‘Are you gay?’
‘Bisexual,’ Lachlan corrects, always seeking to be honest with Jules.‘What does your father want from you?’
‘For me to charm his friends, to be a pretty little toy who lights up the room and stirs hunger in the oldest form of evil,’ the kid says with polished, jade-green cynicism.‘They’ll want to touch me, and he’ll want me to let them,’ he tells Lachlan, slower.‘They’ll put hands on me, cup my cheek, thumb over my lips, tell me how I’vegrown.’ He waits a beat, then asks, ‘Did he give you permission to fuck me?’
Oh God.
Lachlan is an exceptional liar, he knows he could pull off a deception based on the wording (Penhalyx technically didnotsay that) but there has to be trust to keep the bubbleunburstso he takes a breath, speaks quietly and says, ‘He gave me permission to manage you in that way, yes.’
‘Then why haven’t you?’
‘Aside from the obvious, did it ever occur to you that I don’t want to be caught up in this kind of thing?’he says, seeking a new tactic, hoping it lands.
Jules frowns lightly.‘What do you mean?’
‘To say nothing of the age gap and the fact that you’re my charge, doesmyconsent mean nothing?’
‘Your consent… you’re the fucking adult!’
‘And I don’t want you.’
‘Bullshit.Everyonewants me.’
‘I don’t.You’re a child.’
‘I’mnota fucking child, stop saying that!I’m eighteen.’
‘You’re my charge.’
‘You know what I hear when you say that?That I’m a Ming vase, a painting, a fucking Basquiat behind bulletproof glass!’
Lachlan thinks of that contract he signed months ago.
Julian Sael Penhalyx, the Asset.
He’s not far off.
‘You,’ Lachlan says, voice tightening, ‘are achild,Jules.Maybe not to them, maybe not even to him, but you are to me.This isn’t ever going to go where you’re pushing.I’m older than you—’
‘Barely six years.’
‘I’m your bodyguard, and no matter what anyone else thinks, you’re a child to me, a kid.A pain in my ass, a fucking annoyance, but a kid.I would die for you, because that’s my job.Do you understand?’
Jules’ cheeks blossom rosy.‘Say that again.’
Lachlan pitches an eyeroll.‘You heard me.’
‘Say you’d die for me again.’
‘I would die for her too.Do you thinkthat’ssexual?’
It’s a low blow, but it dulls the shine in the kid’s eyes enough for Lachlan to unclick the twin buttons and restore normal frequency traffic, privacy gone.
‘You’ll behave,’ he tells Jules, tone lower once more.‘That’s all there is to it.’
‘Fine,’ Jules agrees, calmer now that Blaire has returned with Mimi.‘But I want something in return.’
‘What?’
