Page 38 of Tainted Saints

“You didn’t do anything wrong,mi princesa,” he assures me quietly, and Forest looks over, his mouth parting when he takes me in; a shaking mess in Blaine’s arms.

“Oh, baby,” he whispers, rushing over and cupping my face in his warm, albeit trembling palms. “I’m sorry, sugar. I lost my head, but I shouldn’t have gotten so mad and scared you like that.”

He places a soft kiss on my lips before releasing me when he sees that I’m no longer shaking.

“I knew there was something shifty about Wallace recently,” he says to Landon, Blaine keeping me in his warm embrace, lifting me to settle me in his lap. My arms wrap around his, pulling him closer around me, and I swear a deep purr rumbles in his chest.

“Who’s Wallace?” I question, snuggling back into Blaine and allowing myself his comfort, even if it’s only for this short time.

“He’s the assistant manager at the pound,” Lan tells me, his face unreadable.

“My aunt and uncle hired him a while back so that they could take it a bit easier,” Forest adds, his voice still low and full of anger. “I’ve never liked him, too quick to put a dog down, but they wanted me to focus on school so I could better myself or some shit.”

“What could he be doing for the Ambassador?” I ask, my tone uncertain as I try to puzzle it out.

“I think that’s pretty obvious, Duchess,” Lan states with a frown, and I look up at him, my stomach churning, knowing that whatever he says is not going to be nice. “Your father is holding dog fights, and he needs his cannon fodder from somewhere.”

It takes a minute, but when what he’s saying clicks, it’s like the woods around us no longer exist.

“You’re saying that he’s using the pound to get dogs for the fights? That he’s allowing innocent creatures to die for entertainment?” Tears spill over onto my cheeks, burning my skin as just how much of a monster the Ambassador really is hits me in the chest.

I should know, he’s been tormenting me in the pursuit of perfection for years, starving me and locking me in pitch-black rooms. But to hear that he could be so cruel to a defenceless creature like a dog, who doesn’t even have a home to begin with…

“I–I d–didn’t know,” I stutter, Blaine’s arms tightening around me. Forest sits down at my side, taking one of my hands in his and rubbing my knuckles. Landon crouches down in front of me, brushing the tears away from my face. “Why is he such a monster?” My tone breaks on the last word as I beg Landon for an answer I know he doesn’t have.

“I don’t know, Duchess. Fuck, I wish I did.” He sighs, his brows deeply furrowed. “But we’ll stop him.”

“No one can stop him,” I whisper in an echo of our conversation last night, but doubt creeps in. Maybe the Saints have what it takes with their gang and mafia connections.

“We can,” he states, like it’s a statement of fact, a given. “But we need your help, Duchess.”

“Lan,” Blaine rumbles behind me, but I squeeze his arm, letting him know that it’s okay.

“I’ll do it. Whatever you need,” I promise, and Lan’s lips tilt up into a feral smile.

“Good girl.”

ChapterEighteen

“Tidal Wave” by Chase Atlantic

BLAINE

I knowwe’re all reeling from the information Aspen just gave us, but her vow to help us has a warm glow running through my veins. It’s been just the three of us for so long, but I must admit that she fits in seamlessly. If only she was a little less out of reach. She belongs in another world to ours, and I can’t help worrying about what dragging her down in the mud with us will do to her.

“Good girl,” Lan praises, and I feel the way her body responds; the way her thighs part ever so slightly and her chest hitches. My fingers stroke her hip, and I smile when her body shudders.

“Were you a good girl this morning and put on the thigh highs and garters that Lan likes so much,mi princesa linda?” I murmur into her ear, skimming my nose up the column of her neck. I catch Lan’s heated gaze and know that he just overheard my question.

“Yes,” she replies on a breath, and when I place a light kiss on her neck she shudders against me again.

“Show him,” I command, and her whole body freezes. The silence is thick, the birdsong loud as I wait to see if she’ll follow orders. I think she will, and she’ll be rewarded and praised if she does as I command.

Her torso rises and falls with a deep inhale, and then I look over her shoulder when she places her hands in the fabric of her skirt and starts to lift it up. Her cute as fuck, brown leather boots are revealed first, and I’ve never found an item of footwear so fucking attractive before. Her shapely legs are next, and I can’t even tear my gaze away to see Lan’s reaction as I wait for the tops of her stockings to be shown.

“Goddamn, Duchess,” Lan grits out as the top of her emerald garters and nude thigh highs come into view.Coño, she has gorgeous legs.

“Such a good girl for your Saints,” I whisper, kissing her neck. She arches her head to the side, giving me more access, so I indulge in a little nibble which has her taking in a sharp breath. “Now, open your legs more for him, and I’m sure he’ll give you your reward.”

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