Page 57 of Cherry Auction

But then she glances at Brooke. I look down too, wondering what she’s seeing. There’s Brooke, face absolutely peaceful as she curls into my chest. The happiest little kitten.

Fuck. Just how deeply did I break her?

TWENTY-TWO

DOMHNALL

“I’m not leavingbefore I get her bathed and see she’s resting peacefully,” Professor Roberts says.

I nod. I don’t love having to defer to other people, but I’ll do whatever’s best for Brooke. Her eyes are closed but I know by the way she frowns and furrows closer against my chest when Professor Roberts speaks that she’s not asleep.

“Brooke,” Professor Roberts says in a gentle voice I haven’t heard until now, “Can you try to walk for us?”

She glares at me over Brooke’s head and gestures for me to set Brooke down. I don’t love the idea when Brooke is clinging to me for dear life. But I’m the one who fucked things up here, so I’ll listen to theprofessional.

When I try to pry Brooke’s arms from around my neck, though, she makes a pitiful noise. I set her feet on the floor, but she immediately collapses to her hands and knees, pushing her face against my legs like a shy child.

… Or like a shy kitten.

Professor Roberts watches on, nonplussed. Her lips purse in thought, but when she next looks up at me, it’s not with the disgust or judgement I expect. “All right. Brooke, we’re going to have Domhnall carry you to the bathroom. Does that sound all right?”

Brooke doesn’t acknowledge her, but when I look down, her big brown eyes meet mine, full of trust. My chest clenches, feeling the connection still between us.Mine. She’s still mine.

It’s a fucked up thought. I’m fucked up.

But for whatever reason, she’s chosen to trust me.

It’s not trust, you fucking bastard.

I manipulated her into bonding to me. I utilized my extensive skills and I did?—

I did… what was once done to me.

I was an innocent once, too. So long ago I can’t remember what it felt like. But I was an innocent, preyed upon by a monster.

But I’m the monster now.

I swallow hard and sweep her up into my arms. I feel my monstrous insides pulsating, shameful and disgusting, as itstretches its claws around her. But she just curls against me with the trust of a newborn babe.

She loved me the same way that summer.Thirteen. Jaysus fecking Christ. Four years between us isn’t that much now, but when I was seventeen?

He was making a monster of me even then and I didn’t fucking know it. Stamping me with his soiled touch in a way I’d never get off. It doesn’t matter that he’s dead. The disease of him lives inside me, poisoning me into the fucked up,wrongthing I am today.

Brooke clutches my neck tighter, face nuzzling in as if she can sense the war inside me.

Fuck.

None of it matters.

All that matters is the sub in my armsnow.

Subs come first.

Take care of the sub at all costs. Those are the rules.

Caleb jogs in front of Professor Roberts and I towards the elevator. He’s been to my house for a few events before but never to my bedroom. Still, he knows most of the bedrooms are upstairs and hits theupbutton. I see Professor Roberts eyebrow lift when she sees the personal elevator. Did she not pay attention to the address when she pulled up? They don’t call it Billionaire’s Row for nothing.

I punch in the keycode, and we ride up to the third floor, my personal floor, and I lead them to my bedroom.Brooke nuzzles me the entire way. Caleb hurries to the ensuite bathroom to turn on the bath.

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