Chapter Two
Amirah
My chest rises and falls to the rate of my pounding heart. I’m staring into his bright-green eyes, watching and waiting to see what he does next.
How the fuck did he get in here? If only every man and his dog wasn’t out helping my brother right now, this wouldn’t have happened.
But I don’t need a man to save me.
They weren’t there for me when I needed them, and I sure as shit won’t wait for them to rescue me now.
I have to get away from him. I need to leave. He’s unpredictable, and if I make one wrong move, I have no doubt, from that gleam in his eyes, that he’ll kill me.
If I can get away from him, run down the stairs and scream for help, surely one of the guards will hear me. Or I’ll just run until I’m far away from him. Out of his reach. I’m not strong enough to fight him off. He’s bigger than me. Stronger.
My gaze moves from Bear to the bathroom door. If I can just make it there, I’m halfway out. If I can get out of my room and down the stairs, I can alert someone. Maria has gone home—I let her go early to be with her family. But there are still some guards here; Gage didn’t leave me alone.
I have to play this smart. Distract him long enough to make my move. When he tasted my blood, his eyes shut, and he went to another place. Bile rises in my throat at the thought.
As part of one of the founding families of The Brotherhood, I’ve been surrounded by men my entire life.
Men who have been kind, vile, twisted, but I have never met someone like Bear.
I can’t read him. He’s staring off into space, like he’s somewhere else.
I don’t know whether he wants to kill me or hug me.
I need to get away from him before it’s too late. I need to distract him. And men like him—they’re all driven by sex. They think that’s all we’re good for.
I’m going to use his weakness against him.
I reach out, bringing my bleeding palm closer to Bear’s mouth. He watches me, cocking his head to the side.
“I want you to lick off all my blood. Make it clean for me, please?” I ask in my sweetest tone.
The corner of his mouth curves up, his green eyes brightening. I’ve got him, hook, line, and sinker.
His tongue slides over my skin. Goosebumps scatter along my arms, and I forget for several seconds what I’m supposed to do, distracted by the way his tongue lights me on fire.
His eyes never leave mine, like they are holding me in place.
Fuck. There’s something almost . . . almost erotic about this moment.
I’ve never been touched by a man like this before.
Fuck. No. I’m supposed to be escaping. Shaking my head, I take one deep breath. Now or never. He’s focused on cleaning up my bloody palm, so I reach for the razor with my other hand. If I can just move one more inch—it’s so close. I feel the edge of the blade, and it pricks my finger.
Move. Now.
I fall sideways, grabbing the razor and wrapping my palm around it.
Pain bites into my skin, but I ignore it.
Twisting back around, I stab the razor blade into his chest, and it bites into his already wounded torso.
He moans. I kick up my foot, connecting with Bear’s balls.
He stumbles back slightly, and it’s all I need.
I roll off the counter and run toward the bathroom door. Pain erupts in my scalp as I’m pulled backward, hitting a wall of muscle. The razor blade drops from my hand, and Bear kicks it out of reach. No!
His breath tickles my neck. I squirm, trying to break free, but I can’t. His grip on my hair tightens and my vision blurs. If I can just make it out this door, I’ll be free.
Ignoring the pain, I slam down my foot, connecting with his boot, and launch forward. I get one step before his hand wraps around the back of my neck and he shoves me forward. My forehead smashes into the wall.
Pain bleeds through my scalp, and my vision blurs at the edges.
Just before I lose consciousness, a voice reaches me. His voice.
“Bad little princess. Say good night. Your fairy tale starts now.”