Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 104165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
But she’s not the only one who can play on our sibling ties.
“Do you trust me?” It’s unfair to ask this of her, but my past with Madison is always something I’ve protected her from.
I hear her difficulty when she breathes out harshly down the line. I’m being cruel to her and I know it.
“Yes,” she finally says in a rush. “I trust you. But Brooke is a friend.”
Her saying that only pisses me off again. If I’d realized Moira had been taking in strays from the shelter… That’s it, I’m firing my current guard who’s supposed to report all her activities to me. Then I roll my eyes again. Moira’s probably fucking him by now anyway to get him in her pocket.
She wouldn’t consider it as such, but she’s got her own means of manipulation. She just happens to be giving away for free the thing almost everyone in the world wants: she’s beautiful, a good listener and pretty much always wants to fuck you. She’s hard to say no to.
“Well,” I grind out between gritted teeth, “You’ll see your good friend in three days, and she’ll arrive in perfect condition.” All the red marks I just put on her ass yesterday should have healed by then. A pity, because I’ve been looking forward to going down and watching her have to sit gingerly, then maybe adding more. I never thought of that morning-after benefit. Maybe that’s what Caleb meant by the advantages of having a longer-term sub.
“Fine,” Moira said, sounding petulant. “I know when I’ve lost a fight with you.”
“We aren’t fighting,” I say with surprise. “You just didn’t get what you wanted.”
“Same thing,” she sighs.
I give a genuine laugh out loud. “I’ve got to go.”
“Just look at the records I’m sending.” Then Moira hangs up.
She’s not mad, she just forgets the social niceties of saying “hello and goodbye” sometimes. One of the things I love about my sister. We don’t have to work so hard at fulfilling all the inane little social contracts such as tiring small talk that exhausts the both of us.
I breathe out hard, then look at the little project I’ve laid out for myself at the other side of the office.
It won’t be long now. I feel it coming this time. The flip. No more fucking weakness. I’ll be prepared.
Or so you tell yourself.
I’m still in control. I’m in control, goddammit.
Who’s the liar now?
EIGHTEEN
BROOKE
I wake up screaming and slap my hand over my mouth. The other hand I wave wildly to make the lights turn on, breathing hard.
I’m shaking and sweating like usual when I wake up from the nightmares. Usually I lay still after I’ve turned on the lights and try to remember whatever I can from the dreams, but not tonight.
Tonight I’m on a mission.
Because two nights ago, I got the keycode.
I’ve had it for a whole day and not done anything with it.
That’s fucked up.
I told myself I was waiting for the right time. That I didn’t want him to suspect what I was up to.
I’m afraid that’s all bullshit. I’m afraid I was afraid to leave.
Because after our impact play scene two nights ago counting from ten to one, when I got off the bed to crawl to the elevator with him, it was so natural to nuzzle close to him. He said I was the love of his life. And there was no ignoring the lift in my chest from how natural and easy it felt to disappear into the play between us.
But he didn’t stay, even though I was affectionate. Even though I was supposedly the love of his life at some point.
Maybe that was the last straw.
He never stays. He’ll always go. Because nothing I do could ever affect that cold man.
If I was ever loved by him, like he says, it was in the past. Too long ago for even the ghosts to resurrect.
So when he walked down the short hallway toward the elevator, I followed, crawling behind him close enough that my face occasionally butted up against his slacks.
Then I stopped ten feet from the elevator to let him know I was being obedient.
He paused and looked back at me, but I made sure to have my face firmly toward the floor like a good girl.
It was only when he turned back around to key in the code to the elevator that I lifted my eyes. It’s what I meant to do all along when I decided to put on this subservient mask, before the mask started feeling all too real. Yes, my intentions became… fuzzy… somewhere along the way.
Thank god some last gasp of self-preservation reared up inside me. Because I clearly saw the numbers he quickly typed into the keypad. 2-0-1-6.
I immediately dropped my eyes back down. I couldn’t be sure, but I swore he looked back at me right that second. Phew. Almost caught.