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“Nothing. I’m fine. I swear.” I put my hand over my chest. My breasts ached, and I was sure my nipples were poking hard against the material of the sports bra I wore.
“You’re not fine!” Serelda took the plate and practically tossed it to the table before locking the door and propping a chair against it. I wanted to reassure her, but I could barely catch my breath.
“Really, Serelda. It’s good.” It was all I could manage.
She snagged my hand and drew me farther into our suite of rooms, away from the door. “What happened? I’ll call Rycks, and he’ll send Viper and Cain after us.”
“No! I swear, Serelda, everything is good.” I pulled my sister into my arms and hugged her. “I’m fine.”
“Tell me. Please. I don’t want to stay here. I want to go back home.” Tears did stream down Serelda’s cheeks now. Her whole body trembled, and she was pale as a sheet.
“Sit down and I’ll tell you. Come.” I moved to the window seat where she’d set up a nest of blankets and pillows. She’d liked to sit next to the window in our room at Black Reign and watch the ocean or read a book. It didn’t surprise me she’d claimed this place for herself.
I took her hands firmly in mine. “I kissed Roman. Well, he kissed me, but I kissed him back.”
Serelda blinked several times, her mouth opening, then closing again. “You… what?”
“I know, right?” I giggled, unable to help myself. “I kissed Roman. He wants… well, he said he had his eye on me. He said he wasn’t going to be with another woman. That he wanted me.”
“You believe him?” Serelda tilted her head to the side. I could tell she wasn’t sure what to think.
“I don’t know! I want to.” I sighed happily. I felt like a schoolgirl with her first crush. In a way, I guess I was. Our father had whored us out in our early teens. Before I’d ever taken an interest in boys. After that? Well. It had taken me more than a decade to allow another man to touch me. I’d been attracted to Roman from the second I’d seen him. Now that I’d had a taste of what it would be like to let him have me, I thought I might be ready.
“Are you sure he won’t hurt you? I don’t really see it in any of these guys, but I don’t want to be wrong.”
“I don’t think he’d hurt me. Not physically, at least. Though, I think it might break my heart if… Well, I can’t imagine letting another man kiss me like he did. If he went to another woman… If I’m just a novelty to him…”
“Just be careful.” Serelda leaned in and put her arms around me, hugging me to her. We often held each other when we were scared. It had started soon after the first time our father had given us to a man. He’d wanted to play with twins and had taken our virginity. It hadn’t been pretty, and we’d both huddled in our closet for two days before our father had dragged us out to meet the second “client.”
The second those memories shoved their way into my mind, I shuddered. All arousal I’d felt disappeared in a flash. Who was I kidding? There was no way I could be with Roman. Not in any meaningful physical way.
“I will, sis.” I tried to put on some bravado even though I knew Serelda would see right through me.
“Don’t let Dad win.” Serelda’s soft plea found its way into my head. The pain in her voice was enough to push my demons back behind the door I tried so hard to keep them behind, and I could breathe again. “Run with this if you trust him. I can always call Rycks. He’ll get us out if we get into trouble.”
“I know. I’ll be all right. I’m just a little scared and overwhelmed. But I really want him, Serelda. For the first time in my life, I think I’m ready to try to be in a normal relationship.”
She pulled back, swiping at her tears before brushing her thumb under my eye to catch my own. “You know you’ll have to tell him. Right?”
“I don’t want to.” I turned to look out the window, knowing she was right. “He’ll see me as a victim. Even after what happened today.”
“Wait. What do you mean after what happened today? I thought you kissing Roman was what happened today.”
I winced, turning back to face my sister with a sheepish grin. “I might have accidentally gotten into a fight.”
“You what? But you hate violence!”
“I know!” I twisted my hands together, glancing up at Serelda before looking down again. “And I might have cut one of the club girls with a broken beer bottle.”
“Winter!” When I looked at Serelda she was fighting a smile. The woman actually looked happy about this.
“Yeah, well. I also stabbed another club girl. But only after she tried to stab me.” I hurried to finish, needing to get it out before Winter could say anything to make menottell her all of it.
To my surprise, she did laugh then. “I don’t know why that surprises me. I guess she pushed you just a little too far.”
“Yeah. She did. I’ll have to watch my back, though. She let it go now, but I’m sure that won’t last long.”
“Not if they’re anything like the girls in the other clubs. Not unless Roman makes you his ol’ lady.”
