“We’ll see. Memories get so easily jogged once I start chopping off bits and pieces.”
“Seems rather stupid to threaten to cut offmytongue when you seem so eager to hear me speak,” I taunted with a burst of courage. Maybe I couldn’t see or remember who I was, but that didn’t make me weak unless I chose to let it.
“I meant fingertips, little survivor.”
Oh, right, that made sense. My courage deflated.
“If that doesn’t work, the knuckles, a hand, maybe two. You’d be at my mercy in no time.”
What was wrong with this guy?
A feminine chuckle broke the tension. “Look at you both. An old bickering married couple in the making.”
Whoever this woman was, she was as crazy as him.
As if burned, he released his grip. My hair slapped against my back, and my chin tapped against my chest. Ouch. For some reason, I felt bereft from the sudden lack of his hold as I dug my fingers around the cold bedding, which made no sense. I hated this man. Well, maybe I didn’t quite hate him. He was cruel and blunt. Uncivilized and snappy. But unless I’d imagined it, there were bits of compassion there, too, which were messing with my head far worse than any violence could.
“Leave, Alizé. I’m not finished with our…guest.”
“Yes, you are. Oh, calm down.” The woman chuffed. “You’ll have your chance later. Not here. Not now.”
“I give the orders, Alizé.”
“Mon frangin tout menaçant,” she jeered. My scary buddy? Two thumping pats against rustling clothes followed the dripping condescension.
“Your hand. Off.”
The threat in those words only made her chuckle. I didn’t understand their relationship. “You can fool almost everyone with the bullets armed in your glare, but not me. There’s nothing nefarious about this. I need you to trust me. I know what I’m doing.”
The woman whispered the last part, almost as though she were caressing the words around his skin. It irked me how sensual she sounded. A burning desire to see the looks they sent each other and the touches they exchanged had my fingers twitching to raise the bandage around my eyes. Ahh, why did I care?
“Besides, I’ve already sent word to the press. It’s only a matter of time before the whole of France knows the De Villiers’ sleeping beauty has awoken.” Great, and now I was getting talked about as if I weren’t even here. “We need to control the narrative. The first of which is photos. Your interrogation will have to wait. She needs to be presentable. Unless…your desire is to bring the national police to our doorstep for attempted murder, hmm?”
“This is the last time youeverinterfere with my business, Alizé. Is that understood?”
His angered command was obviously meant to have her quaking, but she simply tittered. The dynamic between these two had me reeling. I was amazed he hadn’t killed her with how easily he squeezed my throat earlier for not answering a question.
“My meddling is what will set everything right. Don’t think I’m not aware how often you visited her bedside.”
“I’m right here.” I waved a hand up.
“And no,” Alizé continued as if I’d not spoken, “before you stomp your way down those halls, getting all stabby, I’m the one who saw you. You weren’t exactly discreet.”
“You’ve a day, Alizé. No more.”
“Two. I can’t work miracles.”
“You better start.”
“At your orders, Captain,” her tone mocked. “This will be a good thing. I’m sure of it.”
His answering grunt didn’t sound convinced, and quite frankly, neither was I.
“Lock the door when you leave,” he grumbled. Soon, his footsteps stole away his warmth, menace, and his woodsy cologne.
“Nice to meet you too,” I yelled after him in French. The door slammed shut. “Asshole.”
My new companion chuckled. I should have rejoiced that he was gone, and yet I didn’t know what to think. A woman was less of a threat, at least I hoped so.
