Page 72 of Burned

I hate myself for sitting here desperate to crawl on his lap and mark my claim in front of this entire room.

Maybe I should have peed on him when I had the chance.

The focus shifts. The entire room follows her eyes as she turns to me.

Isobel says, “Then Carlos told me about her.”

“She has a name,” Lucian says. “Erin.”

My heart begins to hammer. I want him to make her say it. I hate that I do.

He doesn’t.

She ignores him. Her eyes hold mine. “He said she lied to you. Betrayed you.

Carried a key meant to open your throat for the Morettis. And you kept her anyway.”

Lucian stands so fast the chair scrapes backward. “Enough.” The command cracks through the room.

Isobel stops.

“Sit down.” I turn to him. “I want to hear what she has to say.”

His eyes cut to mine. A warning.

I may have just told Lucian Bachman to sit in front of his men, his brother, the Kings, a returned dead woman, my sister, and Gregory.

Wonderful.

A stunning survival instinct, truly.

Blaze’s eyes widen with delight. Rafe suddenly looks down at his notes. Bayne’s mouth twitches.

Lucian stares at me as if deciding whether to kiss me or obey me only to drag me over his lap and spank me.

“Sit,” I say again, quieter. “Please.”

His jaw flexes once. Twice. Then he sits. Slowly. Dangerously, if that’s possible. He makes it look so.

“Continue,” I say, politely to Isobel. And a little smugly. I’m in control. And the man she loves just turned over a chair for me. “Please.”

Rafe brings us back into focus. “Isobel, what else did Carlos say?”

“Carlos said Lucian kept her anyway,” Isobel says. “And that was when he knew.”

“Knew what?” I ask.

Her expression changes.

“You weren’t like the others.” For one second, she almost looks sorry for me.

My pulse stutters.

“The others?”

“The women he bought after me meant nothing,” Isobel says. “That made them useless.”

“Okay?” I’m trying to follow, but the word ‘bought’ gets in the way.