Page 24 of Psyop Kings

“Seems like a lot of work. We could just eliminate her altogether.” Orion’s lips tug up on one side as though that’s a favorable idea. His best idea yet.

“My dad is Gideon Langston,” I blurt out, voice quivering. “He’ll come after you.”

The air crackles with tension as the men hear my words. Neither appears to be shocked by my bold statement.

Orion’s humor fades once more. “That fucking son of mine.”

Caius nods and says, “I’ll figure something out. Keep him out of it and I’ll fix this problem he created in a way that doesn’t come back to us.”

Orion grasps Caius’s shoulder and then strides over to the bedroom door. Once he’s slipped out and closed it behind him, Caius finally speaks to me.

“All problems can be solved,” he rumbles, arrogance lacing his tone. “Even monumentally huge fuckups. You, little girl, are a fuckup.”

I sit up straight and glower at him. “My name is Romy, notlittlegirl. I’m a real person you kidnapped and drugged, and now I’m starving. If you’re going to keep me captive, at least bring me something to eat.”

Caius reaches up to tap his bottom lip, his intense dark orbs assessing me. “Awfully demanding for someone in your position.”

Please.

It’s on the tip of my tongue.

But fire burns in my gut. I’m not Megan. I’m a Langston. We’re dragons in a world full of sheep. At most, the Crownes are lions. Dragons trump lions every day of the week.

“Fuck off, monster,” I snap, giving him the middle finger as an added gesture of my sentiments. “You won’t get away with this.”

He doesn’t smile or glare.

Instead, his dark eyebrow barely lifts on one side. “Wealwaysdo, little girl.”

I believe him.

He really does think he’s going to get away with this.

It sounds like he probably will.

With those intimidating words, he stalks out of the room without a backward glance. The audible click of a lock engaging can be heard seconds later.

All alone, hungry, and feeling defeated in my beautiful trap, I burst into tears.

Romy

Itried to keep my eyes open after Caius left, but I couldn’t do it. The fatigue from all I’d endured thus far dragged me into its abyss. Now, after an unknown amount of time, I wake in a panic.

The bedside lamp is still on. The bathroom door remains open as I left it. The scent of expensive cologne lingers in the air, reminding me of my visitors—Orion and Caius Crowne.

My stomach grumbles fiercely. Apparently, my demand for food went ignored. Assholes.

I have to get out of here. Every bone in my body aches and my muscles twitch with tension. I’m exhausted and wired all at once. It takes everything out of me to peel my body out of the comfortable bed, but I eventually manage, only swaying slightly once on my feet.

Where are my shoes?

I know I went to bed with them on. A quick pat of the covers tells me they weren’t kicked off while I slept. And after a sweep of the bedroom and bathroom, they’re missing from those places as well.

They took my shoes.

The robe remains pooled on the floor by the bed just as I left it. Except it isn’t exactly as I left it. In fact, it’s not the same one. It’s smaller. I pick it up to confirm and it’s definitely not the same one. The other one swallowed me. This one is for someone closer to Megan’s size—petite and barely five feet tall.

My heart stutters in my chest as I begin cataloguing anything else that’s different than when I went to bed. In the bathroom,everything looks the same except a washcloth hangs instead of a loofa. And the bodywash is on the left of the shampoo and conditioner, not on the far right.

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