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“Jesus,” I breathed. “I guess we’ve never really spoken much so I didn’t realize how much of a dick you can be.”
He laughed, a short, caustic bark. When he spoke, his voice was a derisive drawl.
“Sweetheart. We’re all dicks here. Don’t let Merrick pull the wool over your eyes.”
“Wow…you really are a massive asshole.”
He shrugged, expelling more smoke. “Did he tell you what the tattoos on his dick mean?”
“No,” I said, before I could catch myself.
“Ha,” Caden said. “Knew you were fucking him.”
I went bright red and whirled, swaying slightly, and reached out to grab the doorknob. His hand closed on my wrist and he turned me around. There was a warning light in his eyes.
“Be a good girl,” he said. “Stay put and listen to Merrick.”
I wanted to punch him. Or push him off the balcony.
“How many lines does he have?” Caden asked, letting me go and pulling out his pack of cigarettes. This time he gave me one too and I breathed it in just enough to taste it on the back of my tongue.
“How do you know about them?”
“I have them too, we all do,” he said. “Just different ones. Now, how many?”
“I didn’t count them,” I whispered.
“Twelve. I have the same status rings. But not the lines.”
“Okay. So?”
“How many men did he kill in that arena again?”
The world slowed and a sick feeling rose in my chest. My palms felt slippery and my legs weak.
“Twelve,” I said hoarsely.
His eyes were cold. “You shouldn’t be here,” he said. “You don’t know anything about the world you were born into and it’ll shock you enough to leave him when you finally see it.”
“I know he’s not…normal,” I said.
“What do you think it does to a man to be put into an arena and made to fight for his life with nothing but his bare hands?” Caden drawled. “Hours in there, like an animal. And then to have the most intimate part of you tattooed with a reminder of it so you can never forget?”
My stomach twisted. Was I going to throw up?
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because he’s in love with you,” Caden said. “I saw it happen slowly over the last year.”
My head spun, the alcohol inside me bubbling.
“You are going to fuck him up,” he said. “It’s my job to protect him and right now, you’re the greatest threat.”
Hot tears brimmed over and slid down my neck.
“I don’t mean to,” I gasped.
His hand shot out and gripped my upper arm.
