of spirit in hand, Milton sits with eyes clouded in thought. Ominous eyes. Haunted. We’ve been like this for a while. Both staring at the flames, I’m sure warms neither of us. My body shivers from witnessing him kill yet again—this one I’m not entirely sure deserved.

We’re all addicts, in one way or another. We all crave. Need. It may not be the obvious kind of addiction, but it’s still one.

“You have a question.” My body jerks at the sound of his voice, his tone like a double-edged sword. “Ask.”

Swallowing hard, the burn between my thighs comes back to taunt me. Why, I don’t know. Sick, sick, sick. “What did that man do?”

“Tampered with surveillance,” he answers tonelessly. “Hence why there wasn’t an alert of a trespasser on my property. That man was part of my security team at Stonehill.”

“You own Stonehill?”

“Yes. But you knew that already.” My head lowers. He’s right, but it was only an inkling. How else was he able to get around so quickly? “Is that all that man did?”

Eyes narrow. “Meaning?”

“You killed again for me.”

“No. He was disloyal.” My eyes flicker to his, and I shudder beneath his stern gaze. Reaching inside his pocket, he tosses the gun on the table between us. “This bothers you?”

Does it? Yes. No. I’m so confused. “What about his kids?”

His eyelids lower, lips pulling together. “They will be fine. And now I have a question for you.” He takes a sip of his drink. “Do you still want to know what I do here, given what you’ve seen so far?”

“Yes.” I don’t lie, wanting to know more now than ever. I have to know his world. Whether that’s just an excuse, I’m not sure. Could be. Probably.

The thought of him moving me away from him and Fair Haven in the name of protection doesn’t sit well with me when all his secrets lie within these walls. And I might only have tonight to find out. “Ignorance is bliss, you know?”

My head shakes. “Stop trying to get out of it.”

“Fine.” Standing, he takes one step toward me. “I suppose I could humor your curiosity for the evening. First, though, I must see someone.”

We head back out into the cold hall with the three arches. The silver X’s displayed are like deadly weapons—rules to follow, or else. Milton takes me straight across, through a door that leads to a spacious room with a crowd of well-dressed people. Men in dark suits and women in beautiful evening dresses. It’s like we’ve entered another world entirely.

If I didn’t look hard enough between the cracks, I would have thought I’d entered one of Lawrence’s parties on a Saturday night. Entertaining the type of people that flaunt their ugly personalities because they have all those pretty pennies to protect them.

This party is nothing like those ones. These people are different, like they’d use their money to do more than protect them.

Girls weave between the crowd, wearing scraps of material that’s considered lingerie. They carry trays of drinks and smile as they serve. As we pass an L-shaped stage that divides the room of black leather seats and circular tables, my lips immediately part at the show.

Bent over and spread wide, a man rams a woman from behind, using her hair as his own personal leash as their naked skins slap together. It’s a violent, brutal display with no pause to catch breaths. With her skin flushed and sweaty, instead of screaming at the man to stop, she yells, “More. Harder!”

The crowd murmurs their approval as they subtly watch, a sport for their enjoyment, soaking in all this sadism with greedy eyes. Meanwhile, here I am, just as bad as them. Throbbing inside. Unable to take my eyes off them. Stepping closer to Milton when a crowd of men pushes past me to get a closer look, I cling onto his arm, and that’s when I notice he’s been watching me all this time.

Glancing up to meet his gaze, some of his hair has fallen across his forehead. He doesn’t move it away, and it makes him look dangerous. Sexy. And then I can’t stop thinking about what it would be like to be bent over by him.

Thoughts like that will send a girl to Hell. Then again, I think I’m already here.

Taking my hand, Milton crosses the room to a large booth where a man sits with a girl on his knee and his hand down her panties—

“You’re early tonight,” Milton interrupts, stopping beside the table. The man removes his hand and leans back against the seat as the girl slumps with...relief?

“I’m angry tonight,” he replies, a smile that looks both cruel and devilish at the same time, which contradicts his blond hair, tanned skin, and angelic features. No. There’s nothing angel-like about this man. While he may be blessed by the heavens, he’s granite, his appearance merely a mask. Power drips off every inch of his large frame—something that feels out of control. Volatile. Which I’m sure the girl feels too as she sits with a silver chain wrapped around her slim neck.

She’s pretty, with dark hair and round eyes. Beneath them sit shadows of exhaustion. God knows what this man has done to her, though she isn’t a victim. She’s something else…something I can’t quite grasp—

“I can see that,” Milton stops my thoughts, head inclining toward the girl. “I gather your friend is aware of our policy?”

The man’s fingers twist through the chain, making it tighter for her. She doesn’t protest. “Of course. What about yours?”

Milton gives a quick glance over his shoulder, and I avoid his gaze. “Yes, she knows, alright.” She signed, alright. He faces the man again while twisting his ring around his finger. “I’ll leave you to your fun. I would say try not to make too much of a mess, but I beat you to it already.”

Without saying goodbye, Milton guides me back toward the stage where the couple is still fucking. Beside me, Milton chuckles. “You look appalled.”

“Why

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