Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 72692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
His brows are drawn together in an angry slash.
“No, we did it last week. I’ll be right back.”
I can almost feel his angry glare through the door when I shut it in his face.
Savannah’s staring at me when I get back in the room. “What was that all about?”
I sigh. “Fabien and Nicolette are here.”
Savannah grasps her robe and pulls it tighter around herself. “What?”
“Yeah, and they’re not too happy that we’re together like this.”
Savannah bites her lip and looks around the room. “It isn’t up to them, though, is it?”
A beat passes before I answer gruffly. “No. Of course not.”
“Well, what did they expect you to do? Chain me up in an ivory tower?”
I walk past her to pull some sweats on. “I don’t know what they expected, but it didn’t involve me eating you out on my dining room table.”
“Oh, God, when you say it that way—”
I’m starting to love the way her cheeks color pink.
“Yeah?”
“It sounds so dirty.”
Savannah likes dirty talk.
I’ll keep that in mind.
“There’s an alarm I need to investigate. Fabien’s on it, but he hasn’t slept. Likely isn’t much, but to be safe I have to be sure.” Danger typically happens at night, when it’s harder for someone to be seen.
“Got it.”
“You’ll stay here. It isn’t safe for you to come out of this room. I’ll be as quick as possible, but you can’t risk exposure.”
“I see.” She eyes the door.
“Savannah.” I try to put a world of warning into my tone, but she’s unpredictable and headstrong and we haven’t had enough time together yet for her to know when I mean it.
“Yes?” She gives me the most innocent stare. I growl, frustrated by my choices. I don’t trust her.
Fuck it.
Maybe I should take her with me.
Or maybe I should chain her up in the dungeon and lock the goddamn door.
“I do not want you leaving this room.”
“Mhm,” she says, nodding. “You said that.”
I also told her I would punish her if she left, and she’s implied she might like that.
Fabien bangs on the door. “Thayer.” He sounds pissed.
I point my finger at her. “If you leave this room, I promise you will not like the kind of punishment I give you.”
She swallows and nods, looking all kinds of aroused.
I tug on my clothes. “Fuck it. Get dressed. You’re coming with me.”
NINE
Savannah
I pull on jeans and a sweatshirt so quickly, I almost trip and fall. I’ve been dying to check this place out during daylight. I know he doesn’t want to take me, and I’m not going to do anything stupid and reckless, but if I’m here, with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I’m going to take full advantage.
“Wig,” Thayer says tightly, clearly unhappy about the fact that I’m going with him, and I haven’t had my appointment with Cosette yet. He helps me tuck my hair under the wig, carefully securing every loose strand of pink.
I do a double take when I see myself in a full-length mirror in the corner of the room. I don’t even recognize myself.
We walk to the door, but before he opens it, he stops short and spins me around to look at him. I start at the sound of an angry knock at the door, and Fabien’s deep voice. “Thayer, get your ass out here.”
“On my way,” Thayer snaps. He grabs my chin and holds it tightly, making me look at him.
“We’re investigating an alarm. Normally, we’d call in emergencies on secure devices, but occasionally we need to keep things discreet. I don’t know what we’re going to be met with. It’s unlikely anyone after you has already discovered where you are, but our enemies have eyes in many places.”
I swallow.
Our enemies.
How many do they have?
“I already told you I expect you to obey me. You do not talk to strangers. You do not leave my side. You hold my hand unless I tell you not to. This is not a time and place to ask questions, which I’m sure you’ll have. I want every single person who sees us to believe that I am your master and you are my slave. Is that clear?”
I nod even though no, it isn’t clear at all. I don’t know enough about this sort of thing to pretend convincingly enough. I do know to follow his lead. I know not to do anything that will draw attention to myself, and maybe that’s good enough for now.
Pursing his lips, he shakes his head. “We don’t have time,” he says with regret. “But we’ll try this for now.”
He takes something small and black out of his pocket and slides it around my neck. Without a word, he attaches a necklace to a little loop. Is that… a collar? I go to reach my fingers to it, but he smacks my hand.
“Hey!”
He growls. “No talking back to me.”