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I feel like I’ve run a marathon, and I press my forehead to the door, trying to catch my breath. Wrapping my arms around my middle, I start to pull back when suddenly the wood supporting me is gone. With a yelp, I land in a firm embrace, and a warm, very naked body wraps around me and drags me inside.
Before I can protest, James’ hand grabs my shoulder, twisting me around to face Ari, who is lounging on his bed with his face pink from exertion, his red hair mussed like it’s been pulled. His head is hanging over the edge of the mattress, and he’s smiling—blissed-out and lazy as James puts me on display.
“Ari said we had an eavesdropper,” James murmurs against the back of my ear. He walks me closer, and I can see the lean, pale expanse of Ari’s body. He’s got freckles everywhere—and I mean everywhere. His dick is soft, nestled in light red hair, and he plays with the tip as he watches me watch him. “Why didn’t you come in, darling? You could have watched the show.”
Ari lifts his free hand and signs something that makes James laugh.
“I don’t think she’s ready for that, babes,” he answers the mute man.
I don’t really need to stretch my imagination far to figure out what he said. “I didn’t want to interrupt,” I finally manage to say. I’m struggling not to get lost at the feeling of James behind me, but he makes it worse when he spins me around again and takes a step back.
He doesn’t seem to mind being on display at all. His skin is dark olive, marred with light cream scars in various places, and when he turns his back so he can grab fallen boxers from the floor, I see marks along his spine that looks like he’s been whipped bloody.
My throat goes dry, but I can’t bring myself to ask how he got them. Instead, I try not to watch as he carefully covers himself, but I don’t miss his dick, which is heavily pierced.
He catches me, then grins as he gives it a little shake before tucking it behind the black fabric. “It’s called a Jacob’s ladder,” he explains, then bypasses me, walking across the room so he can lean over and lay a wet, filthy kiss over Ari’s mouth. “A little psychopath I know convinced me it would feel good.”
“Does it?” I want to slap my hand over my mouth, but the darker part of me wants to know the answer.
“You can find out if you beg nicely enough,” James says.
He’s a little harder right now—meaner. Maybe he’s showing off for Ari, or maybe he’s just showing his true colors. He was so gentle with me before, and even then, I knew it wasn’t right.
I swallow thickly but don’t answer, and after a beat, he shrugs. “Were you looking for us?” He sits up just as Ari does and walks to the nightstand, grabbing his pack of cigarettes. There’s a chair by the window, and he lifts it with his elbow before lighting the end and flopping down onto the cushion. Dragging in a lungful of smoke, he speaks thickly through it. “You could have knocked.”
“I was, um,” I say, feeling a little pathetic as I glance past him to the grounds outside, “going for a walk.”
Ari snorts and signs something, which James interprets. “Didn’t get very far, did you?”
“I heard…I thought I heard someone being hurt,” I fumble.
James laughs and grins at Ari. “Oh, you did. And he begged for more.”
Ari, who moved to sit up against the headboard, curls one arm around a crooked leg and shrugs, nodding. He’s unapologetic in his nudity, and it makes me feel odd—almost like I’m the one on display for all the clothes I have on. Reaching toward James, Ari makes a grabby motion, and James sighs before handing over his smoke.
“Kane’s going to spank your ass raw for this,” he says as he lights up a new one for himself. He grins at me. “He hates when we get cigarette smoke on the furniture.”
The conversation is odd and casual, and it’s making me nervous. I glance past James again, at the grounds, and I regret stopping. I should have kept walking. Hell, I should have just fucking run. Even if they caught me, at least I’d be taking back some power again.
Ari waves his hand, catching my attention, then signs something a second before James interprets.
“He says you look like you have questions.” When Ari pulls a face, James shrugs, but I don’t know what they’re trying to say.
Biting my lip, I glance between both men, then shrug. “I’m sort of wondering how long I have to wait here to find out whether or not I’m going to live or die.”
James’ face falls. “We aren’t the ones who make that call, love. But for what it’s worth, I’m not sure your death is going to serve any purpose now.”
That’s not worth a whole hell of a lot. I’m only breathing thanks to Kane’s current generosity—or torture. I’m not sure what it is yet. I really can’t tell if I like this better than when I’d be locked in a dark room, forced to fight my way out whenever my sadistic cousins were training me.
Sometimes softness hurts a lot worse.
“I think I’m going to go for that walk,” I say.
Ari’s eyes glint, and he signs something else, but James doesn’t interpret. I do my best to read his body language, but he always looks like he’s seconds away from either fucking or killing, and the expressions are too close for me to know just yet.
I lick my lips again, and I watch his gaze trace the motion of my tongue. I feel hunted, suddenly, and I take a step back. Ari doesn’t move, and when I glance at James, he just looks amused.
“I guess I’ll see you later.” No one stops me as I close the door behind me, and as it clicks into place, the echo of James’ laughter follows me all the way down the stairs.
