I slide my phone away, turning so that I’m facing her. I don’t miss how she swallows, her throat bobbing as she meets my gaze.
“This club is known for—” I pause, carefully choosing my words. “Trading,” I say finally.
“In girls?” she asks, her expression borderline horrified.
One look gives her her answer.
“Oh.”
“While we are in there, you’re going to act like you are mine. You know, just like you do for all those guys back at Wonderland every night.” She works for Giovanni. I know Wonderland’s reputation, what his girls are known for doing in those back rooms of his. This should be right up her alley.
Her eyes darken. It’s a low blow, but I can’t resist. If she can do it for them, she can do it for me, too.
“You just have to pretend like you want me; it’s really not that hard.”
“Says you,” she mumbles. “And what are you doing in there?”
“I have business to attend to. Your job is to look at faces. I want to know if anyone in there looks familiar to you from that night in Wonderland.” Before we left her apartment, I made her fill me in on the circumstances that got her sent to that warehouse.
“Got it?”
I look back at her, annoyed to find she’s not looking at me. Her eyes are on the club, a far-off look in them as she chews on her thumbnail.
“Briar.”
The sharpness in which I say her name elicits a little flinch, pulling her out of whatever memory or imagined scenario she’d been lost in.
“I got it.”
This girl has got me so distracted I almost forget to give her the chain. I reach under my collar to unfasten the twisted silver chain from around my neck. I rub my thumb over the little charm, a Celtic trinity knot, before holding it out to her.
“Here.”
Briar turns slowly to face me, eyeing the chain before looking back at me.
“What is it?”
She still hasn’t taken it.
“Just put it on, will ye?”
She eyes the twisted silver chain in my hand like it’s poison.
“Why?”
My fingers tighten around the chain and I grab her hand, depositing the necklace directly into it before closing her fingers around it. “Because I told you to, that’s why.”
I bring my fist back to my side before it tightens again, and I force myself to look out the window so I don’t wrap the damn thing around her neck myself.
I catch Liam’s smirk in the rear view mirror and notice how he and Mac exchange amused glances. I glare at the both of them. I’m relieved to find Briar fastening the chain around her neck out of the corner of my eye.
“Can’t just answer a simple question…” she mutters, keeping her gaze steady out the window.
I breathe in deep, not entirely conscious of the decision to answer her before I do.
“It’s mine. If you’re wearing it, everyone will know who you belong to.” I look over to find her staring at me. “No one will touch you.”
She releases a shaky breath and dips her chin, and I relax back against the seat, considering the matter done with.
