He slid between her and the door and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Please move.” Her voice shook as she stared down at his feet.
“No.”
“North,” she said in a broken voice. “Move, please. I want to leave.”
“No.”
Her gaze shot up and he was glad to see the anger in her gaze. That was better than fear.
Before she could say anything else or before Jared could order him away, he raised his hand. “Don’t care if you can’t say certain words. Don’t care if you use your safeword all day long. But you will not speak about yourself like that again. And you will not run away from us. No. Running.”
Now she was gaping at him.
But he was serious. She could not run. Or he would chase.
North wasn’t a person who let his prey go. Not without a fight.
And when he fought, he fought to win.
“Baby girl, listen to me,” Jared said, walking over to her with his hand held out. “North is right in some ways. We don’t give a fuck if you can’t say certain words. We don’t care that you have no experience, and no, fucking Fergus doesn’t count. What he did was abuse. It wasn’t consensual, it wasn’t pleasure. What he did to you is lightyears away from what we want with you. From what you want with us. Because you do want us, don’t you?”
“I figure it’s pretty obvious that I do.”
“If you feel like you need to say your safeword, you can do that.”
“But I used it wrong, didn’t I?” she asked.
“Who says what right and wrong is? You think we live in a world where we follow what’s right?” Jared asked. “We don’t. The rules are what we make them. Use your safeword however you need to.”
Her shoulders started to come down and her breathing grew easier. “I think I’m going to be a lot of work.”
“And you think we aren’t?” North drawled. “Besides, do you want to be with lazy men? Or men who are willing to put in the time and pleasure?”
“But this is only for tonight. Why would you want to put in so much effort when I’m leaving?”
“When youmightbe leaving. Because you can choose to stay. And because you are worth it,” Jared told her.
Her face lit up with pleasure and relief.
Jared was good with words. He knew exactly what to say. North was better at staying in the background.
“You’re in trouble, though,” North told her.
Her blue gaze shot back to his. “What? Why?”
Jared shot him a warning look which he ignored. He liked living on the edge.
Hell, he’d felt more alive this last week than he had in the last ten years.
Having her around was either very good for him or extremely bad. He hadn’t decided which yet.
“For calling yourself broken and dirty. You are none of those things.”
North was surprised when she straightened her shoulders and stared at him straight on. “You’re right, I’m not.”
Her chin was held high and she looked . . . magnificent.
