Page 8 of Seduce

“It’s me,” I tell him as I pop my head inside. Gray gives me a relieved smile, nodding for me to come in.

“Hey, yeah come in. Just shut the door behind you?” he asks.

“Have you been busy today?” I ask, closing the door and locking it behind me.

“Between calls, emails, video chats, and people coming to my office to speak to me, I’ve been slammed,” Grayson groans, knocking on wood. “I just want to be done with today.”

“Fancy some company? We have a bit of a situation with our people,” I tell him softly, walking over to fold myself into the chair in front of him.

“Our… who? What happened?” Grayson definitely cares about us, and anyone who doesn’t believe that is daft. He’s just decided to cash his give a fucks to the five of us and no one else.

“‘Drya decided to have a rather intimate moment with a razor.” I sigh. “She’s fine, and Sidney found her before she really cut herself, but she’s struggling.”

Gray stares at me for a moment before burying his fingers in his hair and pulling. “Fuck,” he groans, closing his eyes. He looks magnificent, strong, and tired.

“So here’s what we’re going to do,” I tell him, so he can stop thinking about how to fix it. Andrya isn’t something to be fixed, but we can help each other. “I’m sure Andrya isn’t the only one having trouble, but she is the one with the most outward signs of it. The monotony of our days is isolating all of us a bit. What do you think about getting together throughout the week?”

“Yeah. I’m alright with that. Is Andrya still having trouble sleeping?” he asks softly.

The five of us have very few secrets from each other now. It was an unspoken rule when we got back. I became Gray’s shadow for a while as he went back to assuming his responsibilities, and we’ve been slightly distant. It feels wrong to continue the relationship we started when Silla was with us. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but this is a good start.

“Yeah,” I grunt. “Sidney suggested possibly sleeping in bed together to see if that helps to quiet her demons. Andrya wakes up screaming, but doesn’t remember it.”

“I don’t know if it’ll help quiet anything, but I’m willing to try. My bed or yours will be the only options large enough,” he murmurs.

“I draw the line at having morning wood dig into my ass,” I chuckle, earning me a smirk.

“I’m a good cuddler. You’ll have to deal with it.” He snorts. “Dicks get hard, we’re adults.”

“Gods, it feels as if that’s the only time these days that my dick gets hard.” I sigh. “It’s been three months since we left that hell hole. When will it become easier?”

“It’ll be different for all of us, I expect,” Gray says, folding his arms across his broad chest. “Until the queen says differently, we’re going to rot here indefinitely, fueling her supply for spies. Fuck knows what she’s using them for.”

Huffing, I roll my eyes. It’s something we have refused to discuss. My mind will go wild with the possibilities, but I have a feeling someone is trying to overthrow her. Possibly multiple people. “Sidney also suggested a group tattoo. I know you’re not necessarily a joiner, but—”

“Brands can’t be tattooed over,” Gray says immediately, making me shake my head.

“They have to be well healed, and there are exceptions. Sidney is going to have us all drink a special tea at night that will make the edges smoother and help it heal faster. It can be part of our bonding nightly sessions,” I tease.

As a knock sounds at the door, Grayson waves me off.

“Kumba-fucking-ya, count me in then. Off with you, I’m trying to work.”

Snickering, I nod as I stand up. Smoothing my expression, I walk to the office door, opening it. Anyone can be a spy these days, both on staff or as an asset. We don’t trust anyone outside of our group anymore.

The secretary stands outside waiting, so I nod to her before walking out. While I am busy with my own shit for my Section, I still have regular meetings with the Warden, so it’s not suspicious for me to be chatting with him.

No one knows the specifics of why the five of us disappeared, and no one ever will. We would do it all again, because people don’t deserve to starve. A certain raven-haired beauty made us all fall in love with her, and people have been known to do crazier things than commit a small bit of treason against a despot queen for love.

Three

SILLA

Today is my twenty-sixth birthday, but I feel closer to sixty. Sitting in the car, outside of the castle for the first time in a year, I can’t get enough of the fluffy blue clouds above me.

I have to convince people who probably think I’m dead to do something, even though I don’t want to.

My wants and wishes don’t matter anymore. The Queen’s will is paramount, because I don’t want to end up back in the dungeon. Glancing down at my gloved hands, I frown. I hate them, as they’re the part of the perfect lady persona that Cinder has made me adopt.

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