Page 87 of Pretty Poisoned

"No," he says, pushing it back into my wallet. He removes my own ID from behind it and hands it to the man, who examines it before making a copy and handing it back. Then, he asks for my right hand and takes my fingerprints. I look at Luca, confused, and he just kisses the top of my head and rubs my back until he's done. Then, he turns my hand over and takes a blood sample from my finger.

"You can go in," he says.

I get up, and Luca holds me tightly against him, his fingertips digging into my side. I wrap my arms around his waist, holding tightly onto his belt with both hands as we exit the small office into the main hallway. Declan allows us to pass, then exits behind us.

"I wish you'd cling to me like that, Teagan," he says quietly enough that only I can hear it, running a finger up the side of my neck.

I look back at him but say nothing.

"Shedoeslook really pretty when she's terrified," Declan says. He trails his knuckles down my spine. "All wide-eyed, aware of how helpless she actually is. I guess I can't blame you."

"Mmhmm," Luca says, barely reacting as we make our way down the dark corridor.

I watch Luca's posture shift once we reach the main room. He shakes off whatever apprehension I'd seen earlier in the car and replaces it with the same confidence I see from him on stage.He's always huge, but somehow, he gets bigger, more imposing. He looks at me, both his green eyes and his tone hardened like I've seen a few times before.

"Listen to me, Teagan," he says, stopping a few feet away from the door. "When we go in there, you do what I tell you to do—no hesitation. Keep your head down, don't look at anyone, don't talk to anyone, even if they talk to you. Don't try to fucking argue with me, and don't fucking mouth off, okay? You can fight with me later if you want to, but not here. Do you understand?"

Behind me, Declan runs his hand over the swell of my ass.

I swallow hard. "Yeah, Luca. I understand."

"I'll see you guys in about half an hour," Declan says.

He squeezes the back of my neck before he walks around us toward a man waiting on the staircase. I look at him—just barely—before I remember I'm not supposed to look at anyone and cast my eyes downward.

"Mr. De Rossi, welcome," another masked man says. I catch just a glint of the gold before I correct myself and look down at his shoes. "And who is this? Is she for them?"

I keep my head down like Luca told me to, and he answers for me. "No. Teagan is mine."

"Too bad," he says. "If you ever felt like sharing, I could make it worth it for you—"

"No, you couldn't," he snaps. "And no, I won't. Just give me the fucking cups before I crack your skull in half and use that instead."

The man holds two gold chalices out in front of him, and Luca takes them both. He hands one to me and guides me around the man and into the room.

"Look up," Luca says. "But don't react."

I slowly raise my eyes. All the air leaves my lungs when I see what's in front of me.

There's a girl—probably younger than me—lying on a marble slab at the front of the room. Several knives stick up in her abdomen and a couple in her throat and thighs. Blood slowly drips from several troughs in the slab and into a reservoir below.

"Is she—what happened?" I ask.

He digs his nails into my hips as he guides me toward her. "I told you not to react."

"Did they kill her?" I whisper.

"Yes," he says.

"Where did she come from?"

"It isn't good, Teagan. You shouldn't ask," he says. "You'll need to fill your cup, Teag. I'm warning you—it's going to be warm. It's better to fill it from the spray than from below—then it might be chunky, too."

"I have to drink it?"

"You've done it before. You like it."

"Not like this."

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