blended with heartache. I studied her bowing before me, drenched in my shadow, and I felt empty.
Achingly furious and murderously mad, but beneath that heat was the ice-cold dagger of disillusion. Just like my dream girl, Eleanor had turned out to be a fiction of my idiotic hopes.
Bending down, I wedged my knuckles under her chin.
She shivered as I arched her throat up, not caring she winced from her bruises, not stopping even when pain flared in her grey gaze. She’d caused me untold misery, the least she could do was feel a little discomfort. “First, you make me release three perfectly trained goddesses. You cost me a fucking fortune. You use the power you have over me against my business and livelihood.”
She swallowed hard as I cupped her chin, holding her firm with cruel fingers.
“And now, now you want off my island, too?” I bared my teeth. “You tell a guest your name. You inform him of our little arrangement. You sign his death warrant as well as your own.”
“Sully. Please.” She reached up to touch me, but I snarled in warning.
“Touch me and you won’t like the consequences.”
Her hand dropped into her lap. Her eyelashes feathered down, hiding the turmoil in her stare.
“Are you determined to free all my goddesses?” I whispered. “You think you’re saving them from the cruelty I’ve caged them in?”
She tried to shake her head, words tumbling from her lips. “I don’t want to leave. I fought him to stay. He tried to take me away. Ask Jewel. Ask him. I’m telling you the truth—”
“The truth?” I shook her, making her eyes snap closed with a wince. “The truth is I think you believe you’ve got me so wrapped around your little finger that I’ll do whatever you damn well ask.” I kissed her cheek, not with affection but pure intimidation. “That you’re above my retaliation.”
“No. I don’t think that.” More words spilled in a rush. “You arrived before I finished. I was going to tell him that yes he knew my name and yes we might’ve been brought here against our will—Jewel showed him her tattoo and told him about the traffickers—but none of that matters because I’ve fallen in love with you. That I have no intention of leaving because you are worth fighting for. I did fight for you. Ask him! Ask him how many times I told him to remove his touch. I was going to turn around and run straight to you the moment I said my bit, Sully. I swear.” Tears did start now, the cracking of her heart and soul in each crystal droplet. “I love you, Sully. I’m in love with you. You have to believe—”
“Believe?” I ripped my fingers from her face. “I believe this is another trick. Just like you tricked me into removing three goddesses. You’re so determined to free everyone, Jinx? Fine, be my guest. You can do all their workload. You can serve every fucking night in Euphoria and see if I give a damn. And this time…it won’t be me.”
“You have it wrong. Just listen—”
“Leave her the fuck alone, Sinclair.” Adam Marks, the wannabe conman and Wall Street wolf, finally decided to step forward and stand up to me. “It’s true what she said. I saw you fingering her last night. I heard you use her name.”
I froze.
“You spied on us?”
He scowled. “You were pretty hard to miss on the main pathway.”
“Yet you stayed to watch.” I cocked my head. “Why? Thought you could fuck her after I was done?”
He bristled. “No, I stayed because I needed to get past you to go to my villa. In the time it took to decide if I should find another way around, you’d finished.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t follow her. To see if you could sample what I had.”
He shook his head. “You really are an asshole.” Pointing at Eleanor, he snarled, “She’s obviously telling you the truth. She did fight me. She went against all reason when I offered to take her away from here.” He rolled his eyes. “Personally, I think she’s been brainwashed to the point where she’s unsavable. Unlike the other girl here—” He pointed over his shoulder at Jewel who wisely stayed silent and still. “She was all for my rescue attempt. But not that one.” He sighed, looking pityingly at Jinx. “Whatever you’ve done to her…you’ve broken her heart and soul, Sinclair. She genuinely believes she loves you, and all you can do is threaten to let