“You won’t let Carmelo take us, Logan. Will you?”
She brings her glittering green eyes up, trying to meet mine, but I keep my gaze averted. Something cold twists in my chest as she continues.
“You don’t actually want to see me hurt, do you? You care about me. I can tell you care.”
She probably believes I’m giving in, but the truth is, I’ve never been so close to following through on my threat of handing her back to her husband.
The only thing that’s stopping me, right now, is the urge I have to strangle her myself.
When I don’t answer her questions, she changes tacks.
“Logan… do you think I could sleep in the other room? WithAurora?”
Fuck. I try to push down on my bitterness, but every part of me is throbbing. It’s hard to realize that I’ve allowed myself to give in to my old weakness yet again.
And for what? For fucking what?
For a lie.
I thought I could see right through her. But I let her trick me. When I saw her on her knees, naked for me… I should have shut it down right away. But she managed to wrest control from me tonight. She managed to turn me back into that needy, naive boy from high school.
She used me.
“Please?” she wheedles. “I just can’t sleep without her. I need her so much. You can understand that, can’t you?”
I swear to god, I’m going to stab someone if I hear her say one more word.
I stand up at last, more to put an end to her pleas than anything else, and shove her away like she’s burned me.
“Guess you told me the truth, that night, huh?” I ask coldly.
She blinks at me, clearly confused.
“When you were telling me what a dirty little whore you were. When you told me you slept with half of Oakley. I should have listened.”
“What… what do you mean?” she asks slowly.
“You thought you could sell your body to me,” I lash out. “You thought you could fuck me to get what you want.”
She stares at me, unable to get a sound out. I wouldn’t let her speak if she tried, anyway. I’ve heard her voice enough for a lifetime.
I stalk over to the door, grab a sleeping Everest by the collar, and shake him awake.
“Get up,” I snap. “Lia’s sleeping in here.”
Holding a sheet around her, Lia walks in slowly, parting herlips like she’s hesitating to… thank me?
She’s going to figure out pretty quickly that there’s nothing for her to be thankful for.
I was lenient. I let myself go soft tonight when I swore I never would.
She’s a snake. Selfish, manipulative. But I won’t let myself get caught up in her games anymore.
“You don’t have an ounce of power,” I growl, turning to her. “Don’t you fucking forget that, Lia. You’re my prisoner. My captive. Under my control until I bring you back to your husband. I own you, Lia. Do you hear me? I fuckingownyou.”
19
Lia
