“And you will receive it,” he replied resolutely.
“But?” I asked, as I knew from his tone that he was holding back that part. I knew it when he released a sigh before telling me,
“But everything comes with a cost, Eliza,” he said, nodding down at my injured hand.
Naturally, my instincts kicked in as I thought back to when I foolishly put my hand inside that stone monster’s mouth. Bo’s words of warning came back to me like a wet slap against my cheek. Which was why I wisely took another step back, and then another, my retreat continuing as the full weight of my mistake in coming here finally sank in. His gaze followed my movement, and I could have sworn I saw a brief tick of annoyance tighten along his jaw.
But the flicker of irritation at my fear vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by something far more intentional. He took a single step forward, closing the distance I’d tried to create, and in that instant, the air between us shifted.
“Costs?” I practically squeaked out the question.
“A price for my help, yes, but nothing for you to fear from me,” he murmured, his voice a warning wrapped in a velvet promise of safety…safety I knew I couldn’t yet trust.
That I would be foolish to do so.
However, before I could question what he meant, he reached out, his fingers brushing along my jaw. The featherlight touch sent a shiver racing down my spine. The contrast between the gentleness of his touch and the danger I felt radiating off himmade my pulse skip. I hated that I couldn’t decide if I was more terrified or intrigued.
“What do you want from me?”I managed, my voice barely a whisper. He leaned in, his breath a warm whisper against my ear.
“All in good time, little Inanna.”His thumb traced the corner of my lip, and for a heartbeat, I couldn’t breathe. The world outside that room ceased to exist, leaving only his touch. Only the promise of something I didn’t yet fully understand, and the unsettling realization that I might not want to escape it.
Then, as suddenly as he’d closed the space between us, he stepped back, leaving me feeling unsteady and more confused than ever.
“I’ll return soon,” he said, his tone shifting back to that cool, controlled authority.
“Don’t go anywhere, Eliza, for we are far from finished here.”
And with that, he turned and left the room, leaving me alone with the echo of his touch lingering on my skin. That, and the unsettling knowledge that I was no longer sure if I was a guest or a prisoner.
An answer he quickly provided when I heard the distinct sound of…
The door being locked.
10
ESCAPING OBLIVION
The sound of the door locking behind him was soft, but it landed in the room like a gunshot.
I stood there for a heartbeat too long, staring at the dark wood as if it might change its mind and open again. As if this were just all some elaborate misunderstanding that would resolve itself if I just waited.
But of course,it didn’t.
Instead, the silence that followed pressed in on me from all sides, making the vastness of the office feel suddenly claustrophobic until the thought sharpened into something impossible to ignore.
I was alone.
Locked in.
A prisoner.
In the private office of someone who, admittedly, terrified me. Someone who had the power to crush a man’s hand with a single thought.
Fuck!
FUCK!
What the fuck had I been thinking?!
