Page 104 of Nest Of Lies

I roll her over and look down at her. She’s ghostly white, but she’s unharmed.

“Wake up.”

Her eyes open, deep, haunted. There’s something so dead inside that it gives me pause.

“Ready to gohome, baby girl?”

She rolls away from me.

What the fuck?

I roll her onto her back and climb up on the bed, straddling her. “What’s the matter, Lia?”

“I’m sick,” she whispers.

“Bullshit. We’ve been through this. You’re fine.”

She blinks up at me and reaches up to stroke my cheek. “You look almost real.”

“I am real.”

“No, you’re not real. You wanted me to get back at Andy.”

I frown. “Who the fuck is Andy? I’m not trying to get back at anyone. If I was, I’d go to them, not fuck around with your feelings.”

She glowers and bites her lip, her eyes filling with tears. “You lied. I’m sick, and you lied.”

I can’t take this. This breaking, soul-wrenching pain in her. I scoop her up in my arms, pulling her towards the edge of the bed, my hand closing around her throat. Holding her attention, demanding it.

“What did I lie about?”

“I’m not your scent match,” Lia whispers. “You lied.”

I growl, beyond frustrated. “I don’t care about that.”

“I do!”

“Yes, we lied. You’re coming home,” I snap, resolute. The room is quiet and miserable. I’m not leaving her here.

“No, I’m not. Just leave me alone, Ranger.”

“Not going to happen, baby doll.”

“Leave me here.”

“Nope.”

“I’m not going with you!”

I snarl at her, tightening my fingers. “I don’t remember giving you a choice.”

Her eyes widen, and she stares at me in shock, her eyes glaze, and marshmallow slams into the air. It’s so thick I can taste it.

“Your heat is here, baby, and it’s either me or I kill every man, woman, and child who comes near you.”

Her pupils expand, and she arches against me.

“Yeah, time to go. We can sort everything else out later.”

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