Something ugly and twisted coils inside of me, and I shove it away. Things will be easier for him if he accepts the inevitable.
“Do you really want to spend our time arguing? Wouldn’t you rather enjoy whatever time we have left?” I manage a small smile as I say it.
Red light ripples through his tattoos, and his hand shifts to grip my waist. Before I realize what he’s doing, he’s apparated us twenty feet away, into a deserted alley. We’re behind a stack of crates, hiding us from the view of the street. Rough brick catches on my hair as he cages me against the wall. His glare burns into me.
“What I wouldrather,” his voice is low, but the word comes out with a bite, “is for my mate to fuckinglive.”
Lifting my chin, I glare right back. “I want the same thing. I won’t let you sacrifice yourself. We don’t even know how much time your soul would buy me. It could be days.”
Sin’s glare only darkens. “My soul. My choice. You’re taking that from me.”
Pain flares in my chest, and his eyes flicker there. His teeth grind together, and he takes a steadying breath before he meets my gaze once more.
“I can’t do it, kitten. I’ve tried to be patient, to give you time to decide on your own. But I can’t stand here and watch you slowly kill yourself.” His voice roughens. “I don’t care if you fucking hate me for it. When we walk out of this alley, I’m fighting for you with everything I am. You knew our bond was for eternity, and you don’t get to fucking back out now.” His eyes flare with something possessive and wild. “Mine,” he growls, and stone crumbles on either side of me as his fingers dig into the brick.
My body hums over the way he claims me, even as I hiss back, “I never agreed to let you break yourself for me. It’s never going to happen.”
His determined gaze drags over me. “Challenge accepted, kitten. Before I’m through, you’ll be begging to claim me.”
I arch a brow at his confidence. “Not if I have you begging to fuck me first,” I bluff, easily ducking under his arm and striding back toward the sidewalk. “Now, don’t we have a mission to finish? Let’s go find the Rusty Dagger.”
I don’t make it another step before Sin tugs me back against him. His beard lightly scrapes against the sensitive skin next to my ear, making my legs wobble.
“That’s it on the other side of the street. Our target entered while you were staring over your shoulder at the elderly shifter.”
“What? Why are we wasting time here? Let’s go!” I exclaim with renewed urgency.
Evidently, Sin does not feel the same urgency, since he doesn’t release me.
Shocking.
“First, this isn’t wasting time. You’re my priority, always. Second, the club is highly warded, and it isn’t open yet. I could break the wards, but I suggest we wait for it to open and enter as guests. She could be meeting with other Harvesters. Her shift has likely just begun, so she’ll be here for a while.” His voice is gruff, but it never comes across as domineering.
I relax a bit at his plan. “Okay, so what do we do until then?”
He kisses the top of my head. “We set up a watch around the club and get ready.”
“Uhm, this is as ready as I’m going to get,” I answer with a nod at my fighting leathers.
He chuckles. “We need to blend in, kitten.”
Still watching the building, I spot a man with massive black wings entering. His black, full-body latex suit leaves nothing to the imagination, and I think that’s a mask in his hand.
Oh.
Ohhh.
My cheeks heat before I turn and catch Sin’s amused expression. He’s going to have way too much fun toying with me tonight.
Taking a breath, I shove back my embarrassment. It doesn’t matter that my earlier seduction attempt failed miserably. If Sin wants to ramp up his efforts, then I’m going to beat him at his own game.
I’m not inexperienced. I read smut,I mentally hype myself up.
It totally counts.
“Great, I have just the thing. Let’s get going,” I finally answer, lying through my teeth.
Sin arches a brow, and I know he can see through my bravado.
