Page 86 of Caged By the Ruthless Thief

“I’m going to come again,” she says. “I can’t get enough of you, of all of you.”

“Come for us,” Holter says as he watches us.

Her head rolls from side to side, and her pussy convulses around me. It’s the best feeling and sight in the world.

“That’s it, Sunshine, come on my cock,” I growl.

She cries, “Eros.” My heart swells with every sound she makes. I come hard. Every muscle in my body seizes up.

“Oh, gods, Eros,” she says. I love that she’s not being quiet. She’s letting me know how much she likes this. Her head falls limp on my shoulder.

“Not bad for a thief,” Nico says, his tone even.

“That’s because I’m an assassin.” I’ve never said it out loud before. I’ve hardly even thought about it. And fuck, I didn’t want to say it now. My stomach twists. It’s not what I wanted to be growing up, the errand boy for the wrong side of the governors. But it’s what I traded to keep on living.

I wait for Sunshine to go stiff against my chest, for her to pull away, for her to tell me to get the hell out. I shouldn’t have said it now. But when’s a good time? If not now, when?

She lifts her head, the sleepiness gone from her eyes. It’s replaced with sadness. “Assassin?” Her voice is less than a whisper. “Not you.”

I want to laugh, push it off. Revel in the feel of her body, limp and sated on mine.

“When?” Holter lies on his side next to Annabelle and me. I feel him itching to pull her off me, to protect her.

“I was twenty. I robbed the wrong dome. They gave me a choice. Living felt like the right thing to do.”

“You were so young.” She lays her hand on my chest.

“He’s not now,” Nico says.

“No, I’m not now.”

She rolls off me into Holter’s arms, but she leaves her legs touching mine. “Is that where you—”

“Yes, I’m at their beck and call. I did their job this afternoon. But I was more worried about what could become of Annabelle. It put us both in danger.” I leave out that I got sloppy. I wanted to make it back in time to get Sunshine from the shop before Nico and Holter realized what I’d done.

“But your brother is a governor.” Her toes wiggle on my calf.

“Yes.” I take a shallow breath, the weight of an entire dome tower on my chest.

“Does he know?”

“He suspects. But no, he doesn’t know. Zaffiro doesn’t have a seat on the security council.”

“You could stop.” She pushes up on her elbows, looking at Nico over me. “Atlas is back. Nico knows Atlas. Right?”

Nico frowns and nods. But Atlas can’t help me. The king has a seat but not Diamont Dome. And Atlas ran off to go to war the second he was crowned, something he’d wanted to do his whole life to get away from the Veiled City. From the ghosts that haunt him. He doesn’t know what goes on here. And I don’t think he cares.

Nico is being extremely quiet. So much so that I think he might disagree with me. But he doesn’t say so.

“Can’t he help?” Annabelle looks over her shoulder at Holter now.

“I don’t think so, Belle. There’s a lot of politics at play. If Atlas saves Eros’s ass, then Zaffiro will owe Diamont. And that’s not a position that any governor wants to be in. Even for their own brother.”

“I did what I did, Sunshine. I can’t change the past.”

“Castor. He can help. He’s going to be king. That’s what everyone says. After the next election, right? Castor will help you.” There’s a sweet confidence in her voice that is both naïve and endearing. I’m in far too deep. I’ve done things for a certain set of governors that make me a liability. They’re right, I’m not being a good pod mate. Just by being with her, I’m painting a larger target on her.

Annabelle flips her hand over, and the mark hits me in the gut. This isn’t about me. This isn’t about something I can sweep away. I have to take responsibility for my actions. I have to protect our mate, and no amount of hiding or running is going to solve our problems.

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