Her frown deepens.

I hear the woman speak, but I don’t register the words. My entire world is focused on Liesel, on figuring out how to get her to love me. Not just so we can get the stupid treasure, but because I want her to love me. I was wrong to run from loving her all these years. We can handle the consequences. I’m not even sure if there will be consequences of loving her.

I feel my jacket being ripped from my body. My shirt goes next, and I’m standing shirtless in front of the room.

Liesel’s eyes water.

Why would they water? I’m just shirtless.

Then, I feel it. Not the pain, but the oozing of blood on my back.

I wish there was a way I could tell Liesel not to worry. With her safe in the same room as me, all I feel is her. My eyes plead with her not to worry, but I can see the concern marked on her face all the same.

A woman steps in front of me. I’m shocked when her lips land on mine. All I can think is when Liesel kissed that man. I turned feral as I watched another man touch what is mine, and I see the same look in Liesel’s eyes now.

My eyebrows shoot up and wiggle in her direction. I’m yours, I remind her.

Liesel rolls her eyes at my antics, but then her face turns red. Her eyes almost come out of her head, and it looks like she’s losing her mind as the woman licks her way down my body, groping me like her plaything.

I smirk, not because my body registers anything this woman is doing as remotely sexy, but because Liesel is jealous. I can work with jealous. Jealous can turn into love.

I hate you, I mouth to Liesel.

I hate you, too, she mouths back.

The woman who was licking my chest like her favorite lollipop grabs my chin and looks me in the eye. It’s clear from the gleam in her eye that she’s enjoying herself.

“I’m a sadist. I love this shit,” she says as if there was any need to explain. Literal drool drips down her chin.

Her eyes look up at me as her tongue trails down my chest once again. “You sure you don’t want to quit?”

Her hand rests on the top of my pants. It doesn’t take much speculation on my part to guess what she’s going to do next.

“I won’t quit, no matter what you do to me. I can’t.”

Her eyes widen in realization. “The kid’s yours.”

I frown, my hand grabbing the back of her neck without thinking. “You know where she is?”

“As much as I’d enjoy the pain you want to inflict on me, you better let me go before they throw you out.”

I let her go.

“Where is she?” I ask through gritted teeth.

She shrugs. “She’s being kept as the prize.”

“The prize?”

“Whoever wins gets her…”

They are trying to use my daughter as a prize for winning a fucked up game.

I can’t.

My head snaps to Liesel, trying to let her know how important it is for us to win. We both knew it was important before, but now we know for sure. If we lose, Rose will be given to one of these men.

My heart.


Tags: Ella Miles Lies Dark