He disappeared inside the house, and I stared up at the second floor where Kingston’s wing would be, wondering what the fuck to do next.
Chapter Thirty
Ahand tightened around my throat.
My eyes flew open.
I grasped wildly in the dark, flailing for purchase. But a heavy weight pressed down, lying on top of me. A wall of muscle pinned me to the bed. Pitch-black night obscuring my sight, I couldn’t see who’d come for me.
I tried to breathe.
Tried to catch their scent.
The grip on my neck squeezed.
Bucking my hips, I tried to throw the attacker off. I opened my mouth, hoping to fill my lungs and scream for Landon in the next room, before a low, deep growl rumbled in my ear.
A warning: “Don’t make a sound.”
The mattress dipped beside my head.
Weight shifted. My heart raced as they covered my mouth. And I breathed in as the pressure on my throat lessened.
A hint of citrus. Not lemon, but…
He came for me in the dark.
Sinking his body on top of mine. Covering me from my chest to my toes. Planes of muscle down his torso trembled, bulging under my palms where I’d grabbed onto his arms.
My eyes widened when he shifted again, growing hard against my thigh. My hips jerked in response.
It was him.
He didn’t let me go.
“It didn’t have to come to this.” He leaned closer, his hot breath fanning my skin, and whispered in my ear. “Are you ready to listennow? One sound and I’m gone.”
I nodded once. Blinking as my vision cleared, his face slowly came into view.
Max slid his hand from my mouth. “I shouldn’t be here, Quinn, but you left me no choice. They?—”
Lips pressed together, I stayed silent. I took in his furious expression, waiting to see what he did next. Hope teetered on the edge of the emotion rising inside my chest.
“Youaren’t supposed to be here, either. You should be long gone, hating me for what I—You wouldn’t stop. Now I don’t have a choice.Fuck!” He growled, his voice rising. “Why the hell did you come back?”
“I—”
“No.” Pressure returned to my throat. “No, you don’t make a sound. It doesn’t matter what you say. You had a choice before, and now…” His voice lowered. “You chose wrong.”
I pushed against his palm. My jaw set stubbornly in hopes he’d read the truth in my eyes.
He squeezed his eyes shut, cursing under his breath. “Do you know what Ben was supposed to do?”
I didn’t make a sound.
“They ordered him to bring you to them.”
His voice was icy, as if numb to the terrible things Ben could’ve done. Who he meant, I wasn’t sure.
