Page 49 of Reckless Covenant

We crash onto the floor, her soft body panting as she straddles mine, her head on my chest, her arms still around my neck, and all I can do is hold her. I draw lazy circles on the skin of her back as we come down to earth, and I cannot think of a time when sex was like this, when I needed a minute, not to catch my breath, but for my mind to reel back in too.

Was it ever?

CHAPTERSEVENTEEN

MORRIGAN

“Ihave to go,” I whisper.

“No.” That’s all—short, firm, no breath wasted.

“I’ve disappeared for too long.” I push myself up, clumsily getting to my feet, pulling on my bra and top. I follow the light of the window to pick up my skirt and after I wrap it around my waist, I realize that this thing is just six wide ribbons of fabric and I have no panties now.

Fuck.

Time to improvise. I grab the fabric right at the front, pass it between my legs and loop it under and over the band of the skirt at the back.

“Do they miss you that much downstairs? I don’t think you can dance in that anymore.” I turn to find him zipping up his trousers, then covering his scar as he buttons up his shirt.

God, I was so angry that day. It was the first time I’d seen him in years… his voice, his eyes, everything about him made me furious. His sheer presence in my space was an insult. But the worst thing was that it didn’t feel any different from all those years before—it felt as if he belonged right there, next to me. I don’t even remember what he said, but I was holding that damn knife and I just wanted him to shut up… Well, he did. And the motherfucker smiled as well.

“I’m not dancing anymore, not tonight.” I try to look around for our masks, but this darkness is too thick. I know there’s a switch next to the unfinished kitchen cabinets, so I fumble my way over. “It’s not the club I’ve disappeared for too long from…” I flip the switch and the open space fills with a soft light, both of us blinking a few times to adjust to it.

“Then who?”

Suddenly, the door flies open.

“Mooorri!” Lulu bursts through, panic in her voice. She stops, panting as she looks between me and The Serpent, confusion slowly narrowing her eyes. But she shakes her head and points to the window. “He’s here.”

“No, no, no. Fuck!” I flip that switch back off, then rush to the window, slowly peeking down, trying to confirm the bad news. It’s him… “I have to go!”

“What the fuck is going on?!” The Serpent’s voice booms through the open space.

“It’s Ryan, he’s downstairs. Security alerted me that there’s someone in front of the building, trying to get inside the lobby of the apartments.” Lulu’s still trying to catch her breath, and I know she probably didn’t even wait for the elevator, she just ran up. “Wait… what areyoudoing here? Morri, what ishedoing here?”

She turns to me, the light of the moon shining on her, bright enough that I can’t miss that scolding gaze.

“Just… sealing a deal.” I can read the smirk in his voice even if I can’t see him. “Why is Holt here?”

“Because I’m not supposed to be. I have to go.” I see our masks on the floor and pick them both up, handing one to him and mine to Lulu. I quickly unwrap my wig, flipping my hair over a few times and handing that to her too. “I need a long dress, something I can quickly throw over this. My clothes are downstairs…”

“Come on, quick!” She runs to the door, ripping it open, and it’s then that I hear the loud bangs, rattling the metal of the lobby doors, way down on the ground floor.

“Listen to me, goddamnit!” The Serpent yells, his hand wrapping around my upper arm, turning me around to face him. “I can protect you. You don’t need to go.”

I shake my head, feeling the tears burn their way through my lids, emotions I’ve never shown to the man before me, slowly seeping through. I’m terrified. Fucking terrified that right now I’m risking exposing our hard work to the man I want to kill. He’s threatening everything I am, my family, my brother, my best friend, my goddamn freedom. And I’ve disappeared for too long… I knew it was a mistake coming to the club. I should have gone anywhere else… but then again, he probably would have come here anyway.

“He can’t know. Listen to me, he can’t know.” The usual dark slits widen for a moment as I say those words. I feel a tear fill each eye, and I blink them away quickly, before they get to fall down my cheeks. “You’re the last hope I have to take them all down. I won’t risk it. You’re my secret weapon, and it’s too soon to draw you out.”

I pull myself out of his grip and run away, ripping open the door.

“Come on.” I keep my tone low and look back, waiting for him. I don’t miss the deep sigh before he rushes to me and follows up the stairs.

We reach Lulu’s floor at the same time she comes out the door, a long black dress in tow. I quickly pull it on and look between them.

“I’m going to try and talk to him. He knows that sometimes I stay here with you, so this should not be any different. He’s gonna be against it, obviously, but… he usually gives in. He claimed I still get some freedom until the knot is tied. I’m gonna try to reason…” I give Lulu a quick peck on the cheek, then take one last look at the man that should have never come back into my life, yet we somehow gravitated toward each other, and run down the stairs.

I have a bad feeling about this, like a sickness filling my insides… But what choice do I have?

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