Page 95 of Sardonic Burn

TWENTY-FOUR

It should be a crime to look this pathetically beautiful.

After Hudson took me out of the underground bunker, he took me back to my apartment. The first thing I did was take a deep, cleansing shower. It took almost too long for the stench to be completely rinsed off, and I probably used a bottle and a half of body mist afterward.

I half expected Hudson to be gone by the time I emerged from the bathroom, which is why I only wore a robe. My surprise when I found him sitting in the living room was nearly as great as the surprise when I saw what he was holding in his hand.

Slowly, I blink myself out of the trance.

“What are you doing with that?”

He snaps his eyes in my direction, looking up and down at me hungrily. He settles his eyes back on my face, jaw clenched. He waves the objects in his hands in front of my face.

“I’m not fucking wearing this.”

The pink collar and muzzle are in each of his hands, with the chain from the collar dragging on the floor. It’s quite long because I ordered the longest one they had. A laugh slips from my mouth.

“Oh, come on, just try it on.”

“I’m not putting a fucking muzzle on my face.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Dylan would.”

“Fucking hell,” he mumbles and puts it on his face.

“The collar, too.”

The chain jiggles as he locks it behind his neck, the pink heart pendant slightly shaking. With a giggle, I grab the keys out of his hands and step back, grabbing the long chain and draping it around my palm.

“Give me the key, Noelle.”

“What was that? Shouldn’t you bebarking?”

“I’m not fucking around with you. Either give me the key willingly, or I’ll take it. Either way, this collar is coming off.”

“Why? It looks so pretty wrapped around your neck.”

To provoke him a little, I tug on the chain, watching as his eyebrow twitches. He tries to yank it off, but it’s made out of real leather, so it’s nearly impossible to be ripped in half, especially given the thickness.

Once he realizes it, he takes a deep breath. In the next moment, he appears in front of me, yanking both the chains and the keys out of my hands. I’m left puzzled, and it’s only now that I understand how much I underestimated Hudson.

He’s almost too quick for me to notice. He moves within shadows; he’s unnoticeable and undetectable. That only meansthat the moment he decides he no longer needs me, I could die without seeing it coming.

A couple of weeks ago, I would’ve found the thought amusing, challenging, and exhilarating. Yet right now, my chest is aching.

How odd.

“Not bad, little De Santis.” I grin, pushing the thoughts to the back of my head. “Now, I’m hungry. Go grab me something from the fridge.”

He takes off the collar and the muzzle, a look of annoyance on his face. “Am I your maid?”

“You’re my bitch, Hudson.” I laugh at the soured expression he shows. “I’m kidding. Relax. Kalina sent me some food earlier today.”

“I’m assuming you’re on speaking terms with them again?”

“No, I just found the food sitting outside of the door.”

“It could be poisonous.”

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