Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“Is that rohypnol?” I ask.
“Yes. Well, a generic brand,” Baron confirms. He plucks out the used syringe and holds it up for the rest to see. To Melinda, he says, “You didn’t ingest it. The fucker injected you, so it would act faster to seem as if you’d been roofied at the party.”
Melinda looks horrified, her hand flying to her neck.
“Let me see.” Anders quickly starts scanning her body, turning her around. When he gets to her thighs, he asks, “What’s this?”
We all rush over to examine a tiny circular bruise on her thigh.
“I didn’t leave that,” Anders says.
Melinda blushes, making me wonder which bruises he did leave.
“If your dad can get a warrant, the police could find all this. It’s probably enough to convict him.” Baron’s expression holds total neutrality. “Do you want to go the legal route, or can we take care of him?”
“What are you going to do to him?” Melinda asks.
“Take the money and torture him until he gives up who paid him to do this to you. Then break his leg.” Baron considers and shrugs. “Or his arm. Something that will fuck up his football season, so he loses his scholarship, and you won’t have to see him around here again.”
“I’ll take door number two,” she says. Some life has come back to her now that revenge is in sight. Like the power this guy took from her when he drugged her has returned.
Baron flashes a grin, and there’s a momentary boyishness to him that melts my heart.
Melinda hands the bag of money to Baron. “Six thousand dollars is what assaulting me and framing you was worth to him.”
Baron glances in the bag but doesn’t move to take it. “It’s yours. You’re the one who was hurt by this.”
She thrusts the bag back. “Consider it my rent money. I’m living in Baranov House now.”
Baron crosses his arms over his muscled chest and considers her. “Okay,” he says after a moment. “You’re one of us now. But we’ll have to tattoo one of your fingers.”
Melinda sends a startled look Anders’ way.
He shakes his head. “He’s fucking with you.”
“Oh.” She laughs.
“Only if you commit a crime,” Leo amends.
Melinda smiles. “Does this one count?”
“Do you want it to?” Anders teases.
Baron wraps me up in his arms. “You’re definitely getting a tattoo.” His voice is a low growl meant only for me.
“Yeah?” I pick up on the seductive vibe and purr back. “What is the tattoo for breaking and entering?”
He lifts my left hand between us and peels the glove off. He twists the wedding ring over my ring finger. “It’s my name, right across here.” He brushes his lips over the knuckle of my fourth finger.
I give him a husky laugh. “Your name, huh?”
“Mmm hmm. It can be in Cyrillic if you want.”
“Oh, because it’s much better to display the declaration of ownership in my native language?”
Baron laughs and bites my knuckle, holding it between his teeth for a moment before he lets go. “At least you understand you’re owned.”
One piece of me is still offended because it’s literally true, but my body responds as Baron intends, heating for him, my nipples getting hard, my pussy clenching on air. My body adores being owned by him, as much as I half-rebel.
“Keep telling yourself that, husband. We will see who ends up owning whom.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Baron
We wait until Gregory Smith’s shift is over and haul him into an alleyway on his way home. The irony of a member of campus security getting jumped in a back alley is a cherry on top of my revenge sundae.
I brought Alex, Feliks, Leo, Anders, and Anya.
Phoenix, Zoe, Lara, and Melinda opted out, which was good because I don’t want Lara to ever see that side of me. I tried to talk Anya out of it, but she called me sexist again and then said my rules don’t apply because she’s gay, so rather than argue, I let her come. There’s no harm in it–she’ll be perfectly safe with us.
Feliks has Gregory in an arm lock while Alex and Leo take turns punching him.
I make a show out of putting on a pair of brass knuckles. “So, we found the cash, the syringe, and the Rohypnol in your apartment. Do you get off on date-raping women?”
The guy sags in Feliks’ hold, like he’s trying to drop to his knees. “I don’t.” His voice shakes with fear. “I don’t rape women. I swear. I-I-I didn’t rape Melinda Tracy. I just gave her the shot and took her to the hospital. She was totally safe the whole time.”
“You have a different definition of safe than I do.” Anders isn’t usually into violence the way we bratva heirs are, but this time is different. He punches Gregory in the jaw with a solid right hook. “She’s feeling anything but safe after the guy who gets paid to protect her actually assaulted her.” Anders throws an uppercut and Gregory’s head flies back.