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"You understand this arrangement doesn't end e find Brandon? That I can't just pardon you when I'd kill any ofsiabout what happened when they found Brandon She wanted hih, she began to reconsider whether a normal life was so bad

"I think so," she mumbled at last "I think it means I'm stuck with you"

"Yeah It does"

She sed hard

Rather than take her throat, Jonny lifted her wrist "All " He touched his palh her hand, and she jerked it back to see the fading glow of a brand on her pal "It's permanent, until I release you from your service"

"Youlike that Are we on the saain to display the blackened outline of his mark

"Yeah," she replied unhappily With Brandon in danger, she had no choice but to accept whatever it was Jonny wanted to do to her

He gripped her throat with one hand next She gasped, not expecting the touch quite yet His lean strength was at her back She waited to feel the sense of losing control, of hi helpless was the worst part, maybe even worse than the pain of his bite

"If you proht me, I won't do it this time"

She didn't feel hiodlike powers She was accusto alone mentally after so many years with Xander and Brandon Still, she didn't like knowing Jonny was able to access her thoughts "You can read minds?"

"Not all the time Usually I have to be in physical contact," he replied

I' with the strange warmth that always invaded her body when he touched her "I won't fight you," she said and tilted her head to expose her neck

Ashley squeezed her eyes closed and braced herself for the pain When his fangs sank into her neck, she felt …

Nothing Not even a pinch The tension within her started to release, and she realized he wasn't trying to hurt her this time The fire in her systeainst her neck reminded her of how it'd felt to kiss him the other day She was quiet and still, unable to fatho to risk Brandon's life by opposing Jonny's plan For now, she was trapped with him