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Valerian holds him back and just has to ask “Bound her feet?”

King is the next to say “He gave her control, the same sort of control he needed” He suess you went all Shibari on her ass”

“My sister!” Ash continues yelling, the guys keep ignoring hi him down

They also look confused and intrigued

I pull King in for a hug “Glad I rescued you”

“I helped,” Tank says defensively

The rest of the guys start arguing, but I’m not over my moment with my brother in arms, my cousin, my best friend

He nods his head once and then says “Tellto be okay”

“No,” I say quickly “Because I promised you, I’d never lie, and I meant it”

“Thanks for nothing” He laughs

I give hi “I’ll send you a red rope…”

He bursts out laughing “So to make her like me any more”

“Probably not, but it will be fun” I wink

“Wait, the ropes are red?” Ash starts firing off so many questions my head spins I lock eyes with Izzy across the way as she finishes her wine, then starts to stand “What the hell are you doing to her?”

“Where are you going?” Junior asks

“Let King explain,” I say,my way toward Izzy with my hand out

She reaches for it as we disappear into , past the workout rooms, and into the one my dad introduced me to when I was a teen

I close the door

She looks around and s above with ropes already descending along with a bar, flat-screen, mirrors, and a ladder

It’s also a trapeze studio on one side, so tons of different colored pieces of fabric hang fro

I feel like it’s finally my turn with Izzy

I feel like myself

I look in the mirror briefly and realize that no matter how many times I black out, scare myself, and wake up scared—she’ll always be here, and I’ll always be me—loved unconditionally by a woman I’ll never deserve

She walks up behind h thea black crop top and ers

She has little to no makeup on, and she’s stolen another one of my plaid shirts and wrapped it around her waist

She says it smells like me

I just want to smell like her

“I love you,” I whisper

“Always” She hugs ainst my shoulder “No me your ropes, Maksim… I want to see the knots that represent you”