I tilt my head, studying the tension in her shoulders. “Depends.”
She swallows hard, refusing to look away.
“Don’t look so shocked,” I continue, “I thought you were enjoying the five star service we offer here.”
That earns a hollow laugh from her. “You’re a monster.”
I lean forward again, close enough that she has to meet my eyes since that is the only thing she can see with the ski-mask on. “Maybe if I’m lucky, I’ll be in your nightmares.”
Her gaze holds mine, defiant even now, but something has changed and I can’t quite put my finger on it.
Chapter Twenty-One
Dante
? Two daysbefore the kidnapping. ?
I could still feel the mat under my spine, the sting of impact radiating across my shoulder blades.
Leigh’s knees settled on arms to hold me in place as she held the blade to my throat. I was stronger than her, just not with the tip of a knife to my jugular.
“You’re dead,” she murmured, breath warm against my jaw.
I swallowed as the metal bit into my neck. “Only because you brought a weapon to the fight. If you were more confident, you would’ve just fought mebarehanded, one on one.”
She bit her lip before speaking again, “That would then give you the upper hand since I’m a girl and all.”
The knife pressed a fraction closer and I felt a twinge of pain. She’d nicked my skin with it.
“Don’t give me that shit, Leigh. You’re the most dangerous girl I’ve ever met.”
“Mm.” She shifted, and suddenly I had a moment of leverage.
I twisted, testing her balance and surged, hips bucking, one arm wrenching free just enough to catch her wrist. The knife clattered across the mat as we rolled, bodies colliding hard.
She was fast and elbowed me in the ribs as she slipped out from under me.
We were on our feet in seconds.
She came at me without hesitation. Her fist swung left, missing me by an inch before her right fist struck out, catching me on the opposite side of my face.
As her arm drifted past me, I caught her wrist and spun her to where her back was against my chest. I tossed my arm around her neck in a firm headlock.
“Cheap shot,” I whispered near her ear.
She leaned back into me provocatively. Her head tilted just enough that I could see the edge of her grin.
“You’re just mad you didn’t stop me in time.”
I tightened my hold. But a shaky breath fell from my mouth as her bottom half rubbed into me lightly.
She exhaled slowly, “You’re predictable,” she said, slamming her foot down onto mine.
Pain shot immediately, and it was enough to make my grip falter. I hissed through my teeth at the throb.
She twisted out of my hold, and as she leaned forward her elbow caught me in the nose. I stumbled back a step, weight shifting to save my balance, and in that half second she was already moving.
“Fuck,” I muttered, knowing exactly where she was headed.
