The Clever Fox: Part Three (The Pleasure Hound Series) Read Free Page A

of their artistic confines. He’d wanted her to see she had true talent that would be seen and appreciated for the great work it was. Instead, he’d placed her before this pariah.
    “Its a good thing it's not Lady Angyla’s precious daughter. If it were I’d have to call the Peace Keepers and have you taken away for visual slander against an innocent female.”
    Lady Jayne’s grin went even wider. Adom was certain she’d swallow him whole any minute.
    “I’ll tell you what,” she sauntered closer.   “We’ll keep this painting out of the showing. You can replace it with one of my likeness, which we’ll hang in my home for our eyes only. We can get started now.”
    She stared at him, waiting to see what move he would make.
    Adom held his tongue and felt like a hypocrite. Just an hour ago he’d lectured Emet about not being silenced, about living out loud and in the light. Now he found himself about to step back into the darkness, forced into a line of someone else’s definition.
    But what choice did he have?
    If Lady Jayne told anyone that Alyss had any ownership in the work, she’d be ruined and her Mother would have Adom thrown in jail.  
    Lady Jane held out her hand. “Come now, Adom. Let’s begin.”

Chapter Three

    Emet shut the door to the storefront behind him. He turned into the bright sun and had to shield his eyes from its glare. The sun’s rays found their way throw his fingers. Emet jerked his face to the side and Adom’s words from earlier rattled in his head. He ducked into his conveyance and started the ignition to head into work.
    It was true that Emet saw the world in black and white, right and wrong. But the comment about seeing Adom as a shade of gray? Emet didn’t understand what that even meant. Adom was his friend, his lover, an artist and an idealist. Emet saw him clearly. Where was the gray?
    The situation with Alyss, too, was black and white. It was wrong what her Mother did to her. Wrong that there was no precedent of law to protect young girls. But his hands were tied in the matter. Alyss wouldn’t press charges against her Mother, and even if she did, a hearing on the matter would eventually reveal her connection to Adom and Emet, which would place them in harm’s way. The lines were stark. There was no gray.
    He’d done the right thing. It was unheard of for an unbonded woman to live with two males that were not her mates or, at least, her betrotheds. When others found out it would have caused scandal for all three of them. Adom would be shunned from any reputable gallery, his dreams dashed. Emet would have a tough time advocating the rights of man-kind, and that’s if he would even be allowed to remain in his post. And Lady Alyss would…?
    She would what?
    What did she have left to lose?
    Her Mother had discarded her. She had no place in the Sisterhood. Her only desire was to be Adom’s muse and to create her own artwork. Surely she’d be able to paint while living with her sister, safe in the outlands.  
    Out in the middle of nowhere.  
    With three individuals more interested in the science of rodents and plant life…
    It didn’t matter. She was away from her Mother. Away from harm. She would be fine. It was for the best.
    Emet pulled up to the Sisterhood. He didn’t remember the journey it had taken to get here. He turned off the engine. He sat in his car. His fingers would not release the wheel. His foot tapped the gas pedal. After ten minutes sitting in the parked car, he put the key back in the ignition and headed away from the building. Twenty minutes later, he pulled up in front of Jian’s house and nearly tore through the door running over the manservant.  
    He spied Jian walking towards him down the hall. “You’ve heard the news?”  
    There was such joy in Jian’s face. Last night he’d given both Emet and Adom a stern look as they carried an unconscious, young lady into his home; a young lady whose arms were covered in rope marks.  
    “Our