Page 62 of Snake

Knox

Nim comes out of Mariella’s walk-in closet clad in the dress I had tailored to her exact measurements. The original gown didn’t have such an elaborate bodice, either. I had that design hand-beaded from a sketch I sent through to the tailors on my phone.

I love branding Nim—the scar on her leg, the S shapes on her bodice—and I’m pretty sure it has to do with control. It’s something I never had in the past. Now that I do, it’s as intoxicating as a fucking drug.

Ceciliapats her updo with one hand as she turns and takes in her reflection in Mariella’s mirror. “It looks so good,” she marvels quietly, throwing me a beaming smile. It’s kinda cute that Nim was looking after my sisters while I was on my way. I’m surprised the delay didn’t bring Sissa to apoplexy. Thankfully, Mariella decided on a braid. If both my sisters had to have their hair straightened, I’d still be busy with Mariella’s.

My sister’s eyes switch to Nim’s reflection, and her jaw drops open. “Oh my gosh,” she whispers.

Nim looks up from the skirt of her dress, which she’d been holding onto awkwardly with her elbow-length red gloves. “What is it?” she squeaks nervously. “Does it look okay?”

I didn’t expect to have to swallow a few times to get my words out. “I have to send the tailor a tip.”

Nim purses her lips and then tilts her head. “Let me guess. You’re going to tell him to find a new job?”

I go up to her and gaze down into her makeup-free face. I still find it so hard to believe that she’s so beautiful like this. Fresh, innocent, natural. “You look absolutely amazing,” I murmur, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “And you’ll look even better when I’m done with your hair.”

She sits timidly at the dressing table, watching me from the corner of her eye as I take up Mariella’s brush and start untangling her hair. She’s been listening to me. Combing out her hair regularly and possibly even braiding it at night. It hardly takes more than a few strokes before her long hair is straight and shiny in my hands.

With her dressed-up like this, her soft hair running through my fingers, I’m getting a fucking boner.

“You two, go wait downstairs.”

“Ooooh!” my sisters coo in unison, cutting off hurriedly when I throw them a hard look in the mirror. That makes Sissa stick her tongue out at me, and Mariella huffs like some mid-century duchess with her corset in a bunch.

I braid Nim’s hair. Nothing extravagant—just a thick, heavily textured pull-through braid starting high on her head. Something tells me Silas would appreciate it. He mentioned he liked the braids I put in Nim’s hair when she first arrived at Cinderhart.

I hope he’s doing okay. He took the brunt of Nim’s punishment the other night, and when I saw him before he got into Mason’s car, he still looked dead inside. I don’t understand why she was so harsh with him. Yeah, he slapped her. Instigated some shit. But, Christ, the man has just lost his father. Surely she could have cut him some slack?At least he hasn’t mentioned that fucking list again, so I’m hoping all this shit with Nim has put it out of his mind.

But I’ll never know what’s going on inside Nim’s pretty little head, so why bother trying to reason out her methods? I just stare at her reflection, watching her watching me, and wonder how this will all turn out.

I feigned surprise when my mother told me Nim was here. When the reason came out, I asked who her sponsors were, but Vicky was tight-lipped about it. To the extent that I almost lost my patience and demanded she tell me. But fuck it, my mother has had to put up with enough of that shit. There’s no way I could do the same.

Nim will find out soon. And as soon as she knows, so will I.

As if she feels me rooting around in her head, Nim suddenly sits forward, pulling her hair from my fingers. I was done anyway—I’d just been toying idly with the paint-brush tip of her braid.

“I want to see your room.”

I blink at her, allow myself a small smile. “Do you now.”

Her eyes narrow. “Yeah. I want to tell my kids one day that I’ve been inside a monster’s lair.”

My mouth thins at her words, but I give her a curt nod and step back so she can slip out from behind Mariella’s dressing table. When she stands, my eyes skate up her body without command, and I struggle to force myself to maintain eye contact.

I had no idea that dress would look so goddamn good on her. Christ, she’s making my balls ache.

“This way.” I lead her out of my sister’s room and down the hall. My room is next to the master suite, but the suites on this floor are so expansive that I’ve never even heard so much as a closet door banging inside my parents’ room before.

I open up the door, shrugging inside my T-shirt as Nim steps inside. My tux is inside my closet—dry-cleaned and ready.

Nim’s head turns, her braid swaying from high on her head as she takes in every nook and cranny. It’s eerie, having her set foot inside my sanctum, even though I don’t really live here anymore. I spent a lot of time in my room back when I was in high school, though. Sometimes days at a time, when I was healing up. Thank God that all changed when I went to college.

Sometimes, I wish I’d never listened to Silas and Mason. That I’d lived off campus instead, making the slog every day. Maybe even taking my studies correspondence-style.Because then I could have stayed close to my family, protected them. Especially the little monsters, Sissa and Mariella.

Because fuck, if my mom hadn’t done what she’d done on a weekend, when I was next door at Mason’s house...

I’ve never been able to figure out if she planned it that way or not. Maybe, someday, when I have enough guts, I’ll ask her. I’ll need the courage if she says “no”.

“Stay here while I get ready.”

Nim glances at me from the corner of her eye as I head for my en-suite bathroom to shower. I’m about to close the bathroom door behind me when she says, “You have a dog?”

My stomach contorts. For a second, I think I’m going to puke. I swallow hard, lock eyes with her. “Not for a long time,” I manage.

I don’t close the door—I slam it.

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