But the fear that licks at me upon those words just spurs me onwards. “I deserve to know if you killed my predecessor for no reason. Is that why you placed me with Sophia? Is this a test? If I get something wrong, are you going to torture me to death, too?”
I see something dark and fiery flicker in his eyes and try to lunge away. All the nerves that were stunned into silence by his admission spring back to life, shrieking their warnings.
Too late. I don’t get a step from the chair before my ankle crumples and he lunges to catch by my hips, drawing me back against his body.
My mouth opens to issue an apology, beg for forgiveness, but all that emerges is a whimper.
“Get out,” Baxter roars and my three safeguards scurry from the room as I stare after them in terror.
Meri slams the door behind her, cutting off my ability to even see if Yuri remains outside. Surely, he wouldn’t let his boss kill me. Not while standing right there, able to help.
But my shoulders stiffen, hiking halfway to my ears. Of course, he would. The man does everything he’s told. My one great triumph with him was to move away from single word answers.
Hardly enough to warrant him risking his life to come to my defence.
Maybe not even enough to shed a tear when he rolls my body into a barrel of acid and seals the lid.
“Relax,” Baxter whispers as his arm crosses over my chest, the other still clutching my hip tight enough to leave bruises. “I won’t hurt you.”
That’s what I thought, what Ihoped, but even hearing the assurance doesn’t calm me. Not when the actions that preceded his words are in direct contradiction.
So, I keep struggling. Even if he hopelessly outclasses me in a physical competition. It’s not the first time in the past week that I’ve managed to get the upper hand. Although, this time, I don’t have a trusty pair of skates to help me.
“Please stop doing that,” he whispers in my ear. “Once you’re calm, we can go back to our seats and continue to have a civilised conversation.”
A sob comes out of my mouth instead of the invective I’d planned for.
Thanks, vocal cords. Sterling work you’re doing there.
I try to gain control of myself but it’s difficult when I know the man holding onto me could destroy me with a few simple movements and there’s nothing I could do to stop him.
“Please trust me.” His voice is mellow, sing-song. The type of timbre that would lull a teething child to sleep but all I can focus on is the words.
Trust him.Trusthim? What would that even look like?
My eyes close and I fight against my urge to fight, to flee. It’s been so long since I allowed myself to submit to someone that I can’t remember how to do it. Not correctly. Not so he knows I know he has the upper hand and I know he knows that doesn’t mean he’s won anything from me.
But I must do something right because his hands move away, leaving behind a tingle on my collarbone and an ache where his fingers dug into my hip.
When I slowly spin to face him, he crowds me, forcing me two steps back until I’m hard against the mahogany door. The only exit and now my weight is helping to keep it shut.
“Stop,” I say in a ragged voice, raising my palms to press them flat against his chest. “Can’t we invite the others back in?” He shakes his head. “Why not?”
His lips find my ear, the whisper of his breath sending a swirl of desire through my body until I feel like I’m about to collapse.
“Because you make me weak. I can’t have the people I trust least seeing my weakness. Not when there’s a continuing threat against my daughter.”
“You think Edgar and—”
“I don’t want to discuss them. Not with you.” His finger runs from just behind my ear all the way along the upper curve of my choker, then it pauses. “What I want to talk about is your clear defiance of a direct order.”
My head spins through time and space, the only attachment to reality the light touch of his finger on my skin. “But I’m wearing everything you told me.”
“I’m more concerned about you continuing to question me.”
“Am I not allowed to ask questions?”
“Not when I explicitly tell you not to.” His eyes twinkle, and a rush of heat between my legs makes me lose track of what I was about to say. “I’d apologise for scaring you… but I think you like it.”
