I twist to find them both on their feet, motionless, glancing from me to each other. Jace steps back first, giving Zadyn an opening to start on the small buttons down the length of my back. His fingers graze my exposed skin, sparking up a fresh wave of goosebumps.
“There you go.” His soft voice hits the back of my neck.
I shudder, feeling the ghost of a touch over my shoulder blade before he drops his hand and steps away to give me my privacy.
The two of them face the other way while I throw on the blousy top and fitted black pants. I discard the dress in the corner, fighting the urge to tear it into tiny pieces and set it on fire.
“Decent.”
A quiet moment passes as I settle back on the ground, absorbing the weight of their stares. Something in me feels settled with the two of them near. Centered, even in the face of this shitstorm.
“What’s with the choker?” Jace asks, slinging his arm over his knee.
I keep my focus on Kai’s heavy lashes, twitching periodically.
“He made me keep it on.”
“And what else did he make you do?”
“Jace,” Zadyn warns.
“I need to know so I can decide which form of torture to start with before I string him from a tree and gut him with the dullest knife I can find.”
His murderous eyes lock on mine.
“You don’t have to talk about anything until you’re ready,” Zadyn says.
I toss him a thankful look before turning to Jace, who clearly doesn’t share the same sentiment as my familiar.
“You might want to talk to Kai. He’s the one you should be avenging,” I mutter, not in the mood for the alpha male threats.
Jace leans forward. “He forced you to wear his gods-damned ruby collar and that gaudy ring. I hope that doesn’t mean what I think it does.”
“It doesn’t mean anything. He was going to kill Kai. I’d wear both for an eternity if it meant keeping my friend safe from him.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“He never hit me. And anyone who did was punished severely.” I choose my words carefully. But he must pick up on something in my tone.
“Did he do somethingotherthan hit you?”
I roll my eyes up to the ceiling. “What is it you really want to know, Jace?”
“Did he make you fuck him?”
My mouth falls open. “I don’t want to discuss this right now.”
“So he did.” Jace’s hands curl into tight fists.
“She said she’s not discussing it.”
“He didn’t force me. It was my choice.”
Their eyes hit me like two sets of darts. I stare at the ground, my face on fire.
No one speaks.
I shouldn’t have said it. But right now, I just don’t have the energy to dance around it.
