My brother wouldn’t be home until at least dawn. Was Kai still planning to go to The Pope tonight? He must’ve gotten that key after our conversation this morning, before he knew that he’d run into me again.

I hated the idea of him going without me.

After tossing my clothes into the hamper, I changed into the shirt and boxers, washed my face, brushed my teeth and hair, and walked out of the bathroom, hitting the light on the way out.

I crawled onto the bed, grabbing the pillow and hugging it as I reached up and pulled the chain on the lamp. The room went dark, the subtle hum of the air conditioning flowing through the house soothing me. My breathing slowed and my heartbeat calmed.

Kai was probably really angry with me. He had no reason not to believe Damon. He probably felt betrayed, lied to, and pissed off.

Pissed off enough to think he damn well should’ve stayed with the devil he knew rather than the devil he didn’t. Maybe he’d be sharing that hotel room with Chloe tonight.

And for some reason, I liked the ache that caused in my chest. Anger was easier, and I almost wanted him to go running to her. It would make him the same as every other man I knew. Self-serving, insincere, and greedy.

If he failed me, I could go back to not minding not having him, right?

I had Damon, after all, and here, I was queen, at least. He never brought girls to his room. He never made me leave, so he could have privacy. This was our space, and no woman was above me in his life at home.

I just had to find contentment in everything I already had.

I yawned again, my eyelids growing heavier and closing.

But then I heard the door behind me open and the floor creak.

I turned my head over my shoulder, tensing when I saw a tall, black figure moving toward the bed. I could just make him out, removing his shirt as he stood over me.

“You’re home already?” I said, remaining still.

But he just replied, “Shhh,” and I didn’t press further as I turned my head back around, staring off into the dark.

He didn’t turn on the light, so I guess that was a good sign he didn’t want to yell at me.

I felt the bed dip behind me, and he laid down, making it creek with his weight.

I don’t know why he wanted me here. I mean, I slept next to him more than I didn’t, but I knew he was mad, so it was better just to give him his space tonight.

But then I felt him at my back as he rolled toward me and snaked an arm around my waist.

My lungs got smaller as I tried to take in more air, and I could feel the vein in my neck pulsing.

What was he doing?

His breath hit my neck, and before I knew what was happening, he was kissing my skin and reached under my shirt, taking my breast possessively in his hand.

A cry caught in my throat. “What are you—”

His hand moved to between my legs, and he gripped me, holding me tight as he thrust his hips against my ass.

“Damon, no!” I cried, scrambling to push his hands away and get off the bed.

But he held me tight. Pushing me onto my back, he climbed on top of me, pinning my hands above my head, and slamming his mouth down on mine, rough and possessive.

I tried to scream through his attack as tears spilled from my eyes. No, no, no, please! Don’t do this. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to twist my head away. Nausea rolled through my stomach like an avalanche. No, no, no…

Until he forced his tongue in my mouth, and I paused, realizing something was off. I froze, inhaling deeply through my nose.

No Davidoffs. Not even a hint of any cigarettes on his skin, his breath, his hair...

I fought, screaming into his mouth as I ripped my arms out of his grasp and slapped him across the face.

“You’re not Damon?” I barked.

He grabbed my wrists, securing them above my head once again. His hot breath fell on my face, and I breathed fast and shallow, his weight on me too heavy.

“And you’re not fucking him like he said, are you?”

Michael? What the hell was he doing here?

“Who are you?” he asked.

“Get off me,” I growled, squirming. “What are you doing?”

It would be just my luck for one of the guys—or worse, my brother—to walk in right now and look for some way to make this my fault.

He released one of my wrists, leaning to my left, and the next thing I knew, the light was on, and Michael Crist was staring down at me.

Releasing my other arm, he propped himself up, letting his eyes drift down my body. I quickly pulled my shirt back down.

He smirked. “No wonder he keeps you under wraps.”

He rolled off me, onto his back, and laid at my side, sliding an arm underneath his head.

“I sometimes feel possessive of Rika Fane like that, too,” he said, turning his gaze on me. “Although she’s not my sister.”

I dug in my eyebrows, suddenly on alert. How did…

He knew?

Or maybe he just suspected, and I’d confirmed it when I freaked out during his little gamble.

He half-smiled, probably amused by the confusion on my face. “You look just like him. I don’t know how Kai doesn’t see it.”

“I’m not his sister, and—”

“Damon’s business is Damon’s business.” He sat up, swinging his legs off the bed and standing up. “But you’re ruining Kai’s night, kid.”

I rolled my eyes, sitting up as well. “Well, I’m out of the way now,” I pointed out. “You and your bestie can go have a ball.”

He laughed, holding my gaze. “I have a better idea,” he said, giving my thigh a slap. “Let’s go into the city.”

And then he reached down, grabbing my ankles, and yanking me to the end of the bed.

“What?” I slid over the sheets, falling to my back. “No!”

But my protest fell on deaf ears. He hauled me up, and my heart caught in my throat as he threw me over his shoulder, and my whole world turned upside down as I dangled more than six feet off the ground.

“You can’t!” I thrashed, making him stumble. “I’m not even dressed!”

“Jesus Christ!” he barked, falling into the nightstand. I shot my hands out to the wall to keep us from falling.

“You know, I’m getting tired of telling assholes to let me go,” I told him.

“So, don’t. You know you want to go.”

Something fell on my back, and I grabbed at it, seeing the sleeve of his hoodie he must’ve picked up from somewhere.

He started walking, and I got farther away from the bed, the nightstands, and the bedroom.

“Come on, man.” I whined, his shoulder digging into my stomach. “Damon won’t like it.”

“He won’t know.”

Yes, he will! My brother would be where they were. How would he not see me?

He wrapped his arms tightly around my thighs, and I stopped fighting as soon as he began descending the stairs. I didn’t want him to drop me.

He stopped, and I felt a draft on my legs as he opened the door at the bottom.

“Seriously,” I begged. “I don’t want to go. Damon would kill me if he found me with Kai again.”

But he just ignored me.

“Come on!” I yelled, kicking and hitting his back. “Don’t be an asshole! I don’t want to see him anyway. The pansy-ass barely put up a fight when I left, not man enough to come for me himself, huh?”

A smack hit my ass, and I yelped. The burn spread out, making me wince.

He walked for the stairs, and I caught sight of my father’s bedroom door opening, light pouring into the dark hallway.

“What the hell is going on?” He stepped out, immediately meeting my eyes as I hung upside down and twisted my head to see him.

“Gabriel.” I panted as Michael halted. “He just came into Damon’s room. I don’t want to go with him.”

My father just arched a brow, but I lost sight of him as Michael turned around to face him.

There was silence, and I stayed frozen, waiting for Michael to put me down.

But he didn’t.

Instead my father spoke up. “Gates are locking for the night,” he informed Michael. “You take her out of this house, you can’t bring her back until dawn.”