Page 83 of Made in Malice

Maybe I should have kissed her instead of biting her, but once she put that thought in my head, I hadn’t been able to get it out. I shrug, not denying her accusation.

“I’ll just walk.” She spins to leave the room, but Nox steps in front of her.

“It’s late, Nova. Plus, we know you’re safe here with us.”

“I’m safe at the Umbras’,” she argues.

“Do you really believe that?” I dig my claws into her deeper, making her doubt the family that never took care of her, that left her to die until they had a use for her.

“Yeah,” she says softly, but I can hear the hesitation in her voice.

“Are you sure that’s not just what they want you to believe?”

I shift so I can see her nibble on her bottom lip. I can tell she’s thinking about what I said, so I push her a little more. Manipulation is the least I’m willing to do. “There’s something that made you question your safety. You’re thinking about it right now. What happened?”

She looks over her shoulder at me. “Nothing compared to what you’ve done.” She almost sounds sad, and it actually bothers me, but I don’t show that. Instead, I give her the truth.

“I’m not the one who lulled you with pretty promises and lies. I let you see exactly how I felt about you.”

“Oh, you made it perfectly clear that you think I’m a gutter slut,” she scoffs bitterly.

“I wanted you to leave on your own, so I didn’t need to make you. Was I kind? No. I never claimed to be.”

She rolls her eyes and laughs without any joy. “You don’t even accept responsibility for yourself or your behavior and how it could affect other people.”

“I just did. I was real with you, and believe me, it could have been much worse.”

“I don’t doubt that, but does it really make it better that you held back a little and didn’t attack me or have someone else do it for you?”

“If you knew me better, you wouldn’t even ask that question. I don’t hold back. For anyone.” I’m probably giving her too much, but I’ll need to earn her trust at some point. My only other option is stripping her bare and taking it, and I’m not convinced she wouldn’t break in the process.

“So I should be grateful?” She shifts so she’s facing me fully. There’s a challenge in her gaze that reaffirms how much I want her.

“No, but you should see reason. I wanted you gone, now I don’t. You’re smart and tough, and you can see the truth in that, even if you want to pretend you don’t.”

“We want to help you, Nova,” Nox reminds her.

“Why should I believe you?” Her eyes are locked on mine, so I know the question is meant for me.

“In reality, it doesn’t matter if you do or not, lamb. We’ve decided you’re with us, and there’s no going back.” I hold up my hand when she opens her mouth to argue, and she smacks her pouty lips closed to glare at me. “But…I’m willing to compromise. What will make you believe us?”

Her eyebrows furrow. I caught her off guard with that one. After a long pause, she confesses, “I don’t know. I shouldn’t trust you.”

“See? Smart,” I praise.

“You even admit I shouldn’t trust you.” She throws her hands up in exasperation.

“Not true. I admitted to you being smart. Trust shouldn’t be free or easy, but we’re trusting you too. I told you no one else has ever been here.”

“In your room? Yeah right.” She crosses her arms over her chest.

“In his room or in the house.” Nox lends credence to my words. “We only allowed people in the beach house.”

“But I brought you here and let you see where and how we live.” In truth, it never crossed my mind to take her to the beach house. I knew from the moment I planned on bringing her here that it would be to the house.

“Why? It’s not that creepy.” She looks around my room with a keen eye.

“I don’t give a fuck what people think, lamb. You should know that much.”

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