“And I faced my fear in the passage?”
“Didn’t you?”
“So that would be all the challenges. And the gauntlet—blowing you and Duke—would get me in.”
“Just like you wanted.”
I think about that for a second. I could be on the inside. I’d give Mr. D everything he wanted.
But I’d lose Royal, and somewhere along the way, he became more important.
“I’ll pass,” I say. “I try not to go around trading sexual favors to get what I want.”
“Not even when it’s what you want, too?” he asks, his voice closer than I expected.
“Touch me, and you’ll see exactly how much I want it,” I say, dropping the sucker stem on the floor so my fists are ready. “And you’ll be pissing out a hole in the side of your dick for the rest of your life.”
“Jesus,” he says. “You’re fucked up, you know that?”
“You know what’s more fucked up? You continuing to harass me when I said I wasn’t interested. I’m interested in Royal. That’s it. Not you, not Duke, not any of your other Swans.”
“You’ll change your mind when you’re the meat in a twin sandwich,” he says. “But I’ll let you have it your way. For now.”
“Gee, thanks for not raping me. Don’t let me forget to give you a gold star on our way out.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
I stalk over to the side of the room and find a chair. I curl up in it to wait for morning. Even with the hoodie, it’s so fucking cold I’m shivering, though.
“Come on, don’t sleep over there,” Baron says. “I put my dick away. Come over here by us. It’s too cold to sleep alone.”
“I’d rather not get raped in my sleep.”
“That’s not our style,” he says. “Though, if you have a kink about that, I have a friend who could help you out.”
“No, thanks.”
“For fuck’s sake, just relax,” he says. “I was just seeing if you wanted it bad enough. Obviously, you don’t. You’re not committed enough to be a Swan.”
“And you’re not going to try to molest me in my sleep?”
“What fun is that?” he asks. “If you don’t fight back, it’s not worth taking.”
“You’re really selling this.”
“Come on,” he says. “It’s cold down here, and you stole my hoodie, and I don’t want to snuggle my brother’s blacked-out ass. You’re going to freeze over there by yourself. I promise I won’t fuck with you anymore. I get it. You’re Royal’s, and until he’s done with you, you’re off limits.”
“I’m sleeping with my pocketknife in my hand,” I say. “I’ll cut you if you grope me.”
“Deal,” he says. “Now get over here and let us keep you warm.”
I make my way back over and slide down next to Duke. Baron scoots over and wraps an arm around me. I have to admit, it’s nice to feel them on either side of me, keeping me warm like he promised, instead of holding onto my pride and freezing my ass off in a chair. Still, I don’t sleep until I feel him relax, his breathing going deeper as he falls into sleep first.
I blink awake when the electricity comes back on, the light on the ceiling flickering a few times before remaining on. It takes a second for my eyes to adjust and see Royal standing over us.
I scramble up, my heart stampeding in my chest. My hands fly up as if to defend myself from the accusation in his eyes. “It’s not—we were just sleeping.”
“Did you fuck them?” he asks quietly.