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“Either way, he’s still enthralled,” I shot back. The only way to win here was to not let her words get to me. I could agree or deny whatever I liked, and I’d keep the power as long as I remained uncaring and above it all.
“Is he?” she asked, cocking her head in question, like she knew something I didn’t.
I looked to Apollo, who hadn’t yet noticed I was in the room. No one else was paying the Magdalen and I any particular attention at all.
“You’re an obligation,” she said. “We are enjoyment. We are freedom.” Her smirk grew. “We don’t bruise so easily when he gets rough.”
My jaw clenched in anger. “Well, no. But then he’s only rough with toys he’s going to throw away. The things he keeps are precious.”
She grunted in fury. “You think he won’t throw you away when you’ve outlived your usefulness?”
“I’m not so weak as tolethim throw me away,” I told her carefully.
Her hand flew out before I could register it and her fist collided with my lip. People noticed us now and the room was suddenly full of movement as Apollo and the Angels started heading for me.
“You what?” I asked, full of my own fury that she had dared touch me.
I balled my fist and smashed it into her face with my best swing behind it. I didn’t think it was very impressive, it felt wayward and weak, and I felt my stitches pulling in protest. But she stumbled backwards. She screeched at me in anger and lunged for me again.
Valen stepped towards her with an arm raised like he was actually going to hit her, but Marco caught him before his fist could fall. It gave Fender and Gage enough time to strongarm the enraged Magdalen as Apollo finally appeared at my side.
“You will get yours,whore,” the Magdalen sneered at me. She had blood dripping out of her nose, and I really hoped I’d been the one to make her bleed.
I nodded. “Yes. I will. I’ll getmyhusband. You will not touch him again.”
“You don’t make the rules,” she said.
Apollo stood firm by my side. “Harlow is my Goddess. If she lays down a law, treat it as though it came from me.”
The Magdalen shrieked and lunged for me again, but Fender and Gage held her tightly as Apollo led me into his bathroom.
“Are you okay?” he asked me.
I huffed. “What’s one more bruise? One more cut?”
He looked me over carefully. “Let me go and make sure she’s dealt with and then I’ll be back.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
He kissed my cheek and left me in his bathroom feeling like it didn’t matter where I was because nowhere was safe now that I wore Apollo’s ring. And, after he’d just proclaimed me the official Goddess of Satin Benedicts, I didn’t think that was going to make it any better.
Chapter Eighteen
While Apollo, Marco, Fender and Gage were dealing with damage control and a screaming harpy of a Magdalen, Valen found me in Apollo’s bathroom.
“Are you okay?” he asked me as I checked my bleeding lip in the mirror.
I frowned at him. “Last I checked, protecting Apollo gives you no obligation to pretend you care about me. I’m in no immediate physical danger, so you can kindly fuck off.”
His fingers crossed around my arm, but the pressure was soft. Tender. “I can’t fuck off, because I do care.”
My frown became a glare. It had to. My heart was threatening to completely shatter. I couldn’t deal with the knowledge he cared. Not when he’d discarded me. Not when I was bound to Apollo.
“Stop playing games with me, Valk,” I snapped, ripping my arm from his.
He shook his head. “I’m not playing games, princess. Don’t you understand?”
I blinked at him, uncomprehending.
