Page 14 of A Merciless Bargain

“That is what you say,” Alberus agreed, his voice closer and somehow challenging. Shit, he was approaching me. His boots appeared in my field of vision. A hand reached out and gripped my chin. Not painfully, but not gently.

Alberus lifted my head to meet his gaze again. He smiled wolfishly, and that was my confirmation that he remembered me. “Bowyer Haled’s Obedient.”

“You have her confused with another,” Dane insisted.

“What was your name?” Alberus asked me.

At the sound of scuffling, I cut my eyes in Dane’s direction. The original bodyguard now possessed Dane’s satchel and held Dane’s left arm while another Foulan, materialized out of the wall, stood to Dane’s right, holding a pair of restraints. And a weapon. Similar to an Earth stun gun, the disruptor would bemuch more lethal, though I’d never seen it in action. I had no desire to see it in action. Dane stood stock still, his impassive face taking in the scene as the bodyguard to his right clamped the set of cuffs around his wrists.

Alberus released my chin and yanked my wig off. He tossed it to the side.

“Hey, that was expensive,” I objected, then clamped my mouth shut. Shit.

“What was your name, Obedient?” he demanded.

I thought about refusing, but to what end? “Parker Robinson,” I bit out.

Alberus ran his hand through my long, blonde hair, then yanked me closer to whisper in my ear. “I always wanted to taste a human.”

Chapter Eight

My jaw tightenedwhen I ground my teeth together at his comment to keep myself from making a smart-ass response.

Alberus spoke into my silence, sounding quite conversational, despite the content. Although he maintained direct, challenging eye contact with me, it was clear he directed the words to Dane, who remained held by the Foulan bodyguards.

“Did Parker Robinson tell you how she and I met?” Alberus asked. “That beta was throwing yet another one of his ridiculous parties.” He snorted derisively. “I planned to make a show of my attendance, and only stay as long as... necessary.” He hesitated at the last word.

Alberus paused to rub his thumb along my lower lip. I fought to maintain my composure, not show my disgust on my face.

“Except Bowyer Haled was unusually excited that night. After gathering everyone together, he brought out his latest acquisition. The exotic human Obedient, willing to do whatever he asked of her.”

Alberus closed the already small distance between us, such that I could feel his breath on my cheek and the heat from his body against my clothing.

“After I had made the rounds at the party and had seen what needed to be seen, I approached him about sharing his new human.”

I could see his lip curl in irritation even under his facial hair.

“That imbecile said no.” Alberus sounded shocked by this refusal still. “He denied me. Access to a human.” He flashed a cocky smile. “I would say he lived to regret that choice, but...” he trailed off with a shrug. “We all know how that ended.”

I caught my breath. Was that enough of an admission of guilt? Or simply a sadistic male taking pleasure in another’s demise?

“And now here you are.” He stepped back and opened his arms wide. “Delivering yourself to me. What is the Earth expression? ‘On a silver platter’? Maybe not yet. But you will.”

On a silver platter? I didn’t fucking think so. My jaw unclenched in order to retort, only Alberus was just getting started.

The Foulan violated my personal space again, one hand gripping the back of my head, the other cupping my breast through my vest and shirt. He licked my cheek.

“I will taste everything about you, including slicing off some of that delicate human skin,” the deranged Foulan continued in a husky voice.

That short-circuited my brain, and any thoughts of speaking fled. I needed to fight. If he wanted to fuck me, fine, whatever, I could endure. There was zero chance I was allowing this lunatic to slice off anything. I cut my eyes toward Dane again, unsure what I was hoping to see. My heart sank when I saw nothing had changed. He stood, his face like granite, watching the interaction. The two bodyguards still held his arms.

While I watched Dane, Alberus lowered his face to my neck, pushing my head to the side. His teeth contacted my skin, andhe nibbled. He moved his hand from my breast to the fastener of my vest. He opened it with a tug in concert with biting harder.

“Ow,” I reflexively uttered. Predator-prey play wasn’t really my thing.

His head lifted, and he growled around a frown. He released the back of my head and used both hands to pull the vest over my shoulders. “Lift your arms,” he ordered.

I was prepared to tell him to go fuck himself when my gaze sought the tableau of Dane and the bodyguards.