He strokes his finger over my pants. "What's lesson two, Minx?"
The red light blinks in the corner for the first time since we got into the room.
They're watching and calculating what to do with him.
And me.
I push away from him and clear my throat. "Loyalty. And that one is much harder."
"Loyalty. Let me guess. I kneel. Swear my soul. Kiss a ring?" He glances at my lips.
I snap back into control and walk toward the door. "Follow me."
He obeys.
The panel automatically opens into the laundry room with another hiss.
"Well, abracadabra," he mutters.
I bite on my smile and go into his kitchen. I gesture to the table. "Sit."
He taunts, "You keep ordering me around. I think you like it."
I select the seat across from him and repeat, "Sit."
He turns the chair backward and drops into it. He asks, "You said loyalty is harder than letting you electrocute me? Is it harder than watching you pretend you don't want to climb me?"
Heat flares in my chest. "Stop testing my boundaries."
"Stop pretending you don't like it when I do," he provokes.
My cheeks heat. I reprimand myself and start, "Loyalty means you give the Underworld something that matters."
"Money? Information? Blood?"
"Truth."
He laughs like he can't help it. "Minx, I don't know who taught you how to interrogate men, but truth is the last thing you'll ever get out of me."
"You think so?"
He nods, leaning forward, elbows on the table. "People like me survive by lying."
I lean forward. "People like you die by lying."
Amusement crosses his expression.
I tilt my head, widen my eyes, and coyly ask, "Tell me why you broke into restricted files?"
His face hardens.
I add, "Why did you run a search on me?"
It's not the question I have to get an answer to, but I can't help asking. When I found out he searched for me, it kept me up at night.
He goes still. Something sharp shutters behind his gaze. His knee nudges mine under the table. "Why do you think I looked for you?"
"You tell me."
