Still as a pond, his words were a gritty whisper. "Suddenly? You think I only just found out?"

I faltered. "Of course." Lifting my foot, I tilted it sideways. "You saw the bandage, wasn't that how you knew?"

His hand came up, as if he'd strike me, but he only ruffled his hair. "Do you think I'm so stupid? I knew you were Opal from the very first night!"

Was I sinking into the floor? Nothing was stable anymore. My voice was far away. "I don't understand."

"Cameras," he spat, pointing around the room. "I have security cameras set up to protect me from thieves." His eyes flashed. "I never expected to catch something else."

Slowly, my head moved side to side. The small, black lenses were nearly invisible until he pointed them out. Cold shame burned my body upwards from the root.

He knew from day one.

I went to speak, then had to start over when only dry air escaped. "Then why." He knew all along. "Why kick me out now?"

"I told you. You didn't follow my rules."

"But-why now? I'd been breaking the rules each time I went down there!"

Seth stood tall, his broad chest flexing through the open front of his shirt. "You forced my hand. I told you not to go to the auction. I don't... like..." Each word was punctuated. "Having my hand forced."

He made a fist, and I surprised myself by stepping forward. His eyes flickered, shocked as well. "I know what you like. You liked dominating me, you liked making me beg and cry and scream!" I moved again, and when he didn't back down, we came chest to chest. "You, Master Onyx, like to fuck with people's heads until they don't even know how to feel anymore!"

He looked down his nose at me, lip curling in a feral display. I was breathing heavily, fighting back the tears of anger and unfairness that clawed at my eyes.

Seth asked, "Are you trying to upset me?"

The look in his eyes was carving into my center. Strings of scalding passion, born from our frustration, our confusing needs, yanked us closer. When he leaned down, just a hair, I inhaled.

His eyes widened, mimicking the tension-the sudden rush-that had infected me.

How had we gotten here?

"If I upset you," I whispered, "What will you do? Punish me?"

Knotting his eyebrows, he scowled. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Seth brought his gloved fingers near my cheek, and my small gasp gave me away. "Yes," he chuckled. "You want me to make you pay."

Do I want that?

His suggestion stoked the wicked, corrupt part of me. The twisted thing he'd helped grow. Seth had become such a natural at working my body, heating me up until my pussy was dripping beyond belief.

He stared me down, his sneer firm and solid. I licked my lips, trying to come up with an answer that would prove I wasn't so weak.

So... desperate.

I never found one.

His lips crashed onto mine, sealing away my pitiful denial. Tangling my hair up, he crushed me to him, bending me towards the floor. It was something out of a movie, if movies would ever dare play a perverse story like ours.

He's finally kissing me.

The thought was a distant prickle.

But he also kicked me out.

His tongue curled, dominating mine, pushing it down as he grazed me with his teeth. I'd fantasized that his lips would feel wonderful, but I'd been wrong.

They were so much more than that.

Wrapping my hands around his shoulders, I started to kiss him back, but Seth wouldn't have it. Trapping my wrists, he forced them behind me, leaving me at his mercy. A frail whimper bubbled up.

Breaking the kiss, Seth ensured there was a gap between us. Pathetically, I tried to reach him, but he just laughed and pulled me away. "You're wrong," he said flatly. "You ache to be punished. What a predictable girl."

I was slow to respond. There was too much cotton in my skull, but eventually, I met his eyes. "Then I guess you fell for a predictable girl, Master."

His mask-his real, invisible mask-cracked.

Seth shoved me away, I had to grab the couch for balance. Through the messy strands of my hair, I narrowed my eyes on him. The air was cloying between us. This situation wasn't one that we'd expected to find ourselves in.

Through the golden door, voices murmured.

Snapping a look towards the noise, he shoved around me. Recovering his mask from the couch, he covered his face. "Get out of here, Ms. Starling. Our game is over. Both of us walk away with nothing."

A hard knot gripped my heart. Nothing? He can't mean that.

Straightening, I shook my head. "What about the recommendation letter? You promised I could have it!"

Frosty eyes studied me, unfazed. Our moment of passion could have been a mere dream. "As I said, you should have read your contract. My promise is voided. We're done here."

Turning away, he stalked down the nearby hall.

There was no farewell.

