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“That you would take a mate yet remain unattached is both unnatural and sinful.”
She flinched at the look of disgust that pinched his features. He would never let it go. “Father, he wasn’t for me,” she managed to get out.
He snarled, and the air around him blurred as he drew his hand high and slapped her, hard, across the cheek. Jaden’s head snapped back as pain ripped across her flesh. Blood gushed inside her mouth, the coppery taste flooding her tongue, inflaming her senses.
“Stupid, weak woman. Your path was set, the only thing you needed to do was choose wisely. It should have been one of our own, and now . . .” He spit at her though his voice never deviated from a flat tone. “You’re damaged goods . . . nothing more than a whore who plays in her resort, fucking anything that moves.”
She cringed at his crude words, hating the way they ripped into her soul.
Would there ever come a time when his words would only be flesh wounds and not cut so deep?
Benicio watched silently, several feet away, and her cheeks darkened, flooded with the heat of her shame, as the warrior smirked. Inside, the cat began to scratch at the surface, pulling at her painfully in an effort to get out and act upon her rage. For a second, the air around her blurred, heavy with magick and mist that crawled up her legs.
“Do not think to attack me, little cub.” His whisper was deadly, and she knew his threats were real. She’d seen him in action before. The man was ruthless.
Jaden hung her head and flinched as she felt his breath against her forehead. Her father continued to speak, yet she couldn’t understand his words. Her mind went blank, leaving only a visual behind. Of a long-ago time, before her father’s heart had been blackened.
To a time when his touch had been gentle and his gaze warm.
She blinked rapidly, trying to banish the memories. They were much too painful, filled with of a lifetime of losses.
When his hand dug into her chin and forced her head up, she remained silent, though the jaguar raged against her chest.
“The only reason you still live is because you hold some value to me. Remember that.”
He shoved her away, and she stumbled but quickly regained her balance.
“Why are you here?” she asked, proud that she managed to keep her voice even though inside the ghost of a little girl wailed.
“To keep you on track, focused.”
She watched her father warily as he walked toward the balcony, and the fear inside her spiked as adrenaline kicked in. Her cheek throbbed, but she ignored the pain.
“You don’t have to worry. I know what is expected of me.”
She needed to keep him inside.
“Do you?” he asked softly, his dark gaze sweeping across her as if she were nothing more than a nuisance.
He reached for the whiskey decanter and held it aloft, watching the amber liquid swish against the cool glass.
“What were you doing in Washington?”
How the hell did he find that out?
She glanced at Benicio once more, but the warrior was focused elsewhere, his massive body leaning against the wall. He looked bored, but then he’d seen their family drama played out so many times, they’d not covered anything new.
She rubbed her cheek and felt the swelling of skin along the curve.
“You should put some ice on that,” Jakobi said, smiling softly as if they were sharing a secret. “But before you do, tell me about your trip.”
Jaden stared at her father for several long moments and took the plunge. There was no use in lying.
“A little bird told me that Julian Castille was back from the dead.”
Surprise flickered deep within the depths of Jakobi’s eyes. It flared to a bright red, then was gone. He was an expert at keeping his cool.
“I decided to check it out,” she continued as she walked the few feet to the side cupboard and retrieved her glass of whiskey. Sh
