Page 8 of Say It Slowly

“It wasn’t for him,” Roman says. “It was for the rest of the members.”

I shake my head. “I don’t get it.”

“He was given the avenue to remain in the society, but he forfeited on his own,” Lucas clarifies with a shrug.

Then it dawns on me—this was all a part of their strategy.

“Ah, okay,” I say, lifting my chin. “You knew he couldn’t take the punishment, and that he’d have no choice but to forfeit. Now Roman can’t be blamed for kicking him out unjustly.”

Lucas touches his nose. “She’s a sharp one.”

“Just one question—how’d you know he couldn’t take the punishment? He could have stuck it out. Then you’d have to let him back in.”

Roman pulls his hood off. “In the last fifty years, only two guys have made it past three strokes. And Tyler is a pussy, so I knew he’d never make it past one.”

“I’m shocked he didn’t piss himself before you even landed the first blow,” Jackson laughs.

They all start laughing, and I hate to rain on their parade, but I feel compelled to point out the obvious. “Okay, but he’s still pissed at me,” I say. “Maybe evenmorepissed now.”

Lucas waves my concern away. “Tyler is all talk.”

I turn to face him more squarely. “The guy you think tried to mow me down isall talk?”

“Trust us, he’ll be too humiliated to show his face around here now,” Christian says, standing and removing his hood as well. He stretches his back, his muscular biceps stretching the fabric of the robe. “Fuck, those chairs are uncomfortable.” He yawns. “Alright, I’m out. I’ve got an early class in the morning.”

The other guys take Christian’s lead and head out, too, their consorts silently trailing behind them. The girls didn’t say anything the entire time, and I wonder if that’s the norm.

Maybe that’s why Roman finds me so exasperating. He must be used to girls like that. Girls who stay silent, and follow him around, ready to suck him off the second he snaps his fingers. If he ever expected that from me, then I’m sure he’s already realized his mistake.

Once everyone is gone, and it’s only Roman and me left in the room, he glances over at me. In the dim lighting, he looks softer somehow, and I can almost forget the cruel edge to that beautiful smile.

“We still need to talk about what happened between us the other night,” he says.

Goddamn.I should have known the conversation would circle back around to this topic. The last time I saw him, I ran from it. This time, he knows he has me trapped.

I shrug and deliberately play dumb. “Yeah, I guess I never did thank you for saving my life, did I?” I flash him a tight smile. “Thanks.”

He stares right through me with those pale eyes. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

I push out a breath and stand up. I really don’t want to have this conversation with him. If I’m being honest with myself, I haven’t even processed what happened between us yet.

“I’d rather not talk about the other night,” I say, taking the hood of my robe off, more to avoid his gaze than anything. “In fact, why don’t we just pretend it didn’t happen?”

“Not an option.”

I step down off the dias and turn to face him. “Listen, it’s late, and I have class tomorrow, too. So why don’t we pick this conversation up some other time?” Like never o’clock.

I move to leave, hood in my hand, but he’s after me so quickly, I don’t stand a chance. His hand darts out to grab my elbow, and he pulls me back, turning me at the same time to face him.

I shove at his chest. “What the fuck, Roman?”

He’s looking down at me, his beautiful face pulled tight in anger. “You felt it, too, Lux. I know you did.”

It’s true, lightning crackled between us when he fucked me. How could I havenotfelt it? That electricity consumed me from the inside, and like Frankenstein’s monster, I came out of it completely transformed.

Or malformed, maybe.

I’ve had sex before, with a couple of guys in high school, and nothing has ever come close to what I experienced with Roman. I doubt it ever will, honestly.

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