Page 114 of Tempting Little Thief

“This isn’t a game, Bastian.” I shake my head, my father’s words from earlier filling my ear. “If security is at risk here, I need to know.”

“I told you I would come to you, and I did.” He studies me for a long moment. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“I asked you a question first.”

“Rich Girl.”

“Don’t.”

“Rocklin,” he barks.

I attempt to yank away, but his grip tightens.

I draw my legs up as if to kick off him, and he shifts to wrap me up, as I knew he would, so before he’s able to flatten, I spin. My bedside dagger is in my hand, my arm flinging around and coming straight to his neck as he flips us, putting him back on top, but I press my ankles into his shoulder blades. When he tucks the slightest bit, I flip him.

Bastian has my shoulders in his grip, his ankles now locked behind my back.

“Tell me how you got in.” I hold the blade firm, my thumb pressed to the dual sides.

He stretches up, pressing farther into the blade, and I hold still, calling his bluff, but he keeps coming, and red droplets appear, slowly running over the side of his neck.

“I told you not to hide from me,” he speaks through clenched teeth.

“Howdid you get in?”

“Don’t worry about it. No one else will.”

“Bastian! This isn’t a bad boys’ club. This is real-life shit here. We don’t beat people up in a ring as punishment!”

The moment I say it, I want to take it back, but I know that I can’t, and now it’s out there. It’s not exactly what I meant …

Okay, honestly, it’s exactly what I meant, but I wasn’t aiming to insult him; I don’twantto insult him. I’m making the situation clear because I must. Things are different here.

A gap in security is a potential loss of life. Probably mine.

Unless it was my father’s doing?

Did he lower security here too, as another fake show of weakness?

No. He wouldn’t put me at real risk like that.

Right?

“That right?” he rasps, his expression clear as he pops up on his elbow, hand wrapping around my wrist and pressing at my pressure point. The bloody blade falls beside us and he drags his fingers higher until they link with mine from behind.

“You peel their nails from their fingertips?” He drags my hand across his left pec, right over a burning phoenix, a small groove hidden under it. “Cut the tips off their nipples?” My skin meets a harsh dark line, a jagged heartbeat along his shoulder blade, a long slash pebbled against my touch. “Maybe a tongue?” We’re tracing his throat now, random size welt-like scars decorated with the Eye of Horus. “A limb?”

We trail his breastbone, and I tear my hand away, glaring at him. “I get it.”

“I don’t think you do.” His tone is impatient, disapproving. Bastian quickly flips me, crawling over me and stretching high on all fours above me, the blood from the new cut on his skin threatening to drip onto me. “Your security is airtight. If it wasn’t, I would be the first to fucking say it, got me?” he hisses, continuing without a breath. “I told you. You. Are. Mine. I might seem tame to you but don’t fucking test me, baby, ’cause I’m on a leash right now, same as you. The differenceis mine can be cut, and I’ll let you in on a little secret, my little secret keeper. I’ve already got the knife picked out.” His eyes flash. “But know this. No one will keep me away. I’m invisible. Told you that too. No one sees me coming until it’s too late. Not even you.”

He jumps up, his shit in his hands, my new gun in the other, back flexing in all its tattooed glory as he walks straight out my bedroom door.

“What does that even mean?”

His head snaps over his shoulder, eyes cold and daring. “Fuck around and find out.”

And then he’s gone.

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