Page 117 of Their Will be Done

My brain is obviously misfiring, because then I do the most idiotic thing in the world. I slip between Zachary and Cass, turning my arms up so the belt would land on my forearms and not on my face.

Zachary freezes, arm upraised, a wild snarl on his face. “Move,” he says.

“No! That’s enough!”

When Zachary doesn’t move, when no one tries to get me out of the way, I start babbling in self-defense. “I’m the one who said he has to pay, right? Well, it’s enough. I forgive him. For everything. Okay? So…enough. It’senough.”

Zachary slowly lowers the belt. “You don’t get to decide the sentence.”

“Of course I do.” I straighten, reluctantly dropping my arms. “I’m the one who charged him.”

“This isn’t a fucking court, girl.”

“I don’t care.”

Hooded green eyes study me for a long moment. “There’re still two lashes left.” His voice is rough, but his face is a wooden mask. “Move out the way, or you’ll be getting them on his behalf.”

I glance over my shoulder at a shaking Cass.

Tear tracks shine wetly on his cheeks. His skin is virulent red and purple now. Tiny dots of blood have come to the surface where Zachary’s belt landed.

He won’t last another two lashes. He’ll start bleeding, and it will all be because of me.

I turn back to Zachary, swallow hard, and force my voice not to shake.

“Then I’ll do it,” I say, holding out my hand. It quivers a little, but when I concentrate, it stills. “Give me the belt.”

Zachary laughs. “What, so you can tickle his ass? This is punishment, girl, not fucking foreplay.”

“I’ll hit him as hard as I can. I swear it.”

Cass would never last another two lashes from Zachary’s muscular arm, but mine is like spaghetti in comparison.

Lesser of two evils, right?

I narrow my eyes a little. “Reuben said I’m either with you or against you. No in-between. Right?”

“That’s right,” Reuben says.

“Well, I’m with you, Zachary.” My eyes dart to Apollo. “Apollo.” I glance behind me. “Reuben. Cassius.” I turn back to Zachary. “I’mwithyou.”

I duck forward and wrap my fingers around the belt.

“Now give me the damn belt.”

Chapter Forty-One

Zach

Idon’t know who’s more shocked out of the five of us. Trinity asks for the belt, and I give it to her. I fuckinggiveit to her. I expected begging, perhaps finally some tears, maybe even her going to her knees and sucking me off in exchange for Cass’s hide.

I’mwithyou.

And fuck, for a second there, I believed her.

I step back so that I don’t lunge for her instead.

I almost forgot why we allowed this girl in here. Why we’re humoring her.

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