Page 123 of Filthy Royal

Why, why, why?She needed to be strong. To keep her emotions from becoming any more erratic than they already were, but with Damien around, that was proving near impossible. Next time, she doubted it would just be a portion of the ceiling that came down.

With that thought at the front of her mind, she took another bite. Then another. Careful to keep her gaze from his. Until the whole bar was gone, as were the white dots in front of her eyes.

“Now this.” He pressed a small skin to her lips, and her nostrils flared as the scent of fresh water hit. “It’s notrali.Don’t worry.”

He remembered. He’d been the only one ever to realize she didn’t like the energy drink favored by most fighters.

The tightness in her chest returned.

Mouth closing around the funneled edge of the waterskin, she sucked hard, trying not to ignore how the surrounding air grew charged, Damien’s grip white knuckling as he stared at her lips.

She drank heartily, a few droplets escaping down her chin and onto the oversized shirt she currently wore over the scraps of her clothes and the taming chain.

“That’s enough.” He lifted the skin away, his dark eyes tracking a single drop as it rolled down the column of her throat.

Scarlett swallowed hard. She could only imagine what she must look like, hair wild, face bare of adornments, drowning in a male’s shapeless shirt. “Guess I’m not so perfect or golden now.”

She thought she’d offered him an easy strike.

But he surprised her, his eyes streaking red as he swiped the pad of his thumb across her lower lip. “Honestly?” His voice was a deep rumble she felt to her toes. “I didn’t think it was possible, but you’ve grown even more beautiful.”

Her stupid heart skipped a beat. “Damien—”

A crash overhead cut off whatever else she might have said.

Gaze shooting upward, she caught sight of a nearby grate. “What—”

He clamped a hand over her mouth. “Quiet.”

Emotions swinging in the other direction, she glared his way, unhappy with his return to bossy.

Another crash.

Then screams, voices high and shrieking.

“No, I don’t want to go.”

“This is a mistake.”

“Let me go!”

Scarlett’s stomach pitched.

She knew those voices.

Her fingernails clawed at Damien’s hand.

He pressed his palm harder into her skin. “They can’t help you, so don’t even try.”

Did he think she wanted to escape? She shook her head but got nowhere.

“You’ll do as you’re told, prizes,” a harsh voice barked out above. “Or it won’t go so well for you when you arrive. Troublemaking whores never last long in the outer-rim brothels.”

More cries greeted his words.

Scarlett’s breath turned to sharp, painful pants.

Ebony. Amber.

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