A frown tugged at his mouth, but he remained silent.
I stalked forward and gripped his jaw, squeezing his cheeks between my fingers.
“And you’re going to do everything I say,” I warned. “Or I’ll kill you.”
He jerked back, trying to break free. I held firm.
“I don’t care if your daddy comes after me,” I murmured, my nails digging into his skin. “You move when I say move. You breathe when I say breathe. You swallow when I say swallow. Got it?”
Tristan clenched his jaw, his silence a pathetic attempt at defiance.
So, I shook him—hard.
“I’m talking to you.” My voice turned sharp. “You will follow my orders, or you’re dead.”
I leaned in, my lips curling into a wicked smirk.
“They might have rules about kindness and mercy now, but I guarantee those rules don’t exist in 16th-century Italy.”
His breath hitched.
I dug my blunt fingernails into his jaw, just enough to make him wince. His eyes squeezed shut.
“I still haven’t heard you acknowledge my orders, Tristan.” I tilted my head mockingly. “And I can screw with you all day if needed.”
Tristan’s eyes flew open, panic shining in their depths.
“I understand you,” he blurted. “I’m to follow your command and nothing else.”
“Good.” I flung his head to the side, watching him struggle to hold himself upright. “And if you even think about escaping?” I leaned in, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “You’re even deader. Understood?”
Tristan gingerly worked his jaw, opening and closing it before shifting it side to side. “I understand.”
“Good.” I stepped back. “I’ll be back.”
Without another word, I tromped up the stairs and found Lee in the kitchen, seated at the table with Jack. They were deep in conversation, but both glanced up when I entered.
I pulled out a chair and dropped into it. “So, how exactly do I land at a specific time?” I asked, cutting straight to the point. “I’ve always just… landed places.”
Lee nodded. “The dagger is powerful, Roman.” He tapped the table for emphasis. “You must hold the place and the year in your mind before activating it. If your focus is strong enough, it’ll take you exactly where you need to go.”
I considered that. “All right.”
Jack pushed back from the table and stood. “And you can’t show up dressed like that.” He gestured toward me with a smirk. “I bought period-appropriate clothes for you and Tristan.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You did? How?”
Jack grinned. “eBay.”
I blinked. “What the hell is eBay?”
Jack snorted. “It’s an online marketplace. I bought them from an antique dealer. They’re not exactly from the 1500s, but they’ll look much more convincing than jeans and a sweatshirt.” He waved a hand as he hurried off to retrieve them.
As I sat there, I couldn’t help but remember the first time I met Olivia in Rome—how she wore strange, out-of-place clothes that made her stand out.
That moment felt like it had happened lifetimes ago.
And now… I was about to return to the past.
