Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 87887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
She chuckles drily. “You be sure to tell me how un-messy things are at the end of this week.”
“I have a plan. It’s not changing for the gods or Zeus.”
“I hope it doesn’t. A million dollars for that girl.” I don’t have to see her to know she’s shaking her head. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“As I said—I have a plan. Speaking of, I need to go.”
“Yeah, me too.” The thread of exhaustion is back in her tone, but she sounds like she’s smiling. “Have fun with your little pets, Ursa. You deserve a little pleasure after all the sacrifices you’ve made.”
“You do, too.”
Naturally, she doesn’t respond to that. “Good night.” Malone hangs up.
I set my phone down and sigh. The next seven days are for pleasure, yes, but they’re also serving a purpose. I can’t afford to forget that truth, no matter how much fun I’m having toying with Zurielle and Alaric.
One misstep, and this will all end in ruin.
Chapter 14
Zurielle
The sound of the door opening has me sitting up and clutching the sheet to my chest. Alaric walks in with his hands up as if warding off an attack. “I’m just following orders.”
Just following orders.
Does he understand how those words cut me to the quick? They’re yet another reminder that he never wanted me, was never the nice guy I believed when I met him back in Olympus. I have never felt so young and foolish as I do now, and I hate it. I want to keep lashing out with my words until he hurts as much as I am right now. Until he doubts his very instincts and questions everything.
Too bad my words bounce off him as if from impenetrable stone. He’d have to care what I think in order to be hurt by me.
Somehow, that stings more than anything else so far.
I point at him. “If you climb into this bed, I will smother you in your sleep.”
He stops at the edge of the mattress. He’s still as naked as I am, and even as much fury surges through me, I can’t help noticing how perfectly formed he is. All chiseled lines and hard planes, a body made for doing. If I let myself, I can still feel his broad hands on my hips. On other parts of me.
He’s been gone for a long time, and there’s a new tiredness on his face and present in the line of his shoulders that wasn’t there before. “I’m not sleeping on the floor.” Alaric shakes his head. “Look, I don’t know if Ursa wants us to fight or fuck, but I don’t have energy for either right now.”
I should fight until we’re at a standstill and then keep silent for the rest of the week. I’ve already been so foolish, and wanting answers from him sets me up to prove I haven’t learned anything from this. Better to just ride this week out and then walk away, taking my absurd amount of money with me. It’s more than enough to set me up anywhere I want to go, to start a new life away from Olympus and Carver City and this entire corner of the country.
But as I stare at Alaric while he awaits my response, I can’t build up my walls fast enough. “I just want to know why.” My voice breaks on the last word. “I deserve that much.”
He sighs and drags his hand through his dark hair. “Yeah, I know.”
“Then tell me.”
One corner of his mouth kicks up. “Promise you won’t kick me out of bed again.”
“No.” I hesitate. “But I won’t do it tonight unless you give me reason to.”
“Guess that’s as good as I can ask for.” He climbs onto the mattress, moving slowly as if in pain.
It’s not until he turns to adjust the blanket that I see his back. “Alaric, what happened?”
His soft smile is completely at odds with the marks on his back that are already darkening to bruises. “I had a good beating. That’s all.”
“Ursa did this.”
“Yes.” He gives himself a shake and seems to zero back in on me. “Because I asked her to.”
I swallow my next words, ones that make all sorts of assumptions, and try to think. I know about kink, at least in theory. When Alaric went back to the Underworld, I spent a lot of time researching what exactly goes on in a place like that. There’s nothing about the actual Underworld on the internet, of course, but there are other more public places that cater to similar clientele and tastes.
Not to mention I saw the things on the list I filled out before the auction. I am aware that some people enjoy pain the same way others enjoy a fine wine. Layers upon layers depending on the instruments used and the game being played out.