bastards who want a taste of the forbidden. It’s sick and twisted, and I won’t stand for it in my kingdom!”

He was shouting now, flooding our bond with his rage.

Unable to keep silent a moment longer, I blurted, “I’m not helpless, you know.”

“Sweet, sweet Adalyn,” Kade smoothly said, cutting through some of the tension. “You’re tough as nails for surviving this long in our world, but you’re also mortal, not to mention a hundred pounds soaking wet.”

“I’m also awitch. My dad was a powerful Oracle elder, and he taught me many things before he died.”

Everett and Loch exchanged looks. Too late, I realized my slip. Telling them that my dad had been an elder was the same as shouting,“Hey! My dad fought against you in the battle six years ago. That makes us enemies.”

But all Everett said was, “Let me guess. You’ve been thralled not to use your magic?”

I almost said yes, but that would have been a lie. I could still access my magic, just not the way I wanted to. I couldn’t tell them that though without revealing what I could do. And if they knew that, I might as well jump out of the car and kill myself now.

“Look, I’m not as powerless as you think,” I finally settled on saying. “I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time and will continue to do so. I got myself into this mess, so it’s my job to get outof it. I just need a little time.”

“Does that time involve being with clients?”

At Everett’s blunt question, a swallow got stuck in my throat.

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