Page 76 of Split

I shrug innocently, fighting back a smirk.How was I to know he hadn’t fucked her?

Fine, I was almost positive hedidn’t, since I actually know the man, but I couldn’t be sure he wasn’t playing his own game, and far be it for me to interfere if he was. He knows better than to tread on my games, so I was simply paying him the same courtesy.

Roman swings his gaze back over to Eliza. “I didn’t fuck the waitress,” he deadpans.

“You didn’t?” she asks, surprise coloring her features as her brows shoot up to her hairline. “But that’s obviously why she invited you to the wine cellar, and you were gone for a while…”

“To select a decent bottle,” he scoffs. “You think I’m that easily seduced?”

Her lips slowly spread into a smug grin, gaze flickering askance. “Well, I mean…”

Roman tosses his book down on the cushion beside him and pushes up from the sofa, advancing on her with a predatory gleam in his eye.

Nox suddenly perks up from his post at Eliza’s feet, the hair on the back of his neck bristling as he stares his master down, upper lip curling back from his teeth in a snarl. My brother snaps his fingers to call him off, but in a strange twist of events, the dog doesn’t react to his command. To the contrary, Nox growls even louder at him in warning, keeping himself planted firmly in front of Eliza to block Roman’s advance.Interesting.

“Ryadom!” Roman snaps irritably.Heelin Russian.

Nox snaps his teeth, barking at him.

Roman huffs out an annoyed breath, looking to me for assistance. “Tell your dog to move.”

“You think he’ll listen to me?” I snort, arching a brow. “We both know he’s always preferred you.”

“Well now he prefersher,” Roman grumbles, tipping his head toward Eliza.

“Molodets,“ I chuckle.Good boy.

A mischievous expression comes over Eliza’s face as she flips her book closed, setting it aside and looking down at Nox. She raises a hand, snapping her fingers, and Nox immediately heeds her command, slinking back with a whine and turning to lick her palm.

A smug grin creases her lips as she lifts her gaze to Roman, and something akin to pride sparks inside me at her victory.That’s my girl.

“We’ll see if they remember who they answer to after spending some time locked up in the kennels,” Roman grumbles, huffing out another breath as he retreats back over to the other couch and flops down on it with a grunt.

“Don’t bother, she’s got my skeleton key,” I murmur as I lean back to scroll on my phone.

Eliza’s eyes pop wide, her head snapping in my direction.

I lift my gaze from my phone to meet hers. “Did you honestly think I wasn’t aware you swiped it from my room that night?”

“Did you just sayskeletonkey?” she asks, bypassing my question with one of her own.

“Yes, it unlocks every door on the estate,” I reply.

She throws herself back against the cushions with a groan, scrubbing her hands down her face. “Why didn’t I think to try it in other doors? I thought it was a key to the tower!”

“Are you encouraging theft now?” Roman mumbles, arching a brow at me disapprovingly.

Come to think of it, I might’ve forgotten to mention the key to him.

I shrug in dismissal. “More places for her to hide only ups the stakes of the game, brother. You know I live for a good hunt.” I slide Eliza a wink, her cheeks flushing pink.

Shelikes the game, too.

She’d never tarnish that prissy good-girl persona of hers by actually saying it out loud, but some part of her is just as twisted as I am, and I get hard just thinking about her sinister side. The side of her that thrives on pain; that revels in degradation. The one that joins me in the darkness so our demons can dance together to their own malevolent tune. She’s passed every testI’ve put her through thus far with flying colors, but now there’s only one final measure of her true potential.

“What do you want to do about Victor?” I question, perceiving her slight flinch at the mention of his name.

“What do you mean?” she asks hesitantly.

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