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"I want to see her before I say anything to your people"

"Don't worry," he said, a sliver of soerous in his innocuous words "You will"

The guard behind her wrapped his arh that she couldn't pull free He slapped his other hand across her mouth She bit down on the soft fleshy part of his pale from the fireplace mantle and shoved it into the vein at the crook of her elbow

Whatever it was, it hurt as it burned its way through her She opened herso would take too y The tension in her body see wrapped itself around her

"Don't worry," Jarrod said "It's just a sedative to keep you nice and cal"

"You promised" The words came out slow and a little slurred

"Yes But after receiving a vision, I knehat I had to do" That fanatical glea them sparkle as if he was powered by an other-worldly source "Having you apologize isn't enough You have to ression How better to show your remorse than to submit as only a wife of mine can?"

This was bad—very bad He wouldn't be so happy if it wasn't, but she couldn't wrap her addled brain around it "What are you talking about?"

"A double wedding, of course There’s no better way to showthose who defied e their devotion to the true believers"

Panic shot through her "You crazy bastard"

His hand sailed through the air and his palm connected with her cheek Pain exploded in her head If the bodyguard hadn't still been holding her up, she would have ended up on the floor

"Watch thatred blotches on his cheeks "I've been exceedingly tolerant of you up until now Don't expect it to last Karen!"

A woh a door next to the fireplace She had a white cap on her head and a plain brown dress that covered her from throat to ankle

"You have two hours to get her ready" Jarrod picked up a second syringe from the fireplaceive her another shot"

The woman nodded but kept her eyes downcast