Page 29 of Into the Woods

She has to tilt her head back in order to see my face and, with her eyes wide and lips parted, she’s a fucking wet dream.

I don’t know if I want to throttle her for being so goddamn careless or strip her naked and fuck her up against the glass.

“Alain is my uncle and he’s a bastard on his best day. I work for him.” It kills me to say that aloud. I should be the one running this family, taking care of business. “And he knows everything there is to know about people who owe him money. Your parents?—”

Her gasp pushes her tits hard against my chest, cutting me off mid-sentence and scrambling my brain. Jesus, the feel of herbody pressed against mine is enough to drive me insane, to make me think I’m fucking invincible.

My fingers dig into the ample swell of her ass as I palm it, pulling her closer still. I slide my free hand over the dip of her waist, higher and higher.

Her tiny, cropped shirt allows me easy access to her bare tit, the tight nipple beading up into a delicious little point.

I brush my thumb across the taut nub and fight the urge to bend and take it into my mouth. I want to lick it. Bite it. Suck on it until she comes from that alone.

There’s no ignoring the effect she has on me. My dick is hard as steel, trapped between us and begging to come out and play.

She plants her hands on my chest and pushes against me in a feeble attempt to put space between us, not that it does her any good.

“You feel that, honeybee?” I grind my dick against her. “That’s what Alain wants from you. He wants to fuck you. And when he finds out you’re a virgin? He’s going to do everything in his power to get you. He’s going to make sure your pretty pussy is his for the taking, and then when he’s done, when he is good and tired of you, he’ll let his men have their turns.” I wait for that chunk of information to sink in before I drive home the severity of Alain’s depravity. “Who knows what’ll be left of you when they’re done.” I stopped her from being used that way six years ago; there’s no guarantee that I feel like being a hero again.

“What choice do I have?” she asks.

The strength in her voice surprises me. I would have expected her to crumble—fall apart at the picture I just painted.

She inhales deeply and then pushes the air from her lungs, her shoulders settling in resignation. “It’s not the first time I’ve had to pick up the pieces of my parents’ bad decisions. I know how this goes.”

Jesus. Just when I thought she couldn’t get any more alluring…

She has no fucking idea how this is going to go.

Chapter 13

Dire

Winnie

There’s no conversation,just cold, uncomfortable silence as Garrick escorts me back to my suite. Even the lock clicking into place seems quieter than usual, as if that inanimate object has somehow learned consciousness, become sentient. Like it’s aware of just how dire my situation is.

How did I get here? How the hell did my life get to the place where I’m locked away in the mafia mansion of my childhood friend, staring down the barrel of a human auction that will hopefully net enough funds to clear my parents’ ridiculous drug debt?

If I read this in a book, I would toss that paperback across the room and roll my eyes so hard, I’d strain something and end up with double vision. And one Christophe Robicheaux is more than enough, thank you very much.

“Is there anything I can get for you before you retire for the evening?” Garrick stands just inside the door, hands clasped behind his back.

If I thought for a moment that he was nothing more than anormalbutler, I’d consider lunging at him, shoving him to the side and running for my life. But I seriously doubt he’s simply a house servant without a special skill set that doesn’t show up on a typical resume. And it’s not just my life hanging in the balance, either.

My shoulders slump forward in defeat. I’ll allow myself that, just for tonight, because I need a plan.

“Thanks. I’m just going to wash my face and pass out after I check on Tru.” I take a step toward the bedroom and pull up short when Garrick makes a humming noise. “What?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “Miss Cochonette has retired for the evening.”

My brows pull together as I cross the room, pulling up short at the sight of my empty bed. “Where is she?” I whip around to face him. Any tension I allowed to leach out only moments ago, is back. My hands fist and shoulders rise as every muscle in my body tightens and prepares to fight. “Who took her away from me?”

Tru needs me.

If I’m being honest, I need her, too. I’m comfortable taking care of her, looking out for her. Giving her a stable environment in which to heal as much as she can. It gives me a purpose beyond just me, something to work for. Planning for my exodus from this town was so much easier once I had another person to consider.

Without even realizing I’d moved, I’m across the room, looking past Garrick’s rigid form into the hallway.

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