Page 102 of Ink Deep Devotion

“You’re one to talk. Titan and I know where you were the last two days,” I retort. Titan looks at me with a narrowed expression.

“What?” I toss my hands in the air.“If his dad discovers his obsession and how much time he devotes to stalking Plain Jane rather working for King Corporations, that girl is dead.” As soon as I finish the last word, a solid punch hits the left side of my jaw.

I know I’m asking for it, and I don’t mind the pain. Hell, most of the time, I enjoy it. It keeps my mind off of Mila.

Metallic rust coats my tongue as blood fills my mouth. I don’t bother fighting back; I deserve it. But Damian needs to hear the truth. I know firsthand what it is like to suffer, knowing that the girl you love is hurt because of you.

They say love is blind for a reason.

“Go ahead, get pissy with me, Damian, but you know I’m speaking the truth.”

Damian holds my eyes before he stomps out of the room, but not before he warns Titan,“Convince the Brotherhood to move up the date, or I’ll handle my father.”

Good. Damian is growing as impatient as I am. Now, I just need to convince Dante and Cillian that it’s time.

The door slams shut, and Titan and I sit in silence. I spit a mouth full of blood out into my drink.“He’s going to get that girl killed, or worse. I was only verbalizing what you and I both were thinking.” The worst would be the girl staying alive but being leveraged over Damian.

“The Brotherhood is strong because we acttogetheras one. You just pushed Damian to act alone. If Uncle Elijah falls before his time comes, other pieces start to fall. Lay off Damian until all our brothers are ready.” Titan orders.

I scoff.“Anders will never be ready in the way you all want him to be. He’s going to go in like a tornado. Anders doesn’t do things in a polite way. You know it, and so does Dante.” We’vebeen plotting to take out Anders's father discreetly, but the man is so well fortified that even for us, it’s a battle. The only way is to attack him head-on, making a scene.

“We are not just waiting for Anders; Cillian has some things to wrap up before taking the lead. He’s got to get his cousins out of his uncle’s grasp. We all have things we need to finalize before we take over.” Titan hisses.

“If I lay off Damian, he’s dead. You should be harder on him.”

Titan leans forward, resting his elbows on his thighs.“Would you give Mila up so easily?”

“Mila knows how our world works,” I argue.

Plain Jane will never survive our world, and I don’t want to sit back and watch Damian set himself up for failure. Mila knows the family she is born into. She knows her future consists of a cage and a forced hand of marriage. She just needs to come to terms with the fact that marriage means loving her in the shadows. Mila might not ever love me again after she grapples with that definition of love, but love doesn't matter as long as I keep her safe and at my side.

???

The smile in the photo haunts me, forcing me to follow Mila back to her dorm in the afternoon, not waiting for the night’s shadows to cover my movements.

“Who were you smiling at?” I press as I glare at her. She was wearing a plain cotton periwinkle shirt and loose-fitting cotton shorts. When she had no makeup on, she was at her most beautiful.

“Please, Dash.”Please what, little fox? Please fuck me. Please leave me alone. Please, please…

When she begs, her bottom lip sticks out more than the top. I imagine biting it between my teeth and then sucking it in my mouth before I taste her everywhere. A depraved need has been poured over us like sticky glue, trapping us both together.

Please let me fuck you right here, or rather out in the open, so every fucker at this school knows you're mine. Please tell me how that sounds to you, Mila. Pretty please, little fox. Just say the words, and I’ll thank you afterward.

She thinks I’m here because she’s been baiting me. I can see the lust in her eyes, scent it in the air.

She doesn’t know about the photos, about the madness swirling in my mind, chanting at me to sink inside of her, to claim her as mine. Mine!

I hold up my phone and show her the photo. She doesn't need to know someone is stalking her. She just thinks it's from the guards.

Her pout disappears and is replaced with a flat line.A flat line will replace the rhythm of her heart if you claim her openly. Remember that, Dash!“Did you let him touch you?”Oh no, little fox, look me in the eye.I tuck my hand under her chin, tipping her face up, letting my thumb swipe over her lips.

My cock’s so hard it’s painful. I want to show Mila my pain and claim her right here, right now.This is what you do to me! It’s your fault for making me love you.

Hurt flashes in her eyes.“You think I would put myself in that situation again?”It feels like I was shot again. The memory of what she had been through, first with Jared, then Dom.

But I’m too proud to admit my faults.“I think you would if it would get me to confess my love for you. When will you learn, you can’t outsmart the hunter?”

“Maybe I’m not trying to outsmart you. Maybe I want you to get trapped with me.”

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