Page 45 of The Night Runs Red

“Ow!” I cried, pressing a hand over the hurt. “What was that for?”

“Oh baby, that was nothing…” he purred, eyes gleaming with a predatory delight. “I am capable of so much more.”

Rion surged forward, but I stopped him and placed my hands against his chest. Something was bothering me, and I knew this conversation wouldn’t go well, but we needed it. “No, no, no! We need to talk about it before you hypnotize me with your dick again.”

He chuckled. “Hypnotizing you with my—”

“Dick, yes. Now, we need to talk about Jasper.”

His face fell, all traces of the playful, loving man I knew gone. “No.” He dropped his shirt in my hands and proceeded to his bathroom, where he started the shower.

“You need to let him out, Rion. It wasn’t his fault, it was mine.”

He stepped under the stream and ran his hands through his hair. “Regardless, he knew there would be consequences for his actions. And you were still abducted, despite your foolish actions.” His gaze dropped momentarily to the raised scar on my hand.

Gods, the man was impossible. He refused to see reason. “Rion, this is insanity. If you don’t let him out, then I will.”

He narrowed his eyes. “You would not dare”

I met his stare. “Try me.”

“Go meet your uncle, Calia,” he said, pouring soap onto his sponge and dismissing me.

He was infuriating. How could he go from being such a wonderful partner to whatever this was in front of me? And in such a short time? I thought he wanted to work on our communication and openness, to earn my trust. But all he’d done in that time was give me mind-blowing orgasms and make me dick-drunk.

“You are such an ass,” I muttered before turning on my heel and shrugging his shirt on. “This conversation isn’t over.”

“Yes, it is.” His body pressed against mine, droplets of water seeping through the fabric separating us. The soft caress of his breath fanned over my neck as he moved my hair over my shoulder.

But I wouldn’t let him sweet talk me into letting this go. Because if I let him do it now, he would expect it every time we disagreed. He would think he could bat those pretty fucking eyelashes and cast his stupid spell, and I would quite literally do anything he asked.

I turned and pushed him away. “Let him out, Rion. And don’t treat me as one of your staff. I’m your fucking wife.”

“Why do you want him out so badly?” he asked, crossing his arms over his massive chest.

“Because whether you want to admit it or not, we need help figuring out what is going on and why someone is after me.” I softened my gaze and took his hands in mine. “You trust him. I know you do. And I think we need to hold those people close during times like these.”

Rion tilted his head to the sky and let out a sharp exhale. “I will see to it.”

I quirked my brow. “Before lunch.”

“Fine,” he gritted out. “I will handle it immediately.”

“Thank you, husband,” I whispered, rising onto my toes and pressing a chaste kiss to his lips.

* * *

I sat across from my uncle in the kitchen with a cup of coffee in my hands. He’d hardly said two words since we sat down. Once I’d left Rion’s room, my uncle’s gruff voice rang throughout the halls of the manor. He’d seen me sneaking back to my room in nothing but one of Rion’s long dress shirts that barely covered my ass.

Needless to say, it was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. It felt like a betrayal to my family that I enjoyed Rion’s company. Actually, it was more than just enjoyment. It was becoming an obsession that had me chasing a high only he could give me.

Castor finally cleared his throat. “Are you well?”

“That’s a bit of a loaded question,” I said, lifting the cup to my lips and taking a sip. “Physically, I’m fine.”

“And emotionally?” he asked, softening his gaze.

I sucked in a breath. “Well, that’s the tricky part, isn’t it?” Despite the reprieve being with Rion provided, it was hard not to remember the feeling of being utterly at someone else’s mercy. The helpless feeling as Finnick cast his compulsion on me, and the way I was forced to feel their hands on my body while unable to stop it, had struck a new kind of fear in my heart.

---