Page 79 of All Saints: Pledge

He grabs my hands. “You don’tneed one.”

I contemplate that. Tonight has changed my mind about a lot of things. Ifthisis the true Kendall? And I truly could stay in Oxford and have…that…any time I want? I can almost picture that future apartment, walking in the door and sinking right into him. Telling him about my day, about how my dreams are unfolding. And yet, I’d be putting myself at the mercy of someone—while hot and charming—I still didn’t fully trust.

“You could just back out with me,” I wheedle.

“I need the money. We need the money. And I need to be in the inner circle to gain the information I need to dismantle the organization. My Dad has told me—and only me—that he plans to retire next year once I’m established. It takes people with certain…backgrounds…to be elected as leader. He hopes the transition is seamless. Although, frankly, I think Beatrice is playing some sort of angle there.”

I blink at him. “That girl that barged in tonight.” My face flushes a little. “So wait. Because she’s a Legacy…”

“That she’ll mosey in and try to get herself elected leader? Maybe.” He stares off for a long beat. “I don’t know. It was highly unusual, and I’ve heard…things…about her. I don’t trust her.”

I sit up on my elbows. “She said the leader has to be a Legacy. And you are. And she is,” I amend. And then blink again, because I also fit that description. And something slides into place about Augustine’s power games with me. He’s scared of my ability to run against Kendall for leader. Because that is apparently something I could do.

My head spins a bit. In twenty four hours I’ve gone from being one hundred percent sure I’m walking away from this to trying to determine if I’d run against Kendall to lead All Saints. “If we were both in the organization, wouldn’t we get twice the money? Or at least a second contract?” I’m stalling for time, trying to piece together how much I feel like Kendall is steering me. How much is sweet and how much I worry is just for personal gain.

“You don’t understand how they’d watch you. How they’d control your life. We couldn’t live together. We couldn’t touch. You’d literally belong to someone else. And that…” he puts his free hand over his face and presses the heel of his hand into his eyeball.

I sit up further and turn toward him. “Belong to the organization, you mean.”

He’s quite a long time. “No. I meant what I said. That’s what the sponsor is, that’showyou get the favor.” I get the impression that he’s thrown all in. To hell with secrets, I guess. “They sponsor you. Sponsor your entry. But more than that, they purchase your…favor. For a year, at minimum. Most of the relationships last much longer. And it’s required to be exclusive.”

“Favor.”

He meets my eyes, his gaze deadly serious. “There’s a reason they only recruit virgins. Why there is such a rigorous process to make sure you’re unattached, and remain unsullied.”

“Unsullied.” I’m not able to do anything other than repeat this archaic shit he’s spewing.

“Pure.Virginal. The auction tonight wasn’t about the jewels. Or not just about the jewels.”

I yank my hand out of his. “I’mauctioning off my virginity?”

He nods. “You will be—would have been—notified of what it entailed if you were to receive a bid. You go in with your eyes wide open, but yes. That’s what you would give up. And more. You’d be trained to…enhance…your sponsor’s life for the agreed-upon amount of time.”

“A…sex slave?” My eyes are wide, my jaw open, my soul horrified.

“Not always. Sometimes it’s just company. More like a mentorship with benefits? But for eons, wealthy people have had specific tastes for paramours. All Saints caters to those who want to be the ones to shape a young, gorgeous person’s sexual experience. To have exclusive access to a powerful, upwardly mobile, highly attractive plaything.”

“That is…that is…that is a lot.” I might throw up. In another world, I might be flattered. But all I can think of is how my grandfather tried to keep me from this.

He grasps my hand. “I’m trying to save you from it. I’d protect you.”

“But wait, wouldn’tyouhave a…mentor?” I nearly spit out the word. “How would your father allow us to live together?”

He frowns. “We’d have to keep it secret for a short time but my heart would belong to you alone. I promise.”

I’m not quite sure that that sounds better, living as a secret. It’s a potential existence in a cage. I’d be putting my trust inKendall. And I’d have no leverage if he failed me. Or fell in love with the person he was bound to.

“Be with me,” Kendall says, as if reading my mind. He pulls my hand up and kisses it. “Your grandfather once dealt a blow to this organization by stealingmygrandfather’s fiancee, and running away with her. We are supposed to be rivals. Enemies. But we aren’t. I won’t call us Romeo and Juliet because that ended badly. But it seems like we’refatedto be together, to do this together. Give me something good and pure to fight for.”

I lay back down, suddenly exhausted. “I…I need to think.”

He rolls up on his side so he’s above me. “Do you need more convincing?”

I can’t help but laugh. He feels like a completely different person. “I don’t have the energy for more convincing.”

He leans down and kisses my nose. “Sleep. I’ll see you in the morning. You can tell me what you’ve decided, and we’ll plan for when you get back to Oxford.”

He slips out of my bed, and I hear the door click.

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