Blyss (The Blyss Trilogy 1)

Why is Jared telling me this? What is it that Travis would be trying to hide?

“She’s Nick’s, not yours, Travis,” Jared says almost gently, like he’s trying to soothe the other man.

“I know that.” Travis’ deep growl above my head reverberates through me. I feel his grip tighten around me, holding me to his hard body, and then his body tenses with Jared’s next words.

“Just making sure, Travis, because your actions seem to state otherwise. I’ve never seen you cuddle the merchandise before, and quite frankly, I’m surprised Nick is giving you free reign with her. We all know how overly-controlling he can be, and I fear for your safety if he sees you becoming attached.”

As if the conversation he just had with the powerful man still holding me never happened, he steps to the side, peeking around Travis to garner my attention. “You see, Julianna, when these women feel loved and wanted, they are compelled by their newfound love to please and execute their master’s plan, making their master’s happiness their number one priority. Sex is the tool used, which both parties want once Blyss is regulated, and the drugs help to keep the thoughts of sex circulating in your stream of consciousness, thereby staying in the forefront of your mind at all times. Amazing, isn’t it? Your entire thought process becomes the paradigms Travis implants in your brain, along with the drugs.”

I guess Jared enjoys driving nails into people’s coffins, because he just drove the last one in, and it stung like a mother. This has all been an act? Is Travis a green-eyed snake charmer, who never felt a damn thing toward me? This was all an act to brainwash me?! Well, let the games begin, I think, but before I can even begin to formulate my plan of retribution, I feel like puking all over again. My breathing picks up, and I swear I’m going to have a coronary from the roller coaster of emotions I’ve been through over the past two days. Shit, in the past five minutes alone, I’ve felt comfort, terror, rage, jealousy, confusion, and wrath, but now, another one comes right on their heels.

I feel so betrayed, and tears sting in the back of my eyes. Travis tries to console me, and suddenly, I find myself back at rage. I try pushing him off me, but he doesn’t budge. “Just go away; get off me!” I start sobbing harder and pound my tiny fists into his brick wall of a chest. I sneer at him, shouting, “Go away! Don’t touch me!”

The way he’s looking at me, he acts as if I’ve hurt his feelings. It’s in his eyes…it’s always in his eyes, but those beautiful green orbs are manipulating liars. I close mine tightly, shutting him out, bracing myself against his false pretenses and brainwashing schemes. I’m all alone and have nowhere to run except into the deep recesses of my mind, where I can plan what needs to be done in order to save myself. He’s damn good at this game—damn good.

But what they have failed to realize is I am Julianna Oakley, and I have not yet begun to fight.

CHAPTER TWELVE

~Travis~

Son of a bitch, why couldn’t Jared keep his damn mouth shut? Between him and Nick, they’re going to destroy everything I’m trying to build with her. Any headway I made with her over the past forty-eight hours has officially been shot to Hell. Her tiny fists pounding at my chest are knocking down the door to my soul. She’s willing me to go away, but what she doesn’t realize is that I don’t want to leave her alone. I don’t want her to feel hopeless and afraid. Though no one can tell, my nerves are damn near shot.

Jared’s never challenged me in front of a captive before, and even though everything he said is true, he didn’t need to rob her of the last bit of hope she had. Shit, to see the pain of betrayal flash across her eyes cut me to the core. I have to ask myself for the hundredth time—why? Why have I felt the need to be protective of her? Why do I treat her differently than the rest of the captives here? The question plaguing me the most, though, is why can’t I resist keeping my hands off her? I could have easily strapped her down on this table and barreled through the things that needed to be done today. I have restrained many a woman here in this very room before, and they ended up no worse for the wear, but for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to do that to Julianna. I’ve had enough of seeing her tormented for one day, and to see the pain in her eyes staring back at me is too much to bear.