Page 33 of Red Lace Manor
“You said it yourself… you don’t think we’re monsters,” Seth added, looking away from me but keeping his hand in place.
“Yeah, but why would I stay?”
Ronan leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Because you want to?”
He sounded far too hopeful for my liking, but, as much as I didn’t want to admit it…he was right.
I should want to run for the hills and never look back. The money they promised me was more than enough to make a comfortable life. But, despite all of the terror still lingering from that night, the fucked up part of my brain thought it wasfun.
“So… not saying Iam,but! If Ididstay, you guys wouldn’t hunt me again, right?” Not that I was totally opposed to the idea, but it would be nice knowing they wouldn’t actively try to kill me once a month.
“Never again,” Seth whispered. “We’ve been talking about it a lot, and we have a plan to keep you safe, even if one of us were to get acraving.”
And by craving, he probably meantthe urge to drain the life from any living creature that looks at them the wrong way. But, again, it seemed like he meant it.
Taking a deep breath, I looked around the room, at the men who’d endured more than one personevershould. They’d found a family in each other, one that they were willing to open to me.
It was a fucked up family, to say the least. But, it was theirs. And in some bizarre way, I wanted it to be mine too.
As strange as it sounded, I had a feeling these men would keep me safe. I wouldn’t have to worry, I wouldn’t have to want, I wouldn’t have to keep working until the point I broke. Plus, I didn’t think they could be any worse than the family I’d come from.
Plus, the sex wasphenomenal.
“Fine,” I murmured, my voice coming out surprisingly steady. “I’llstay.”
Seth looked back at me as his shoulders slumped in relief. Without his mask, I was free to see the slight smile dancing across his lips. The one that showed the start of his fangs.
“Little Light, I promise, from now until forever,wewill work to give you everything you deserve.”
“Fuck that noise–We’ve got a bride!” Cassian cheered, pulling me to his chest and crowding me, exactly like he’d told everyone else not to do.
I compared this moment to the night of horror I’d faced, and that alone made it impossible not to laugh. The decision I’d made probably wasn’t asmartone, but I knew deep down, I needed to see where this led.
Epilogue
Lux
Six months later…
In my time with the men, I’d gotten to know them a lot better. The world they’d created that night was just for show, and while that made absolutely no sense to me, it seemed completely logical to each of them.
So, I didn’t question it. I just let them keep playing dress up and decorating the house like a haunted mansion once a month. At least they weren’t doing drugs. And, to top it off, things were getting kind of serious between the five of us.
I rested my head against the passenger window of Cassian’s RAV4, watching the pine trees race past the car. I closed my eyes, and my shoulders slumped at the knowledge that we were almost home.
Calling the manor that felt strange, but over time, I’d grown into it. It was like a pair of good leather boots; at first, they caused your feet to blister until they bled, but once they were worn in, you never wanted to take them off.
And, I could say, without any doubt, I never wanted to leave Red Lace Manor, not forever, anyway. Ifmy menwere there, I’d be there. It was as simple as that. A smile tugged at my lips, and I realized just how much two days away had made me miss them.
If I had to guess, Seth probably sulked in his library for the entire weekend, and, when we got back, he’d pretend he didn’t notice we’d left. But, he’d be the first one to say he needed my help with something. Maybe he couldn’t find a book, or he just needed someone to bounce ideas off of. Either way, he’d force me to sit down with him, offer me candy, and whine for an hour because Cassian hogged me all weekend, then once he was done complaining, he’d hold me while finishing hisactualwork.
Ronan wouldn’t say anything, he’d just corner me the next time I showered and force himself in. He’d stare at me for a minute or two, but neveronceadmit to missing me. Instead, he’d hold me hard enough to bruise and kiss my neck in ways Seth was banned from doing.
Solomon would wait until I went to bed tonight and slip under my covers. He’d act like he was a little cold, and I just happened to be in the closest bed. He’d then ask me never to leave again.
How did I know all this? Because that was exactly what each of myunbelievablyclingy men did whenever Cassian and I went tothe grocery store,and I couldn’t imagine their reactions being much worse this time around. Even if Cassian and Ihadbeen gone for two days as opposed to twohours.
Normally, Cass took all the chaos with a grain of salt. He’d put the groceries away and let each of the men steal their moments with me. After all, they were still relearning how to love and be loved, and he understood that better than I did. But, right now, Cassian lookedpissed.
