Page 75 of Stripped

"I think it's pretty self-explanatory. I'm in charge and you'll follow my rules."

"Says who?"

"Me. If I'm to protect you."

"I don't think so." She grabbed her bag and walked down the hall to her bedroom, opening the closet.

"Oh, I think so." He pushed her up against the wall, blocking her in with his body as he pinned her arms above her head. "I won't see you hurt tonight."

She swallowed, looking up at him. "Trust me, it would be hard to hurt me now."

He shook his head. "Sokolov will be there. This isn't a joke."

Sokolov. The tension at the base of her spine began to uncoil, moving up her vertebrae. Anticipation turning into contemplation. Would he come? Would she find the shackling freedom in her dance tonight that she did the last time, that bound her to this man in some form of sick liberty?

"Primrose," Wraith repeated. "Did you hear me, lass? This isn't a joke."

She nodded.

He ran his hand down her face, cupping her chin. "I'm serious."

"I know."

He kissed her hard and deep, stealing her breath for a moment before letting her go.

She tried to compose herself, torn between the thin thread of trust that tied her to the man in front of her and the temptation of perfection she had so long sought and which Sokolov offered. She cleared her throat, mindful of the ache that had formed in her core and her body's response to Wraith's authority. "Uhm, I should pack," she said, rummaging through a drawer for a pair of tights and a leotard.

"Don't leave my side tonight. Except when you're on stage. I'll expect you to stay within eyeshot."

"Of course." She chose a long black dress from her closet for the afterparty, putting it in a garment bag and adding a pair of high heels. Then she shoved the rest of her belongings into her dance bag. The gun sat at the bottom.

"We'll go by my place so I can change, then I'll take you to the theatre," Wraith said.

Pim stared at him, the burden of tonight's decisions reaching a critical point. She looked up and gave him a weak smile, zipping up the bag. Her old way of life wouldn't work anymore; she had entered her own code red.

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