Page 53 of Ensnared

Domducks his head like he’s thinking it through, a grim cast to his mouth.

“Edenwas just a surprise bonus for them, and you know it,Dom,”Beaupresses. “Thisis not her fault.BestIcan tell, our librarian’s cave was more or less on the fringes, and she just happened to run our way.Anda party that size?Pushingthrough our woods?Theywere going to get close toBristlebrooksooner or later anyway.It’sbetter we found out about them now and not when we have our pants down—we haven’t been monitoring our cameras half as much as we should.”

Domshakes his head like he’s about to argue, butBeaucuts him off. “Justshitty luck,Dom.Don’tblame the girl for it.”

Thedoor swings open andIlook up hopefully, but it’s too soon forEdento have showered and come down already.Ifshe’s even able to work up the courage to face us after this morning.

SeeingJaspergives me a familiar jolt, though, andIslide the fresh fruit saladIprepared into a bowl and place it in front of him.Fromunder my lashes,Itake in the familiar icy irritation in the set of his angular jaw and silently add a piping chocolate pancake to a plate and slide that over too.He’dnever admit it—he’s always rigorously in control of what he eats—butIknow he loves the sweet stuff.

Themuscles in my back clench asIturn back to the stove.MemoriesofJasper’scruel care, the torturously perfect pain he can inflict, are too vivid, even after all this time, for me to ever relax properly around him.Now, normallyIwould say that letting your psychologist whip you until you come somewhat stretches the bounds of friendship—but lying to myself isn’t my kink.

Jasperistorturously perfect.Perfectlypainful.Andif he’d wanted to work me over every night since our very ownD-day to satisfy his frustrated sadistic needs,I’dhave buckled the handcuffs myself.

ButI’mnot that lucky.

Inthe long years in our new base camp here, our relationship has changed.Nomatter how he tries to insist otherwise,I’mmore than his patient now.Morethan his friend.Evenif he’s still never accepted pleasure from me.Evenif he only doles it out so sparinglyIcould starve between the nights he really looks my way.

Andif my stomach still twists every time he talks about his ex-wife, orIstill stare too long when his eyelashes cast secretive shadows over his face, and ifIstill think he’s the most beautiful manI’veever seen, well, we’ve both gotten pretty good at ignoring that too.

Animage flashes into my mind ofEdenkitted out in leather and whips, andIcan’t help but snort at my own fantasy.Dirtyshe may secretly be, but somehowIseriously doubt she has it in her to take control likethat.

Theimage is chased away by another, of her kneeling next to me, our trembles and tears mixing as we wait to serve a different master.

Ichoke on my chocolate chips.

“Isthere some part of thisI’mmissing that is funny to you,Lucien?”Domglares at me.

Iturn the stove off, angling my body behind the counter so they don’t catch sight of the erection suddenly tenting my apron, and give him a wounded look.Fromanyone butJasper, “Lucien” meansI’min trouble.

Well, fine.IfI’min trouble, thenI’mkeeping the rest of the chocolate pancakes for myself.AndforEden,Iguess.Ifshe’s nice to me.

Ireally hope she’s nice to me.

“Nah, boss.Yourcall, one hundred percent.”

OverDom’sshoulder,Beau’slook turns dry, andIcan practically see him calling me a coward.Butwhatever.OleDoctorDecentknowsIagree with him—Ijust have better self-preservation skills than he does.Igive him a one-shouldered shrug whenDomturns back around, and he rolls his eyes.

“Andyou?”Domsnaps atJasper, who’s perched elegantly on the breakfast bar stool, for all the world as though it’s a throne. “Youthink we should tell her about the hunters?”

Jaspersips from his coffee before answering, the measured delay afterDom’sdemanding tone clearly deliberate.Asthe military psychologist,Jasperis the only one of us who hasn’t been directly underDom’scommand.Hewas responsible for our debriefings, supervised our reintegration, and because of the nature of our specialist deployment, we’d all had regular—and mandatory—sessions with him to work through our shit.Beforehe retired and left us, that is.Betweenthat and the fact that this is stillJasper’shome, he made it clear early on that his obedience toDomis just a courtesy.

“Idon’t think we should tell her, no.”

Jasperneatly cubes his pancake and quiet pleasure unfurls in my chest, even though he doesn’t so much as glance my way.

Still,Ireally wish he wasn’t takingDom’sside on this one.Ihate this authoritarian crap.

Well... for this kind of thingIhate it.

Jaspercontinues, “She’sfrightened and skittish, only just now recovering from days of running from these men.Wedon’t yet know to what extent—or if—we’re even facing a threat.Theymight not even be aware their comrades are dead.Tellingher about them now would be premature and perhaps send her into a flight that would only put her in more danger.Weneed to assess the danger, prepare accordingly, and inform her calmly when we have the facts and can be sure she won’t put herself, and us, at risk.”

Domnods once andBeaushakes his head with a frustrated hiss.

“Ridiculous,” he says under his breath.

Jasperignores him.

“It’sfinal; no one says a word to her,”Domsays firmly. “Clear?”

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