“I thought…” I trail off with a nervous swallow. Liam embodies the spirit of a man in control of his urges and desires, but he also seems like the type of man that wants you at his beck and call, available upon command. “I guess I thought you’d want me to share your bed.”

Jerking me to a stop two feet from the door, he takes me by the chin in what I’m learning is his signature move. “My brothers might wish to share their bed with you, but I’m not a masochist.”

I’m unprepared for the pang of hurt that goes off in my chest, and I respond before weighing my words. “You don’t want me?”

“Who wouldn’t want you, my sweet girl?” He dips his head, bringing our lips a few inches apart, and I breathe in his spicy scent. “But I know my limits when it comes to keeping you pure. Until you are crowned as my queen, I’ll have my way with your mouth, but I won’t have you in my bed.”

3

The ride to the top of the tower is excruciatingly slow. I’m barely holding on to my composure. By the time Selma shows me to my private quarters, I’m full-on shaking. I dismiss the maid before scurrying inside, desperate for a moment alone so I can process what just happened on the first floor of this circular fortress.

I don’t realize the hot mess of my face until Faye rushes to me, eyes wide with alarm.

“What did that bastard do to you?”

Her vehemence, her unwavering support—it makes me buckle on the spot. I sob into my hands, knees meeting the floor. I’m not even sure why I’m falling apart.

Because Liam Castle got under my skin with a single blow job? It makes little sense. All I know is I’m reeling, and I can’t seem to stop.

“Novalee! Talk to us. What happened?”

“I don’t know if I can do this.” I stare at my ladies through the flood of tears escaping my eyes.

“Was he mean?” Elise asks, cautious hesitation sharp in the lines of her porcelain skin.

Faye is more direct. “Did he hurt you?” She narrows her brows, purses her lips with protective, ball-busting intent. “Because if he hurt you…”

She’ll do nothing. We’re women in a foreign place that doesn’t afford us the same rights as men. They’ll say we’re weak and not as smart, but at the core of my heart, I know that’s not true.

Because it takes true strength and wit to survive a group of men like the Zodiac Brotherhood. Especially with a man like Liam at their head.

“He didn’t hurt me.”

Faye stands in a fluid and graceful motion, though the harsh angles on her face are anything but. She helps me to my feet. “Are you sure?”