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Chapter Seven
– Lilly -
“Iknew you’d show yourhand if I was patient. I just didn’t think you’d stoop that low.” I couldn’t tell him the truth. I’d been cooperative because I wanted to, because it was easy to be cooperative... with him. And I was the stupid fool who kept opening myself up to hurt, only to have to relearn the same stupid lesson.
And look where that’s gotten me.
“Is that why you’ve been so cooperative? You’re playing me?”
“You son-of-a-bitch. Who’s playing who? Who’susingwho? I’m only here because you need me because you’re afraid Dante, of all people, is going to kill you for some mystical reason you have yet to explain.”
I pushed him too far. I couldn’t call it anger; his face was frozen with an expression I hadn’t seen on him before, reminding me that maybe I didn’t know this man very well. Not when he could threaten to physically harm me as a bargaining chip with my brother!
“I would never hurt you that way.” Sebastian spoke slowly and carefully, as if he didn’t trust himself to speak any faster.
“Maybe... maybe not, but the fact that you didn’t think twice about implying that you would doesn’t make it different.”
“The fuck it doesn’t. Your brothers and I work in a world you don’t understand, Princess. I can’t appear weak to them–”
“Is that what I am? Your weakness?” I whispered, shocked by his revelation. He didn’t realize that I understood more about the world wealllived in than I’d ever let on.
And I understood the truth behind what he’d just said.
“Fuck,” Sebastian ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know how to answer that.”
“With the truth.” I couldn’t help it. For a moment, I felt like I had the upper hand and I had to make the most of it. I took a few steps toward him. Sebastian eyed me warily.
“Would it be that hard,” I asked with a teasing lilt in my voice, “to admit the truth?”
“The truth isn’t what you think.”
“The truth is that you needed to threaten to hurt me because I’m your weakness. Because you don’t want Gabriel, or Dante for whatever reason, to know that. You want them to think I’m disposable to you.”
I reached out and traced the length of his lapel with one red-tipped nail. “But I’m not, am I, Sebastian? You’re using me, but you’re enjoying it, aren’t you?”
I gasped when he grabbed my hand and pressed it hard to his chest. “Don’t play this game, Princess.” He raised my hand to his lips and kissed my palm, his lips so tender, but his grip still strong.
I raked my teeth over my lip. “You think I would win this one?”
“No. I’ll win. Because despite what you’re thinking right now, you are disposable. What do you think is going to happen between us, Lilly? We don’t have a future together. We can have the best fucking nights of our lives, but what then?” He leaned down to whisper in my ear. “I may not be capable of hurting you, but... You. Are. Disposable. Nothing can change that.”
I wanted to punch him. It hurt, but he was right. We didn’t have a future together. We were playing a game, following rules someone else had written. I might not know all the details, but I knew enough.
“Don’t you ever get tired of it?” I asked softly.
“Tired of what?”
“Of living your life around everyone else’s rules?”
He shook his head. “I don’t live by other people’s rules.”
“Yes, yes you do, but...” I tilted my head to study him in the darkness. “But you don’t realize it.”
“Now who’s being cryptic? If you have something to say, just say it.”
“I just did. Something... I don’t know what yet, but I’ll find out... something has triggered you. All of this... the kidnapping, using me to get to Gabriel... what’s it all about, Sebastian? You still haven’t told me. Until you do, you’re nothing but a coward, following the rules of this so-called mysterious world you and Gabriel are caught up in. You know what I know?”
“Enlighten me.” He tried to take a step back, but I pursued him.
