“Not often,” he swore. “Only when I’m uneasy.”
“This is insane.”
“N.I.M. has built in spyware that only I can access. The tracking chip, which you already knew about, and a backdoor into your multi-slate. I listened in that day because I felt bad that work was keeping you from going on time, and I wanted to know how you were feeling. But the second I overheard the plan to keep you on Vitality…” Silver hadn’t wanted to risk it. “Your siblings are the only people in the whole universe you care about more than you care about me.”
Nuri gave a sharp bark of laughter that held no humor in it. “Is that why you wouldn’t leave us alone? You weren’t worried I’d make a run for it when we visited last week, you were worried one of them would—”
“Aren’t they the reason you won’t agree to be my Royal Consort, Nuri?” If they were going to do this, they may as well lay it all out on the line. “You’re concerned they won’t approve.”
“They sure as hell will not. Especially if they find out about all of this.”
“So don’t tell them.”
“Now you want me to lie to my siblings?”
“I want you to lieforme,” he corrected.
“Wow.”
“It isn’t fair,” Silver continued, barely hearing him. “If not for them, I would have had all of you already.”
Nuri pulled away so quickly, Silver fell over. “Don’t you dare lay a finger on them.”
“I would never hurt them,” he insisted. “I would never do that to you, pet.”
“Bullshit! You’re just saying that now to keep me from leaving.”
“Of course I’m doing this to keep you,” Silver said. “Everything I do is to keep you.”
Nuri paused. “Do you understand what you risked by pulling those stunts? What if I hadn’t been able to control the news? Hmm? What if the board decided to remove you as CEO? What if—”
“I don’t care about any of that.” He thought that much was obvious, but he guessed not. “You’re all I’ve ever wanted, Nuri, can’t you see? I don’t have a Nate or a Neve. There’s only ever been you. You’re literally the only thing I have ever cared about on this entire planet and possibly in the whole universe. All those times I said you were mine I meant it exactly how it sounded. What kind of psycho would go through these types of lengths just to keep a secretary?” he asked. “Even one as good as you?”
“You’re forgetting you are a psycho. And you don’t like to lose.”
“No one likes losing.”
“So you admit that’s all this is?”
“Stop putting words in my mouth. I want you as my Royal Consort because I love you.”
Nuri shook his head slowly.
“You’re in love with me too, Narek.” Another mistake that Silver was too slow to catch himself from making. He winced when he saw the shutter slam over Nuri’s expression.
“All right.” Nuri snapped his fingers and N.I.M. rolled over to him. “Let’s play for it then.”
“Nuri.”
“What? You think you love me, and I’m not convinced you know the meaning of the word. Whenever we’re in a disagreement like this, we play a game. So, let’s play. Same rules as last time to keep it simple, agreed?”
“Nuri.”
“You’ve been manipulating me this entire time, Silver. That isn’t love, that’s obsession. Real love is sacrificing for the other person. It’s putting them first, no matter what that means for yourself. Even if it’s hard. But you won’t listen to that, will you? You only listen to what you want to hear. Well, I’m done talking. This is it. The same agreement you gave me. One round. Highest number wins. If you win, I become your Royal Consort. If I win,” he stared him down, “you have to do whatever I say.”
Silver wanted to refuse, but anything short of dragging him into the bedroom and chaining him up again wasn’t going to work. And he didn’t want to do that. It was clear that if he did, Silver really would lose him forever.
“What’s it going to be?” Nuri tossed the N.I.M. an inch in the air and caught it. “Are we playing or not, majesty?”
