Page 139 of Claiming Pretty

I could do this. I could pretend to do this.

I reached for her skirt and pushed it up her thighs, just enough but not enough so they could see her panties and the spot meant just for me.

I stepped up close and unzipped my pants. Fuck, how was I supposed to get hard with them watching.

“Strip her,” the dean said.

I spun, my open fly forgotten. “What?”

The dean tilted his head, an evil smirk on his face. “Take her clothes off. All of them. We need toseewhat you’re doing to her.”

A dozen different scenarios of attacking the High Lord ran through my mind, but each ended with my body riddled with bullet holes and Ava left helpless against five armed psychopaths.

For a moment, I hated, truly hated my brother for putting the woman he claimed to love in this position.

And for a moment, I hated Ava too, for not running when we could have.

“Unless,” the dean added, “you aren’t serious about becoming one of us.”

My hands fisted into painful knots by my sides, and I had to force my fingers apart. I forced a shrug even as hatred swirled in my blood.

“If that’s what it’ll take,” I said.

It felt like there was a hand around my neck. My own.

The dean smiled, then replied, “It is…”

I turned back to Ava, unmoving, but she would have heard everything. I scanned her soft features for any hint for me to stop, for any trace of fear or resistance.

She didn’t move, didn’t flinch. Her breathing remained steady, a silent consent to keep going.

I sent her a wordless apology as I began to lift the hem of Ava’s top.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed the dean’s crossed legs tightening. The sick fuck. I was going to enjoy killing him the most.

I pulled the top over Ava’s head and gently laid her backdown. Her head rolled to the side like she was asleep, so beautiful, so innocent.

The dean made a sound at the reveal of Ava’s naked chest. “Beautiful.”

I had to close my eyes for several long seconds as blood rushed in my ears. I saw nothing but red, even behind my eyelids.

When this was over, I was going to carve his eyeballs out of his sockets and make him eat them. I was going to rip his testicles from his wrinkly old ball sack and shove them where his eyeballs had been.

I forced myself to keep going, bolstered by my violent promises when this was all over. If… we got through this.

I slid off her shoes and dropped them to the ground. They echoed through the cavernous space.

I wanted to kiss her toes, to whisper to her that I was sorry. But I refrained.

I unzipped her skirt and pulled that off her hips and down her legs, bowing my head to her as if in prayer.

I tried to focus on the loveliness of Ava’s smooth skin, the flames casting a flickering warm glow over her curves. I tried to pretend that it was just her and me. And that we were playing some sort of dark game.

But I could feel their eyes burning into me.

My fingers curled into the edges of her panties, the only clothing left, and I paused.

Fuck. Could I really do it? Could I expose her to them?

---