Page 131 of Quinlan

“Later.”

“Bedtime, little captive.” Damien pulls the covers over her.

“Any last words before we turn the lights out?” Rome sits next to Damien, his large palm resting possessively on her cheek.

Quinlan’s gray gaze switches into that of reverence in an instant. She leans into him, same as she had with Damien.

“I hate you.” Quinlan’s whisper suggests she doesn’t hate us at all.

“Tell you what, Q.” The command in my voice has her blinking, focusing back on me. “I’ll be home sooner than I planned. I’ll come check on you.”

Creases appear on her smooth forehead. “Check on me?”

“Check whether you’re still hellbent on leaving us.” At the underlying threat I issue, Quinlan’s bottom lip juts out. She’s too wiped out to be angry. Too wrapped up in my friends’ touches tofight. “You could be, and that’ll be okay. In that case, I’ll leave the ropes on. Play with you. Or you could think it through. Decide you’re better off with us. Then you’ll be free of the binds.”

Quinlan opens her mouth to talk back. Her accusations are right there, on the tip of her tongue.

She’ll say I’m being cruel and unreasonable. She’ll tell me that having three men blackmail her into being their captive wasn’t and will never be her idea of a happily ever after.

She’ll be lying to herself and us.

I watched her last night while we took turns on her. While we unraveled her for us. Every mimic, every gesture.

She wants us. Her heart knows it. Her pussy does.

It’s her head that hasn’t caught up.

Yet.

“Quiet,” Rome warns. “Liam said to think about it, and that’s what you’re going to do.”

“Fuck y—”

He’s not having it, refusing to let her argue. Two of his fingers push into her mouth and she bites him.

“Careful, sweetheart. Your teeth…” he groans, shoving deeper, getting off on the pain. “Or maybe you’re asking me to fuck your pussy? Or is it Damien’s cock you’re begging for?”

“No, she’s just being a brat.” Damien strokes her hair, his mouth pressed to her temple. “Why don’t you just give in? Aren’t you tired? Don’t you want to sleep?”

She shivers, and ever-so-slowly, her lips close. She’s sucking on Rome’s fingers. Using him to pacify herself.

“Good girl.” Rome’s fingers disappear in her mouth, and he stills. He lets her suck them. Lets her relax. “That’s it. You’re so good. Suck my fingers. Make yourself feel good.”

She’s doing exactly that. Letting go.

Her emotions have been locked behind a mask for years. For Rex’s benefit. For her parents. Her clients.

No one’s ever given her the space to just be herself. It’s a lot. I get it.

That’s why we’re here. We’re obsessed with her smiles, her sadness, her fight. We’re after all of it.

We’re getting all of it.

She’ll learn to give it to us. To stop thisanother mannonsense.

With us, Quinlan will kick and scream and curse. She’ll draw blood. Be as feral as she’d like.

The three of us will be there no matter what. She has no idea how badly we need her to be just that. Herself.

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