Page 60 of Mastered By Lust

This isn’t right.

“Hey, it’s okay. Dmitri won’t mind.” Patrick presses an open-mouthed kiss to the corner of my lips.

I turn my head. This can’t be happening here, not in a building crammed with people.

But my arms are weak, my legs are weak.

“Gage said my body is power,” I murmur.

“What’s that?” Patrick keeps his face against my neck.

“My body…power.”

His breath is hot against my ear. “Shh, it’s okay.”

“No, no, not okay.” I try to push him back, away from me.

He doesn’t budge.

Where is my power?

16

Dmitri

The music is deafening. So many fucking people. Where did Patrick find them all? I don’t know when my original dream—a jazz club—got so twisted. Whatever this shit is? It’s unrecognizable.

The makeshift bar has a tub full of mystery alcohol, and two guys are filling red cups and handing them out to anyone who asks. I’d bet my right nutandleft nut that nobody’s checking ID.

I find Danica right away. She glows in the crowd, her blond hair almost as white as her dress.

And she’s dancing with—fuck. Is that Edmund Layton?

Edmund Layton is here, at Patrick Aseyev’s party. Fuck, fuck, fuck. It’s a recipe for mayhem—the Laytons and the Aseyevs together in one place.

And we’re in Salding—the Laytons’ territory.

Danica doesn’t know. I never told her anything. I wanted her to be able to keep loving Granddad and not be horrified by who he really is. I thought I could take everything and hold it in. Allow her to remain innocent.

First, I gotta get her away from Layton.

I march into the crush of people, some of them dancing, some of them just standing around and flailing their arms. Everyone’s shouting to be heard over the noise.

“Danica!” I have to shout for her several times, even though we’re only a few feet from each other.

Finally, she turns. Smiles when she sees me. “Dmitri!”

She wasn’t just dancing with Layton, but with another guy, too. I vaguely recognize him as one of the Layton’s bruisers, but I don’t know his name.

I gesture her forward. I don’t want to put hands on her in case these assholes are feeling proprietary. “Danica, it’s time to go.”

She shakes her head. “I’m having fun. I’m going to stay.”

Layton’s frown of disapproval sears into the side of my face. His buddy clenches his fists.

I don’t know how to tell Danica about the danger she’s in without revealing everything about our family.

I thought I was protecting her from the nasty truths of our grandfather. But my silence threw her straight into danger.

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