Opening the door to the ladies’ room, I glanced inside and then followed Emery in, ignoring her shocked look and locking the door behind us. “What are you doing? I can’t pee with you in here!”
The small room had two open stalls and I herded her into the furthest one, choosing the one closer to the door for myself. “Piss or don’t; I don’t care,” I growled, and started unbuckling.
She looked away hastily and a moment later I heard the tell-tale sounds of rustling clothing. I finished first and washed my hands in a rusty sink, then waited for Emery to follow suit. Face averted, she washed her hands and then looked up at me after she’d dried her hands on several paper towels. “Okay?”
I studied her face. “Bite your lips.”
“Huh?”
“Bite your lips. Lick them, make them shiny. They’ll think we’ve been in here making out.”
“Dude, I’m not going to fucking help you kidnap me—”
I moved swiftly, backing her against the wall and kissing her. She slammed her head back, trying to avoid me, but my palm was there, cupping the back of her head as my fingers twisted in her hair and controlled her. She went rigid against me, but I ignored it, nipping at her bottom lip and pressing my mouth hard against hers until she opened on a gasp. Then I softened, tongue darting in to play with hers, to tease and coax until hers was twining furiously against mine.
But something was...off. Where most women would have been melting against me, she was still stiff, holding every part of her except that mouth as far away as she possibly could. I tested her, shuffling forward a half-step until we were flush, and felt her lock up even more.
Releasing her mouth and hair, I stepped away. If her pupils hadn’t been blown wide with lust, I’d have cursed myself for the fear in their depths. I’d have to plumb that fear later, learn its origin. As it was, I dragged my hands through her hair and gave a satisfied nod. “Just been fucked hair, bee stung lips...wipe that scowl off your face and you’ll do.”
Her tongue darted out to lick her lips and she smiled beatifically.
Then she slapped me.
Her palm cracked hard against my cheek and I brought a hand up to touch it, glad my scruff would hide the red mark. “Since I deserved that I’ll let it pass. But that’s all you’re getting.”
“Fuck you and the horse you rode in on, Brodie Gallagher.”
I grinned at her filthy mouth. “Only if you ask nicely.” The smile dropped. “Now behave yourself.”
I opened the door and returned to our table, strutting just a bit for the benefit of our waitress. Emery pushed into the booth across from me, face flushed and eyes wild. She kicked me under the table, and I stifled a grin as I ordered cheeseburgers and fries for both of us. It was no doubt wrong of me to take so much pleasure in annoying her. “What—did you prefer onion rings?”
She seethed. Her anger was a tangible presence in the booth alongside us. It had teeth and claws and glowered noisily, demanding attention. “You’re a liar. A low down, snake in the grass, lie-like-a-rugliar.”
Her hiss was quiet, but rang in my ears, nonetheless. “How do you figure?”
“You’ve spent all this time gaining the trust of my friends. Worming your way in there. Making them like you, trust you. And the whole time, this is who you were.” Her lip curled.
I sipped my iced tea, wishing it was a Guinness. “You’ll trust me, too. You’ll have to if you want to stay alive. And just so we’re clear, this...you...came up rather unexpectedly a couple of days ago. You were never a factor in my friendship with Gunner and Shiloh.”
Her chin still jutted out at a rebellious angle but there was a flicker of something as she stared at me. Uncertainty? Whatever it was, it smoothed itself over, the surface of a frozen lake. “Don’t hold your breath on that trust thing. Don’t know if you caught on, but I don’t care if I live or die.” She looked out over the diner.
Her wheels were turning. I could see it in the way her gaze darted from the mother and her two small children at the table next to us to the burly man seated a few feet over. Her knuckles whitened on the glass she held, and tension coiled in her slim frame.Shite.I was going to have to do something.
Our waitress was approaching. Beneath the table, I extended the blade I kept tucked against my ankle, pressing it unerringly to the inside of her thigh. She stilled and met my gaze. “Such a sweet little family,” I murmured, watching as her lips parted. I ran the tip of the blade beneath her dress and felt the vibration of its scrape against skin. “’Twould be a shame if anything were to befall them, don’t ye think?”
Emery turned her face to the side, watching the family next to us. Her expression was bland, but I caught a glimmer of moisture in the corner of her eye before she leaned back in her seat. I felt like a devil threatening a woman and children, and of course I would never harm an innocent, but she didn’t know that. It was a necessary bluff.
The waitress sat our meals before us. “Here you go, honey. Anything else I can getcha?”
“No, ma’am. This looks excellent.” With a smile, she returned to her work. She was perfect—efficient without hovering over the table every two minutes.
“Dig in.” I replaced my blade and picked up my burger. After a moment, Emery picked up a French fry with a hand that shook the faintest bit.
“You’re a monster,” she whispered.
“It’s good you see me for what I am,” I replied, wiping my mouth with my napkin. “Can’t have you falling in love with me.”
