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“Family,” she declared forcefully. “Lovers. Brothers.Mine.”The bottom of my hoodie fell as she cupped my chin. “There isnostepping away for me, don’t you get that by now?”
The soft chuff was reflex, as was the small shake of my head. “You’re young—”
“And you’re stupid if you can’t see I’ve fallen in love with you. Nick. I’ve fallen in love with all three of you. I don’t care about marriage, or kids. But if I did want to have kids…and if you did, as well…then…then we’d explore that together.”
Kids?
A family?
Dried, bloody smears on the floor pushed in. Not like the one we’d had with our own father. A real family, one not built on lies and betrayal…but on love.
On what we had…
Even if it was forbidden.
“Got that?” she whispered.
I gave a nod. “I got it.”
“Good. I don’t want to hear that ever again and I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear it now. I’d get down and ride you right now if I was sure my legs would take my weight.”
A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. “It’s only fair,” I responded. “You steal my hoodie and I take your ability to walk…for a second, at least.”
She smiled, then chuckled as she lifted her arms. “Then it looks like you’d better carry me to bed.”
I rose from the chair, closed the laptop, and reached for her. “Whatever you want, princess…whatever you want.”
TWENTY-SIX
Vivienne
Daughter…
The word dragged me to the surface. Higher and higher I rose, until the panic set in and I remembered exactly where I was. I cracked open my eyes, blinked until the blur went away, and fixed my sight on the tiny blinking red light of the electronic lock.
Daughter…
I pushed upwards and scanned the room as that haunting word lingered.
Daughter.
Not his daughter. I tried to grasp the loose threads of my memory, still caught between the waking world and my dreams. No, they hadn’t saidhisdaughter, but they’d called me that and I didn’t understand why. I shoved the plush bedding aside and rose, wrapping my arms around my body as I shivered. It was cold this morning. One glance at the soft morning sunlight and I realized it was early…
Too early forhim.
Thoughts of last night pushed in, panicked at first. Why the fuck had I gone down there? What the hell did I hope to find? Nothing that could save me…that was for sure. Not from this hell, or The Order.
I walked into the bathroom and glanced up at the cameras, hating that panicked feeling of him watching me, and tugged the pale pink nightdress over my head.Traitor.
I winced, tossed the garment to the floor, and wrapped my arms across my breasts before I stepped into the shower. I wore his clothes now. I used his makeup. I did what he told me, even as that screamingthinginside me kicked and bucked and howled in response.
It didn’t matter.
None of it mattered.
Steam rose instantly as I hit the faucets, filling the shower stall, leaving me to drop my hands and turn around. As I lifted my gaze, that blinking light on the camera dulled, smothered by the fog on the glass. I tilted my head backwards and stared at the shimmering blur until I finally closed my eyes.
I washed, shampooed, and conditioned, each strand smelling like he wanted. What he demanded. What hecontrolled.
