Page 115 of Their Will be Done

I guess I am, at that.

Her eyes flicker when I hand her the belt. “Okay,” she murmurs. Then she glances at Rube. “Now how about you let him go? Please?”

“Why are you sticking up for him?” Apollo asks as he collapses into his couch, a freshly rolled joint dangling from his lips. “Thought you had it in for him?”

“I didn’t say that,” she says, frowning briefly at Apollo before looking at me again. “Can Reuben let him go?”

I lean my weight back on one foot. “We’re not done here yet.”

“Please, Zachary. Whatever he’s done…he doesn’t deserve this.”

The smirk falls right off my face.

She shakes her head, those amber eyes glowing with naivety. “No matter what he’s done, you can forgive him. You’re friends, aren’t you?”

A soft laugh huffs out of me. “You think he deserves forgiveness?”

“Yes.” She nods firmly. “Definitely.”

“Fine. We’ll forgive him. But on one condition…”

Her eyes become wary, searching my face as if she can try and spot where I’m headed. But if she hasn’t figured it out by now, it’s not gonna happen.

“What?” she asks reluctantly.

Apollo lights the joint. A haze of weed smoke fills the space between.

I smile at her as I lean forward. She flinches when I touch the belt in her hands, but since I don’t try and take it away, she doesn’t fight me.

“You take his place.”

Chapter Forty

Trinity

I’m about ready to pee myself. Of all the possibilities I’d dreamed up, Zachary belting Cass while Reuben held him down and Apollo watched…

Yeah, that never came up.

I wince as Zachary tightens his grip.

I don’t want him hitting Cass, but…I don’t want him hitting me either.

At least, not with a fucking belt.

I don’t know where I summon the courage, but perhaps it’s because I’ve managed to convince myself that this is the lesser of two evils.

I move the belt to the side. “You can use your hand.”

Surprise or irritation flickers in Zachary’s eyes. He rips the belt out of my hand and grabs the front of my throat.

“You get the belt, or Cass gets the belt. It’s that fucking simple.”

He’s not choking me, else I’d have fought him. Maybe I can still reason with him. “What did he do to you?” I murmur, trying to keep my voice for Zachary’s ears alone. “Why do you have to hurt him?”

But this place is too small, because Cass hears me.

“What did I do?” Cass says.

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