Page 38 of Brandy Snap: Part One

I couldn’t take it.

I needed money, but I didn’t need it so badly that I was going to give in to the heat that was building in my body again. I needed a knot, and Sin was standing nearly naked in front of me, looking like sex on legs. But I couldn’t feel anything from him. No aura or scent or even emotion on his face. It was like he was a totally different person.

But I wouldn’t give in. I had worked too hard to submit like this. I’d let go when I thought there was something there between us, but if it was just a business transaction, I wasn’t sure my heart could take it.

“He didn’t mean it like that,” Sin said, stroking me with his thumb as I trembled. He was completely composed, while I thought I was going to pass out.

Heaving in breaths, my chest tight, my eyes stinging from tears.

“We simply meant that we are happy to pay you for your services.”

That was the final straw.

“Get off me!” I shouted, yanking my hand from his, stumbling backwards as my tears finally escaped.

I wheezed, my blood racing, years’ worth of anger bursting out as I looked at the three men who probably had enough money that they’d never had to struggle in their lives.

Sin reached for me again, but I jerked away.

“What’s wrong?” Sin asked in that voice I knew was going to echo in my ears for weeks. If he touched me now, I was going to fall into his arms and sob.

“What’s wrong?” I screamed back. “Are you really asking me that?” The hole in my heart burst open as pain sliced through me.

And then it happened.

I felt it like a snap ringing through my body. I gasped in surprise, and Sin’s hand shot to his heart as Caspian suddenly doubled over. Kai choked out as they all looked at me wide-eyed.

Every beat of my galloping heart pierced me like a knife. My stomach turned, and I nearly threw up as another scream rang from me.

Kai slammed his hand on the bed frame to keep himself upright, choking as he looked at me like I’d just betrayed him.

The air burst with their furious scents and auras, and agony blurred my vision.

“I can’t fucking believe you.” Kai laughed bitterly through the pain we shared. “You fucking bit me and now you’re rejecting us?” He pushed himself back up to sit on his heels, drawing in a rasping breath as he shook. “I guess we can cross ‘gold-digger’ off your list of fucking titles.”

He was still there. I could still feel him inside me, but it was as if his presence was muffled.

It was like I’d cut through the cord connecting us. Not just me and Kai, but the need I’d felt for Sin and Caspian vanished into a pool of pain.

I let out another cry, my tears freshly streaming down my cheeks.

Their scents were still there around me. My mouth watering, my heat ignited, but it was only the amaretto that meant anything. As if I’d carved Sin and Cas out of my body, and all that was left was a pounding ache.

But I couldn’t let it stop me

I used their shock as a distraction so I could dart forward. Even through the haze of my mind, it was so important I got out of there before I began apologising. Like it was my fault they’d driven me into a corner.

I was suddenly so empty and lonely that I couldn’t stop my tears, blurring my vision as I grabbed my shredded maid’s dress, tugging it on as quickly as I could.

Caspian groaned from the bed as he dragged himself towards Kai.

“Melanie, you—” Sin gasped, his face mirroring the shock I felt. I gathered up the rest of my clothes as he took a step towards me.

But I jumped back. I didn’t want him to ruin me any further.

“I need to go,” I rasped, running my hand over the front pocket of my torn dress. Keys, earbuds and phone. I was set.

Everything hurt too much and I just wanted to leave. I was going to have to abandon the Hoover and the trolley, and the fresh uniform inside it.

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