Page 226 of I Will Break You
“Stop distracting me with your charm. I’m going with you.”
He studies me for several seconds, and it takes every effort not to fidget. I don’t need to read minds to know he’s calculating if he can get away with disabling me with his superior combat moves and locking me up in my own crawlspace.
“Don’t even think about leaving me behind,” I say, my gaze hardening. “I can break out of any bindings you throw at me, and I already know the club is at Melrose Manor.”
He smirks. “Challenge accepted.”
Three hours later, after an epic struggle which I barely won, we’re pulling up to the courtyard of a mansion set within dense woodland. Light streams through its tall, symmetrical windows, illuminating its brick facade.
I glance at Xero, whose gaze is focused on the mansion’s entrance. His artificially darkened hair, combined with his pale skin, makes him look like the hero of a steamy paranormal romance. Tension tightens his jawline, and I can’t help but wonder if he’s stressed because I’m tagging along.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
He turns to me, his eyes hard. “Stay at my side at all times. Is that understood?”
“Of course.”
“If we get separated, look out for Camila or Jynxson.”
I nod.
“And whatever happens, don’t take off your mask.”
“I won’t.”
Xero insisted that I darken the blonde side of my hair with his tinted wax, so it’s now all one color.
My curls are slicked back into a tight bun, and I’m wearing a hooded black cloak. With my makeup altered to give me a ghostly pallor with blood-red lips, I’m completely unrecognizable.
If this undercover operation wasn’t about preventing me from becoming a victim on an illicit website, I’d think the costumes were kind of cool.
He leans across the front seat of the car and cups my cheek, his hand warm against my skin. “Promise me you’ll stick to the plan. Don’t react to anything you see. No heroics.”
Gulping, I give him a frantic nod.
He reaches into the glove compartment and extracts a velvet case. Flipping it open, he reveals a silver choker and a separate ring.
“What’s this?” I ask.
“Your collar.” He lifts it out and pulls apart itsclasp, so it's now hinged open. After threading the metal ring around the choker, he raises it to my neck. “Wearing this will let everyone know you belong to me.”
My heart skips a beat. “Like a permanent collar?”
“Precisely.”
“Then where’s yours?”
He grins. “Anytime you want to collar me, say the word. I’ll gladly kneel at your feet and worship at the altar of your cunt. But for tonight, our roles are reversed.”
I swallow hard, my pulse quickening as he fixes the metal collar around my neck. Each brush of his skin sends bursts of electricity down my spine that settle between my thighs.
“You’re too bossy to get on your knees for me,” I say, my voice barely a whisper.
“I’ve stolen for you, killed for you. I’d burn down the entire city to see the flames reflecting in your beautiful green eyes. What makes you think I wouldn’t prostrate before my little goddess?”
He secures the latch on my collar, pulls the ring to the front, and draws back to admire his work. His pale eyes burn so brightly, I can barely breathe. Emotions flicker across his handsome features, ranging from satisfaction to desire, and I swear there’s even a touch of pride. When he drops his gaze down to the collar, I exhale.
“Do you know how many nights I pictured you like this while I jerked off to the scent of your letters?” he says, his fingers tracing the cool metal against my skin.