Page 88 of Tis the Season to be Bullied

It makes me sick to think of the things we’ve done to get to this point. Trinity should be on her knees thanking God we’ve already figured out torture isn’t as effective as the more subtle means of interrogation.

The weed will make her chatty. The alcohol will make it more difficult for her to lie. Plus, it reduces her flight risk. Trinity takes the blunt from him and hesitantly takes a drag. Then another. She coughs, hard, and tries to give the blunt back. Cassius grabs her wrist and forces the filter against her mouth. “One more.” When she complies, he murmurs, “Such a good little girl,” into her ear.

She swoons when she sits back, and our eyes lock through a haze of dank smoke.

“Gabriel’s been here for years,” I tell her.

She nods, and then shrugs. “I didn’t have anywhere—anyone else.”

“What about foster care?”

“I almost had to.” She nods a few times. “Because I couldn’t get hold of him. But then he finally got back to me.” She lifts limp hands and drops them again. “Brought me here.”

“How long was he your priest for?” Cass asks.

She leans to the side, studying him for a moment, and then hurriedly straightens when this brings her into contact with Rube’s shoulder. He’s watching her as intently as I am. He looks like a fucking psychopath—hands on his thighs, back straight.

He tucks a stray corner of the blanket under her leg.

“Ten, twelve years?” She cringes away from Rube as if she wants to burrow into the stuffing. “I’m not sure. Maybe longer.”

“When did you first join his church?”

“Gabriel’s—?” She breaks off and frowns, shaking her head. “Maybe eight years ago?”

I glare at her. “You said you knew him for ten years.”

“Or twelve,” Cassius supplies unhelpfully.

She shrugs. “He was friends with my dad for a while before we moved to Redmond. That’s when we joined his church.” She slumps a little. “What is this all about? Why do you?—?”

“Pour her another drink.”

I wasn’t even looking at him, but it’s Rube who stands to fulfill my order. Trinity waves a limp hand.

“I really don’t want?—”

My eyes slide to Cass. “Tell Apollo to search her room. Make sure she’s not hiding anything.”

Cassius is on his feet in a second, loping to the exit like a panther that’s finally spotted something to pounce on.

“Hey!” Trinity sits forward, her tits bouncing behind that pathetic film of a vest. “You can’t do that!”

“We can do whatever the fuck we want,” I growl.

She stands in a rush and charges after Cassius, and I’m less than a beat behind her. I grab her shoulder, hauling her back. Her vest rips as she twists to knock away my hand. Then she’s fumbling with herself, trying to cover her bare naked breasts.

“Ooh, can it wait?” Cassius croons from the exit, his voice moving closer. “Her roommate might spot him?—?

“That fucking queer?” I snap. “Jasper won’t say a word. Trust me.” My eyes never leave Trinity’s, not even to look at her tits.

“Fuck,” Cassius mutters, and then there’s just the swish of the drape.

Trinity tries to draw the torn halves of her vest back over her chest, and flinches when I tell her to stop.

“How close are you with Gabriel?” I ask, stepping up to her. She moves back until her shoulders collide with a bookshelf.

“We’re…friends.”

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