Page 49 of Caged By the Ruthless Thief

“For what, Eros?” She turns the next page with her white-gloved hand. I’ve not spent any time with the volumes, not like Uncle Titus did. But then it’s not my specialty. Not my anything I’ve ever thought about. I’ve thought about selling the volumes and reclaiming the space, but I haven’t had the time. Not when I’m owned by the governors. Their bidding is what I have to follow through with. I hadn’t ever considered not completing a mission, not until Nico. Not until Annabelle.

“For everything. For being so intrigued by you that I can’t sleep. For being drawn to you like a blue whale to a school of krill. For being obsessed, consumed, until I can’t think straight. For mating you. For putting you in a closet to keep our secret safe. For being me.”

Annabelle’s blonde head tips up. I don’t know what I expected of her. Her lips are closed, and her breath eases in and out. I’m not going to move. This is all her. The chair scrapes backward, and the instinct in me wants both to flee and to run to her. Wrap her in my arms and taste her.

Fuck. This isn’t how I wanted any of this to go.

23

ANNABELLE

Eros is in front of me, and he’s both the fun, boisterous male and the scared rabbit. He’s pulled the door shut. I had a few minutes to settle down while he was dealing with whoever was in our living room. I have a feeling I know who it was. With Mickey banging on the glass, it was only a matter of time before someone from Glyden showed up to collect him. And I want them to. The poor thing is going to hurt himself if he stays here much longer.

Thud.I glance at Eros. He has the same expression I imagine Mickey would if he were a merman. Confused and dazed. My lips are tightly pressed together. I’m not sure what he wants from me, but this has to end. Nico’s hurting, and I’m sure Holter is too.

I take Eros’s hand. “Who was that? And don’t lie to me. I’ll know if you do.”

He glances away and then back again. “Holter and Castor.”

I debate ripping open the door and chasing after them. But Eros wouldn’t have let me out if they were still anywhere close by. “And what did they want?”

“I think they think you’re here.”

“Well, I am here.”

“Exactly, and that’s going to be a problem.”

“What do you want to do, Eros? Haul me back to Athens? Because I don’t want to get back into yoursoloanytime soon. What I want to do is go to Glyden and be with Nico and Holter. Because I love them. I know it might not be safe, but I need to tell them I’m okay.” I’m furious about so many things. And I don’t get furious. I’m rational Annabelle. Figure-it-out Annabelle. Captured by mermen? Escape. But then I rescued Nico. And then I went and fell in love with him and Holter. When Eros offered to save him, I figured he would, I don’t know, save him. And then let me go home. Not keep me here and mate me.

Granted, I get it. He hadn’t thought things all the way through yet, either.

I take a step closer to him. This giant of a man. His handsome smirk is missing. I poke him in the middle of his chest. “I’m glad you were able to help Nico. Thank you.” I stop and swallow hard. But I need him to know this. I touch my neck. “This, to me, isn’t a joke. I’m not a prize to be won or lost. Because I have other mates. I’m yours, but I’m also theirs too. You know that.” I give him a little tap, and his eyes widen.

“Yes.”

“Good. We need to tell them I’m here.” My hand flattens out on his chest. I don’t want to have the feelings I’m having right now. I wish I could turn them off. But there is something about Eros—his charm, his little smile—that has me wanting him more and more with each breath. “I want us all safe.”

“I know. But it’s an unsolvable puzzle.”

“I’m a scientist, and I really admire you telling me you don’t have the answer. Pretending you have a solution when you don’t is even more frustrating. No one likes a liar.”

“True, no one likes a liar.” He sighs. “They brought me a gift and said it was from you. I’m guessing they’re trying to figure out if you’re here. There will be tech in it. You should talk into it. Tell them you’re okay, that you can stay here until they figure out who is attacking Glyden.”

The doorbell buzzes.

“The door—it’s Michio. Is it okay that you stay in here?”

“What’s another few minutes?”

He shuts the door, and I look back at the book. I read the same paragraph ten times. I still don’t know what it says. Not that it’s a complex concept, but my temper is at full alert. I want to throw something, toss a book on the ground. But not in here. The texts are too fragile, too important.

Instead, I decide to move. The room is small, but I do a few laps around the table before the door opens. Eros has his finger to his lips. He places a package on the table and takes my hand. When we’re in the living room with the door to the secret room closed behind us, that’s when I notice a male standing in front of us. He’s clearly Eros’s brother.

“Annabelle, this is my brother Michio. He’s the governor of Zaffiro and the oldest of my brothers.”

Michio, a smidgeon taller than Eros, has the same dark hair with the perfect wave, but the scowl on his face brings out the ridge of his forehead. He’s not happy to see me.

“Hello,” I say.

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