Not for me.

The drive was tense, the lights of the city going unseen.

I sat in the back, brooding over whether to be angry, or to be miserable.

Both. I'll just be both.

"I'm sorry this happened," Corbin mumbled over the sound of the engine.

Sitting up, I leaned forward, trying to catch his eye in the mirror. "Did you know about everything?"

"You mean you sneaking into the dungeon? Yes, of course I knew."

"But you never told him."

"No," he agreed somberly. "I did not. He discovered it on the security tapes, himself."

Biting my lip, I sighed. "I hope you didn't get in trouble."

He glanced at me in the mirror. "I was under no obligation to inform him. I didn't break his rules."

His rules.

"Can you explain to me why he was so pissed off? It can't possibly matter so much if I know about that place, about what he does."

"Of course it matters." He steered us around a curve in the road. "Mr. Hart runs a private event, a place people can go to and be someone else entirely. Secrecy is the utmost importance to him, and you risked exposing him, and others, by returning to that place every night. You were never invited."

I shook my head, not understanding. "How can they not know he's Seth? Isn't it obvious?"

"Was it obvious to you?"

Blushing, I sat back in my seat.

Corbin's eyes softened. "Even if they knew, they would never say. He knows who they all are, and that is much more powerful. It's part of the condition of joining, they must sign over their identification and a privacy agreement. They never meet Seth Hart, they only ever meet me."

I pictured Corbin sitting behind Seth's desk, and had to smile.

"Yes, it's clear I work for him," he said. "But the house isn't in his name, people can't simply look it up and find out he's the owner. Any who would get as far as attending the events have already signed away their rights. They'd risk scandal by stirring trouble."

I propped my head on the window, closing my eyes.

"Don't be too offended," he said gently. "Mr. Hart is a unique man. I admit, I've never seen him so enamored with anyone before. You really left an impression on him."

"Too bad it ended like this, then," I laughed bitterly.

"Yes," he admitted. "It is too bad."

The car pulled up outside my apartment, lighting up the garbage cans and chasing off some cats. Climbing out, I glanced back at Corbin. "Tell him I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to mess everything up."

He smiled, nodding his head, but it felt... false.

He knows it won't matter.

I watched the car until the glow of it vanished around the street corner. Turning, I passed the garbage, spotting a dead roach. The sight made my guts squeeze, driving another nail into my morbid mood.

Frowning severely, I limped into my small, familiar apartment.

It felt more empty than it ever had before.

- Chapter Fourteen -.

Seth.

Back and forth, I prowled through the halls of my home. My fingers dug into the air, choking unseen things.

How could this happen?

Crossing into the kitchen, I slammed the backdoor open. The night air was cool on my skin.

How could I LET this happen?

That was what it came down to. I'd been a fucking fool. The minute I'd seen Naomi on the footage, sneaking through the door, I should have stormed to her room and thrown her out.

But I hadn't.

What had stopped me?

Chlorine tainted the air where I paced by the pool. Water sloshed gently, tinkling like music, the green lights turning my skin an awful shade.

Lifting a hand, I studied my palm. It still smelled like her hair, that intoxicating cinnamon scent of hers.

Chuckling sourly, I ran my hand down my face. It's my fault.

I had all the power, but I hadn't exercised it until the very end. She'd slid under my skin, growing until she was a part of me.

Like a god damn tumor.

My rage wasn't enough to make me believe that.

Naomi... she'd appeared beneath my stairs, dancing in the shadow world I'd created for my own dark pleasure. Seeing her there, the first night, I'd been intrigued. I hadn't known it was her.

Then, hours later, scanning the footage as my insomnia did its usual dance...

I'd seen her.

That woman, she'd slipped into one of the masks I kept on hand for emergencies-I'd had guests before who lost their own on the way to the mansion-and she'd crept down the hall and through the door.

From there, I'd battled with my irritation, and my curiosity. She'd been a delight to toy with. I loved how she'd jump when I'd slyly approach her as she painted. I was addicted to the small gasps she made.

That had only grow when I'd heard the sounds she made beneath my house.

Connecting Opal and Naomi had been tragic.

It had also been wonderful.

When she'd seen me tonight with my mask off, there'd been no shock. That had told me her secret; she'd known I was Onyx.