Page 23 of Hell to Pay

I sat in my chair and reached for the box, then hesitated. Should I take it to the Bastards? Maybe it contained a bomb or anthrax or something.

But that didn’t make sense. The house was as secure as Fort Knox, the security system elaborate, with cameras covering every side of the exterior, plus the long driveway leading to the house. Security was kind of the Bastards’ thing. No way had someone gotten into the house, into my room, without Nolan, Jude, and Rafe knowing about it.

I took a deep breath and untied the silky green ribbon, then set it aside. The hinges on the box were tight, like a jeweler’s box, but when I opened the lid it wasn’t a necklace or bracelet or earrings that sat on the black velvet, but a knife with a shimmering blade.

I knew immediately it was a Mini Osborne because I’d coveted one forever. It had been way too rich for my blood, so I’d resigned myself to pining after it whenever I went to Noble Knives, a specialty knife shop two towns over. Now it was right here, glimmering in the velvet box.

I removed it carefully, admiring the satin finish of the reverse stainless-steel blade. It was perfectly weighted, the green-scaled handle dotted with purple spacers, a double-thumb stud opener that could be opened with my right or left hand.

I held it in my hand like I’d held my old cheap knife and felt my shoulders settle with relief. I felt more like myself with it in my hand.

Capable. Strong.

“Will it work?”

I jumped as the voice sounded from the doorway of my room. When I turned around in my chair, I saw that Rafe was standing there, leaning against the doorframe.

My pulse quickened — and not because he’d startled me. He stood like a king casually surveying his kingdom, and in that moment, I would willingly have pledged my fealty. His arms strained the fabric of his black long-sleeve T-shirt and his hands were stuffed into the pockets of well-worn jeans that did nothing to hide the bulge between his muscled thighs.

His dark hair was damp and I caught a whiff of soap mingled with the musk of his skin that did all kinds of unspeakable things to my body.

“It’s… it’s beautiful,” I said.

He held my gaze. “I know you lost your other one.”

I nodded and the moment grew heavy between us. I was aware of the quiet house, aware that he was in my bedroom, my bed only feet away from us both.

I knew if I went to him — pulled him into the room, shut the door — he would let me lead him to the bed.

Would let me do whatever I wanted to do to him.

Would do whatever I asked him to do to me.

I was in danger of falling into the storm in his eyes, in danger of forgetting what he’d done.

I swallowed hard, forced my voice steady. “Is this your way of saying you’re sorry?”

I wasn’t letting my body call the shots here.

His eyes hardened. “No.”

“That’s too bad,” I said, giving him my back as I turned toward my desk. “Thanks for the knife.”

I held my breath, waited for the verbal barbs I was sure would come, but when I turned around a minute later, he was gone.

18

LILAH

I wokeup the next morning feeling like myself for the first time since we’d gotten back from Greece. The jet lag seemed to have passed, and I felt alert and awake, my head clear.

I also felt horny for the first time since my rescue, and I wondered how long it would be before Nolan or Jude — or NolanandJude — found their way back to my bed or invited me to theirs. It felt like forever since the night on Folegandros when we’d gone to dinner, when we’d fucked by the pool while Rafe had watched.

My skin got heated at the thought of Rafe, the intensity of his gaze the night before when he’d stood in my doorway. I half regretted not throwing caution to the wind, pulling him into my room and letting nature take his course, but that was my body talking.

My brain — and my pride — were determined to stand firm. I was going to get an apology out of him one way or another.

I sighed with frustration and got out of bed. I pulled my new knife (it really was beautiful) out from under my pillow, slipped it into the pocket of my hoodie, and used the bathroom. Then I went downstairs to find the guys.

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