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“That shit gets me in trouble all the time. When I fuck up, Marcus gives me an earful or the cold shoulder. But Anton hurts me. He says he won’t do it again, but I don’t believe it. I don’t want to live in constant fear.”
Romero nodded slowly, a pensive look on his face. “I agree. You should never accept a relationship where your lover thinks it’s ok to hurt you, whatever the reason.”
My heart sank. While my head knew this was the right thing to do, it still broke my heart to hear Romero confirm it. Somehow, it made it more final.
“That said, not every crime warrants a life sentence if it’s the first offense.”
“It wasn’t the first time,” I said, looking away.
Romero raised a dubious eyebrow. “Had he promised never to hurt you again before and broken his word?”
That’s a good point.
I pulled my feet up to the edge of the stage and hugged my legs to my chest. “No. That’s the first time,” I said before resting my chin on my knees.
“It would be irresponsible of me to tell you that Mr. Myers will keep his word, but Braxians have this thing about honor.”
Another good point.
“I think you should give him a chance to see whether he upholds his word. That doesn’t mean let your guard down, but don’t rule him out yet.”
To my everlasting shame, Romero told me exactly what I wanted to hear. Keeping my distance from Anton the past few days had been hard.
“Fair enough,” I said, trying to stifle the happiness from leaking into my voice.
“If you play your cards right,” Romero said, rising from his chair, “by the time those five months are up, you might be in a position of power to negotiate the kind of relationship you want.”
I snorted. “When Anton enters into a deal, he already knows you will play by his rules because you either have no other choice, or it’s just too damn good a deal to pass up.”
Romero’s laughter echoed through the room. “That is quite true. I see someone finally did her homework and learned how her audience thinks.” His eyes shone with delight.
It was silly, but that gave me warm fuzzies. I really needed to get over my pathetic need for approval. Romero hoisted himself onto the stage next to me.
“I certainly have been. Did you know that Braxians kill half-breed males?”
“Yes.” He smiled at my stunned look. “I did my homework when I first joined the Hive Network. You should have done that before you even came to see Mr. Myers for his help. But I’m glad you are doing it now. What else have you learned?”
Annoyed he pointed out how lazy I was, I elbowed him. He chuckled.
“I’ve been reading up on their interactions with women. I focused on the place of women in their society, expected behaviors, and protocols.”
Romero nodded. “Good. This is key to understanding Mr. Myers.”
“I’m not fine with those rules, Romero. They’re barbaric and archaic.”
“I didn’t think you would be,” he said, his smile sympathetic. “However, Mr. Myers hasn’t asked you to observe those protocols, has he?”
I shook my head.
“You shouldn’t follow blindly or lose yourself to please anyone, sweetheart. But understanding the other, their motives and desires is key in any negotiation.” Romero brushed my hair aside to look at my collar. “You are not in a position of strength right now. Five months is a long time to be flying blind. Knowledge will be your greatest weapon and shield.”
I nodded, my fingers tracing the intricate swirls on my collar.
“Remember when I asked you to figure out what Mr. Myers wanted from you?”
“Yes.”
“Have you figured it out yet?”
