Page 47 of Martyr

“Clearly he just knows you guys better than you think.”

Lake didn’t argue there. “He made the bold statement that you’re not attracted to us.”

He could feel his stomach dropping, unease prickling over his skin. Nix could see where this was going, and he didn’t like it. “No.”

“I haven’t even explained things yet.”

“No,” he repeated.

“Okay.” Lake reached for the door.

“Wait.” That had been too easy.

“You said no.”

“When has that ever mattered to you?” At Lake’s blank expression, Nix backtracked. “That’s not what I mean. I want you to listen to me when I say no, but…” He blew out a breath. “You want me to do something intimate with you in front of him, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“What happens if I stick with no?”

“Juri becomes our sacrifice.”

The range of emotions he was feeling during this one conversation was absolutely insane. “What?”

“It’s—”

“I know what it is.”

Lake’s brow furrowed. “How?”

“Your timing is impeccable. West just told me all about it. I wanted to know what your cousin meant when he called me your fourth the other day, remember? You weren’t going to tell me so—”

“I would have,” he disagreed. “Eventually.”

“I’m tired of waiting to be told things I have a right to know, Lake.”

“That’s why I’m telling you this now, doesn’t that amount to anything?”

Nix snorted before he could help it. “Are you seriously asking me to appreciate you giving me a choice for the first time since meeting?”

“I’ve always given you a choice.”

“Yeah?” He pointed to his neck.

Lake grew quiet.

“So that’s it? If I refuse to hook up with you in front of an audience, you kick me to the curb and select someone else?” Nix didn’t like how he felt about that. Didn’t like that his first reaction was to get angry and affronted. Heshouldbe pleased.Relieved even. This could be a way out, wasn’t that what he’d always wanted?

“How can someone be wrong so many times in the span of ten minutes?” Lake asked, then he grabbed Nix by the nape and pulled him until their foreheads were close. “Listen closely, Songbird, because you clearly didn’t hear me before, despite this attitude of yours showing you believe otherwise. You. Are. Mine. This,” he used his thumb to tilt Nix’s head to the side, exposing the bandage, “solidified that.”

“But you just said—”

“I don’t need you to be our sacrifice to keep you,” he stated. “In fact, Juri might be doing us a favor by volunteering to take on the role.”

It took Nix a second to understand, but as soon as the meaning clicked, another rush of anger consumed him. He shoved Lake away. “You think preventing me from becoming a club member will help you control me better.”

The corner of his mouth twitched, but the Imperial contained his humor. “There, you’re back to being your usual intelligent self.”

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