Page 116 of Mud

“No.” That I even needed to say this was crazy on its own, but still.

I finally convinced myself to take a step back.

“Why not? Some might say you owe me for locking me up for almost two years,” the asshole said.

“No.” If he thought he could guilt-trip me into taking him to the most secure room in Headquarters, where an alarming number of magical objects and artifacts was locked for safekeeping so they didn’t fall in the wrong hands—he was out of his fucking mind.

“Pretty please?” Taland said, batting his lashes at me, not even a bit concerned about the fact thathe knew mewell enough to see that I wasn’t joking. It was ano,no matter how weird this whole exchange or how unusual he was being right now.

Not the man I knew—but then again, what had I even learned about him in the six months we’d been together?

Close tonothing.

“No, Taland. No,” I said. “You are not going into the vault. You are not stealing anything from the IDD.”

You’d think after last time, after ending up in the Tomb for almost two years for this very reason, he’d have learned his lesson.

“It’s the IDD who steals, sweetness. Don’t get it twisted,” he said with a wink.

I shook my head. “No, that’s…justno.”

His smile finally fell, and his dark eyes somehow became even darker. “Do you even have any idea who you’re protecting?” he whispered, lowering his head until our noses almost touched. “Do you, Rosabel? Do you know who those people are?”

“Yes—they look after the world sobadpeople don’t get away with bad things,” I said, swallowing hard, unable to look away from his lips.

So soft looking. So fucking juicy. I would exchange mylife tofallin a kiss with him right now—and I’m not even exaggerating.

Slowly, one corner of them turned up just slightly. “Is that what they were doing when they tried to kill you?”

Even my heart that was galloping like mad until now stood still for a second.

I could have sworn every being on this tree with me held their breath.

How do you know that?I wanted to say because it was easier than answering his question. Easier thanthinkingabout answering his question.

“They’rethe bad guys, sweetness. I think you know this deep in here.” His warm breath blew on my lips and my eyes closed. His hand pressed against my chest, the very center of it. Over the heart that beat for him. “Help me, and I’ll help you.”

The world could have come crashing down on my head and I’d have felt less awful.

I stepped back, shaking, trying but failing to keep those tears from pooling in my eyes. But at least I could keep them from spilling when I looked at him again.

“I’ll take my chances with the game,” I said and moved farther back. I needed to get away from here, fromhim,asap, before he made an even bigger mess of me.

“You’re a fool,” said Taland, his smile no longer reaching his eyes. “You can’t finish this game on your own.” And he took a step closer.

I took another back. “Don’tcome near me.” Because I lost my train of thought when he did, and I needed to be able to think.

Iris, I needed to justthinkfor a second without the pressure of him, of this game.

Taland then said, “Or what?”

My mouth opened to speak—I still had guns and knives that could cut right through him, that I could at least threaten him with.

Except I never got the chance to try.

Suddenly, there was a growl coming from my side—the vulcera I’dcompletelyforgotten about.

I thought for sure she was going to bite my head off, that I’d gotten too close to her without realizing it, and now I was going to die for real.

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