Page 21 of Darkest Game

Liam gives me a sly look. “You’re feisty this morning. What happened?”

“I’m growing desperate,” I admit. “I’m running out of time. It’s making me not as shy. I’ve already lost everything. How much more can I lose?”

“Your virginity.”

“To Jack.”

His eyes narrow. “Yes, to Jack.”

“And you’re ok with that?”

“Of course I’m not fucking ok with it,” he growls, slamming his fist against the kennel. I flinch. The dogs let out low growls. Liam looks between the dogs and me and chuckles. “I see you have them on your side now.”

“They don’t deserve to be treated like this.” I pause. “And neither do I.”

“This is happening, Irina. The wedding is today. I came to get you so you can get dressed in the gown I chose and we’ll head to the venue.”

“Why not get married here?”

“Jack wants to make a show out of it. Rub it in Mikhail and Nico’s faces.” He unlocks the kennel and grabs my arm before I can run.

“I’ll accept my fate,” I say. “If you do something for me.”

“And what’s that?”

“Let the dogs go. Just open the kennel and let them run away.”

“So they can be strays? They’ll be killed.”

“Or someone will find them and they’ll be given to owners who will treat them right. But either way, it’s a better option than being stuck in a cage all day.”

“Why do you care?”

“Because I have empathy,” I say it like its obvious and it is obvious to me. I guess to Liam it isn’t.

He looks between me and the dogs and sighs. “If I let them go, you won’t fight this? You won’t try to run or scream or cause a problem?”

“I promise.”

“You’d really not fight just to save the lives of two dogs?”

“Why do you sound so surprised?”

“Because no one in my life would ever do that. Not Jack. Not any of the men I work with. Not myself,” he adds in a quieter tone.

“I was raised to care about others.”

“That will make you a good mother.” His eyes widen slightly and he lets my arm go. “I don’t know why I said that.”

“If we’re to be married today, then we’ll probably have children down the road. It was always expected of me.”

“You’d let yourself be raped to have children?”

“No,” I admit. “But you told me you wouldn’t rape me.” I take in his strong arms beneath his t-shirt. The tattoos on them make his arm muscles stand out even more. He’s a very attractive man,I can say to myself. There could be worse men I could be married to.

“But you don’t like me and I don’t like you. So I don’t see how we’ll ever have children.”

“Then let me go now, Liam. Let me go with the dogs. Just say I overpowered you and ran if Jack asks.”