Narrowing.
I raise my head and, sure enough, Kane is sitting on a large brown sofa, his arm stretched across the back. He’s dressed in a black jacket, pleated slacks, and sneakers. Only the white shirt offers a break from the dark-lord aura.
Isabella sits beside him, her arm draped in his, and her malicious eyes nearly drill a hole in my face. Her two friends stand behind her like dutiful guards, while Preston sits on the edge of the sofa. Gavin is lounging in a chair and Jude goes to stand by his side.
Seven pairs of eyes.
They all watch me closely. The room’s dim lighting casts a shadow of threatening intent on their features.
My skin tightens, heat erupting between my heart and rib cage.
All of a sudden, I’m transported to the initiation night when I was surrounded by five cloaked Members. The same Members who probably saw the sex I had with the man sitting in the middle.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Isabella’s friend, the one with silver highlights, asks.
I start to get up, trying and failing not to tremble. “I was looking for the restroom. It was a mistake?—”
Before I can stand, Gavin jumps up and pushes me back down so hard, I gasp.
He shoves his shoe against my back, flattening me against the green-patterned beige carpet. “Haven’t you heard? There are some mistakes you pay for with your life.”
My lips part, but I don’t dare make a sound. Not even when I feel the sole of his shoe digging a hole in my back where the edge of my dress meets my skin. Or when my breasts hurt from being squashed into the floor.
I look up at Kane, and I don’t know why.
He’s never been on my side, and he’s made that clear countless times.
If anything, I should fear him the most.
There’s an icy calculating look as he looks down at me, as if I’m a bug he’s considering whether or not to squash.
“Now.” Preston smiles, but it’s dripping with malice. “Don’t go scaring Dalton. I still haven’t fucked her yet.”
“How about you do it here and now?” Isabella says with a viper-like grin as she strokes Kane’s arm. “Wouldn’t be her first time whoring around for the world to see.”
“I’m happy to join in,” Gavin says in a deep voice. “I wonder what made her so appetizing that Davenport refused to share.”
My eyes sting and I feel like anything I say will be a choked sob, so I bite my lip and remain silent.
It’s not like they’ll listen to my protests. I have to save my energy to be able to fight and escape.
Kane rises, forcing Isabella to get her claws off of him.
He doesn’t look at me as he calmly but decisively places a hand on Gavin’s shoulder and pushes him away.
I inhale large gulps of air and stumble to a standing position, hugging my purse close to my chest.
But before I can make another move, Gavin grabs my arm and smiles. “Come on, Kane. You got to use the bitch. Time to share.”
My arm hurts from his forceful touch, and the more I pull away, the harder he squeezes. I think he’ll break it, but then his hand disappears.
Kane snatches Gavin’s arm and twists it against his back as he stands behind him. With the height difference, he towers over him as he speaks low, close to his face. “What I use is mine and mine alone. I don’t share my toys. Are we clear?”
“Fuck! Let go. You’ll break my arm.”
“After that, it’s your dick’s turn.”
“Davenport.” Preston slides to his side. “He’s our goalie.”