Page 88 of Deadly Rival

I can’t imagine it. Sweet, dignified Eve forced to humiliate herself in front of the whole Compound. It’s a dash of cold water. A brutal reminder of what sort of place this is and the true status of the Wards. Property. An amusement. Forced to perform at the will of our masters.

You didn’t mind being forced to perform last night.

No. No, I hadn’t. But that was one night. The reality of my choice is ripping chunks out of my soul. Sebastian has made a selfless choice—for me. He’s put his life in my hands and hasn’teven told me the true stakes. No one has ever done anything like that for me.

But saving him means giving up my freedom. Forever. None of the other Wards were given the chance to leave. I’m in a unique position, a captive granted the ability to walk away. Yes, I’d have my father to deal with, but the more I think of it, the more I think, fuck him. He doesn’t own me. If I leave, I’m done letting him control my life.

He doesn’t own me, but if I stay, Sebastian will.

My stomach turns over, terror mixed with pleasant tingles. The same duality I’ve been battling all morning. Could I really stay with the man who captured me? Who made me his pet?

The man who cares about you. Who wants you to be happy. Who pulled the goddamn stick out of your ass and woke you up to the fact you were wasting your life on your shitty family.

God, I wish there was a third option. Something less extreme than eternal captivity.

“Ophelia?” Eve pats my knee. “You okay? It wasn’t really that bad. I mean, it was at the time. But I got over it. You will too, if it comes to it.”

What? Oh, right. Kissing Kendrick’s feet. If only that was all I had to worry about today.

Quinn snorts. “You’ll be okay. Sebastian is a fucking teddy bear compared to Jacob. It’ll be something like, ‘You aren’t allowed designer dresses or caviar for a whole month, the horror!’”

She pretends to faint, landing on my pet bed. Funny how I’m not even ashamed of it anymore. It’s such a ridiculous performance I can’t help laughing, and Eve follows suit. Soon we’re all laughing with the wild, almost hysterical abandon that comes out of stressful situations. A knock cuts through the clamor.

Sebastian’s voice comes through the closed door. “Sorry to interrupt your fun, ladies, but it's time to go.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Sebastian

Half an hour later,Ophelia and Quinn are escorted into the back area of the auditorium under Portia’s watchful eye. Eve is allowed to go with them. It’s still a couple of hours until the ceremony, but we won’t see each other again until I’m seated in the middle of the stage.

I give Ophelia one last kiss, but she’s quiet and tense. Will she miss me once she goes back to her real life? Will it hurt her when she finds out I died so she could go free?

Christ. That makes me sound like a noble warrior giving up his life for his lady, not the asshole who kidnapped her getting what he deserves. It’ll cause her pain, though, and I hate it. She spent years wallowing in misplaced guilt, and now it might be even worse.

I need to keep thinking about Ophelia, to keep worrying about her, because if I think about what’s going to happen to me, my resolve might fall to bits. I close my good eye and takea deep breath. I wanted the bandage off today, but the doctor said no. If I live, it’ll come off tomorrow.

The auditorium stands by itself in a shady clearing, separate from the main street. There’s grass and a few benches, so people waiting for performances or lectures have somewhere to socialize before the show.

I’m glad of the seclusion. Everyone I’ve walked past today has stared at me too long, as if they’re counting the minutes to my demise. It’s a cool, cloudy day, but the damn bandage itches like hell.

Once the girls leave, Jacob and Gabriel settle into gloomy silence. Even without knowing what I told Ophelia, they understand the full weight of what today means. It’s the one day the Brotherhood doesn’t stand to protect its members, but to judge us. The one day we’re truly at risk.

As usual, I’m the first to break the silence. I nudge Gabriel, who jumps. He’d been miles away. “Did you ever doubt Eve would do it? Not before the day, obviously. I mean while you were sitting there, waiting.”

He considers before answering. “Sort of. It wasn’t so much that I thought she’d mess up on purpose. Stripping like that in front of everyone, though. Most women would hate it, but her?” He shakes his head. “It was torture for her. I was worried she’d panic and bolt.”

I turn to Jacob. “What about you? Are you worried?”

“Nope. Quinn’s a brat, but even she won’t fuck this up. I’m looking forward to it.” He grins, and it has a dangerous edge. “I’ve waited a long time to see my tattoo on her. Oh. Shit.” He smacks his head. “I forgot to say. We’re meeting with the tattooist now. It'll be a rush job, but he’s really good. He’ll get it drawn out before the ceremony starts.”

The tattoo. Fuck. The fucking tattoo. What with losing an eye and my impending doom, I’d forgotten all about it.

“What are you getting?” Gabriel’s question is all innocent curiosity, and I watch as his face slowly shifts to disbelief. “Wait. Please tell me you’ve decided.”

I gesture to my bandaged head. “I’ve had a bit going on.”

Jacob snorts. “I get it, mate, but come on. You could have—”

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