Page 45 of Mistress A-0002

“You can’t sell her.”

“Sure I can.”

Drayton’s fingers pushed through his dark hair. “She’s one of us. You can’t do that. Besides, what you’re saying is impossible. You can’t end their line. Nothing Melissa’s done could be that bad.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. The line will end, and Marian will come to an end with it. Whether that’s by you or someone else, that’s your call.”

Back and forth, Drayton shook his head. “If I see her, I’ll kill her.”

“Exactly. But not before a child is conceived. I could do that medically without her consent, but don’t you want the last word? You deserve that after what she did.”

“You don’t understand. I—Fuck. Why? Why give this to me?”

“I have more to give than just revenge. You want into the Gardens.” His eyes went round as they shot to me. “I’ll lift the lifetime ban for you. I’ll allow you in. Not only that, I’ll bring you in with Alpha status. I can reinstate you as heir. I don’t need your father’s consent. I have sway in the Council. I’ll make it all better, Drayton. All you have to do is just a few little things for me. Keep your status as the Devil. Take Marian. Kill her. Marry her. Do with her whatever you want. Embrace your life. Grow with it. Open your doors and services to me; to those I take under my wing. And stop fucking fighting me at every turn,” I ground out. “You’re an asshole, but you’re loyal. I need that around me. I need you,” I said, deepening my tone. “Say yes to my deal. That man I’m meetingwillgive the approval on ending the LaRoe line. He will pass on the message to the other Uppers, but you play a bigger part than you even realize. I need you to step into your power. Can you do that for me? AsthePennington.”

Silence. Sweat was starting to bead on Drayton’s forehead, but he quickly wiped it away.

“Don’t fucking lie to me. Is this real? You’re not fucking me over for some other agenda?”

“No. I want you back by my side. Back in the circle. We’ll be partners, connecting your world and mine. You’ll have more power than you ever dreamed.”

“What goes into admittance to the Gardens? There’s a catch. I know that for a fact. What is it?”

I shrugged. “There’s not really much of a catch. It’s a simple process. You fill out some paperwork. There are some tapes you need to watch here and at our location. Basically, me explaining the rules. You’ll have key words to listen for. There are a few neurological tests you’ll have to take. Nothing too bad. I’ll need your blood. Your sperm. All precautionary, of course. We can’t have you dying before you can produce an heir. The Gardens can be a dangerous place, but it’severythingyou’re looking for and more.”

He nodded, shifting and swallowing hard. “That’s it?”

“That’s it. My guess is you’ll breeze right through the process. Here, let me see something.” I lifted my hand, curling all my digits in but my index finger. “Follow my movements.”

“For what?” I threw him a look and he rolled his eyes. “Fine.”

Slowly, I began going back and forth, watching as Drayton’s gaze stayed glued to the tip of my finger as I moved it into rhythm.

“Excellent. Just like that. Now, we’re just going to talk. You said Keith’s in the back? How long has he been here?”

Drayton’s lips parted through the slight delay.

“Thirty, forty-five minutes?”

“The wait will do him good. Is he far from here?”

“No. …He’s a few rooms down.”

“And how far away is your secret entrance? I know you have one. You can’t be too cautious these days. Especially someone as important and hated as you.”

A smile slowly appeared as his eyes continued in the back-and-forth movements. His speech became more fluid, less thought about.

“I’m not a fool. I have more than one entrance.”

“And it leads underground?”

“Doesn’t everything?”

I lowered my finger, starting a new path, up and down.

“Yes. There’s an area just outside of the city. I hear it’s used on occasion. They whisper of secret societies and hooded figures. It’s a tunnel that used to tie into Whitlock, but we don’t use that way anymore. You use it though, don’t you, Dray.”

It wasn’t a question.

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