Page 91 of Pretty Pink Poison

“Pull the trigger, Bane. Or give me the gun so I can blow your balls off.”

He chuckled, literally chuckled with my life in his hands. “Pink, just give me a second to come back from the best sex of my life before shooting me.”

“So you can kill me?”

“If I was going to kill you, you’d be dead.” He rolled off me and handed me the heavy pistol like his life meant nothing to him. He even turned his back to me as he grabbed his slacks from the ground and slid them on.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

He turned as scooped up his clothes and pulled on his pants first, buttoning them. I watched the whole time, because I was that twisted. He shrugged, his tatted beautiful musclesbunching, “You wanted death on the brink of me fucking you, so you got it.”

“Are you serious?” I pushed up, my eyes widening. “You threatened my life!”

But my love for him grew in the way he always delivered my desires to me in some aspect.

“You told me that was your fantasy.” He looked absolutely offended that I thought he might actually kill me.

“But… but you called Rafe.” It was believable because of that.

“So? Rafe’s only ever half listening when I discuss you.”

“Great. Good to know my fiancé doesn’t care if I live or die.”

“He may be your fiancé, baby girl, but I’m the man who just fucked you while you were on the brink of death. Worry about what I care about. Not him.”

“It’s not a damn competition, Bane,” I sneered, but it was sort of a joke. I rolled from the chair to grab my dress too.

“Tell yourself that next time I’m sitting next to Sabine.”

I couldn’t believe we were having this conversation. “You acted like she was just right for you.”

“No one’s right for me except you, and you know it.”

“Then why say she was?”

“I said perfect formostmen, not me. There’s a difference.” He smirked, like he was happy with his play on words.

“You were holding her hand!” I sounded ridiculous even to myself.

“And you’re going to be sleeping with my brother soon enough.” His comment drained all the lighthearted banter we were having out of the room.

“You’re choosing her, aren’t you?” I asked as I studied him putting his shirt back on. “You’ll go to her after I’m gone.”

“Will it matter?”

“You’ll always matter to me, Bane.” I straightened my dress on my body and then gave him a look. “I just need you to see thatI matter enough too; that I matter more than whatever deal our parents made.”

“You made that deal too, Pink. Let’s not forget you almost had his kid. You chose him. I’m doing the same.”

“Ineverchose him,” I blurted out, furious with his words, with his accusations, with what I’d done so many years ago that I couldn’t take back.

“What?” He narrowed his eyes.

“It wasn’t a fucking choice! I thought he was you,” I screamed.

“What?” He jerked back, shocked at me screaming it in his face. Yet, I’d held the secret too long. I’d let it eat away at my insides, and it had morphed into something I didn’t like. That’s what sexual assault did. That’s what hiding it did too.

I knew that now.