Women who enjoyed it were evil.
Daphne held my shoulders when she reached me, keeping me at arm’s length. As if examining me, she looked me up and down, keeping one eye closed. “Are you okay?”
“It depends on your definition ofokay,” I replied.
My eyes were intact, which was a luxury Enzo’s other victim today hadn’t had. I’d also had two orgasms, which increased my lifetime total totwo.
I gently freed myself from her hold with a soft shrug. My dry mouth and rumbling stomach reminded me that I hadn’t eaten.
All I’d had were the electrolytes Enzo had administered through the IV.If that was what had truly been flowing through the IV.I didn’t trust him enough to take his word.
I padded toward my bed, seeing the sheets half torn off from when they’d dragged me out of bed.
My body ached as I collapsed face-first onto my mattress. The crisp sheets were cool against my skin.
Daphne climbed in behind me, making herself comfortable. She wasn’t leaving until I provided her with details about the Initiation.
I’d most likely broken the rules when I told her that Enzo had said Friday was the night of my Initiation. I didn’t care because I needed someone to know that if I vanished, he and the Sons were the ones to blame.
I’d asked if she knew anything about her mother’s Initiation, but she shook her head, telling me no,butthat she thought it varied for each Fawn so that they couldn’t tell other prospective Fawns what to expect during theirs.
I craned my neck upward, my jaw popping as I stretched it, then situated myself to rest my back against the headboard.
Daphne drummed her pink-manicured nails against her cheek. “I’ve texted Seraphinaliterallyall day to check on Enzo’s location to make sure you were still alive. When she told me he’d taken you to a funeral, I nearly choked on my Coke Zero, worried it wasyoursand you hadn’t made it through Initiation.Thank Godit was just that senator’s son’s funeral.”
She raised her finger, waggling it in the air. “Who, by the way, was a total douchebag. We went to private school together. Hehad a favorite date-rape drug.” She leaned in closer, lowering her voice. “So the rumors say.”
My roomie rarely felt sorry for guys dying if she didn’t like them.
Not going to lie, I liked her style. Even though I hadn’t grown up in politics, I’d seen too many men in my life abuse their power.
She had a moment of hesitation, and her voice softened as she asked, “Are you okay?”
“Barely,” I said honestly, stretching out my legs.
“That bad?”
With a silent curse, I nodded, and a tear slipped down my cheek. Since I’d been on alert with Enzo all day, my body hadn’t processed what’d happened during the Initiation.
Now that I was finally safe in my dorm room, curled up in my cozy nook with Daphne, I could break down.
The lullaby had been the worst part.
Worse than the sheer trauma of the masked Sons terrorizing me in the woods.
Some people might never understand. A court-appointed therapist, though paid by my stepfather, had once told me I needed to get over those childhood memories.
That wouldn’t happen.
Daphne carefully scooted closer, taking a moment to make sure I was comfortable before sitting next to me, wrapping her arm around my shoulders, and pulling me tight against her.
“Hey,” she said. “We don’t have to talk about it. Just know that I’m a listening ear if you want to vent, or cry, or scream. I’m here if you want to drink to numb it. I’m here if you want to tape Enzo’s face to the wall and throw darts at it.” She squeezed my shoulder. “In fact, I’ll probably throw some darts at his face too.”
A light giggle left me as I sniffled and wiped a tear off my cheek. “We definitely need a picture of Enzo to use for target practice.”
“That’s my girl. Also, if it makes you feel any better, Enzo has been …differentwith you.”
“A good different or bad different?”
