55. Lilah
55
LILAH
I woke up sprawled across Jude in one of the lawn chairs, the sun barely a glow on the horizon. It took only a few seconds for the previous night to come back to me in living color: the way I’d blown Jude and let Nolan eat my pussy, let him fuck me, while Rafe watched.
I glanced around carefully, not wanting to wake Jude, and saw that Rafe and Nolan were sprawled out on two of the other lounge chairs, Nolan naked, Rafe shirtless, both sound asleep.
I searched my psyche for any hint of embarrassment and didn’t find any.
I felt… free.
I was also thirsty and desperate to pee.
Jude stirred as I extricated myself from his arms, shivering as the cool morning air hit my naked skin. Later, it would be warm and balmy, but right now I definitely needed more cover than Jude’s body.
He opened one eye. “Where are you going?”
“Bathroom,” I said. “I’ll be right back.”
He closed his eyes with a sigh. “Whatever you need, boss.”
I padded barefoot into the house and peed, then pulled on my jeans, a T-shirt, and my favorite hoodie. I took my meds with a big glass of water, then checked my phone. I was always on alert for a text from Matt, aware that the moment when he’d had enough, when he needed a rescue, could come at any time of the day or night.
My breath caught when I saw a text waiting on my phone — but not from Matt.
This text had come from an unknown number, the message short.
Username: LilahAbt
Invitation code: GHK963
Adrenaline flooded my body even though I was just standing in the kitchen holding my phone, because I knew what this was, even if I had no idea how they — whoever they were — had known how to contact me.
I took my phone to my room and opened my laptop. Then I navigated to the dark web, the listing for Imperium Fratrum, Versailles, Marie Antoinette.
The pink door. The blank fields for username and invitation code seemed to taunt me.
Do it. I dare you. This was what you wanted.
Before I could change my mind, I entered the username and invitation code.
And the door opened.
Now I was on a different page, a pink velvet background that matched the door behind a short paragraph of text.
Folegandros dock. East side of the island
8 a.m.
ADMIT ONE. No cell phones.