Page 8 of Addicted

I maintained eye contact as I let my tongue slip out, just barely, and licked his thumb where it was pressed near my mouth.

Stone’s eyes widened slightly. The first real reaction I’d seen from him. His grip on my jaw tightened for a second, then loosened.

“Send my brother out,” I said, my voice lower now. “I need to talk to you. Alone.”

“Indie, no—” Ish started, but I cut him off.

“Ish, be quiet. Please.”

Stone was still staring at me, his expression unreadable again. But I could see the wheels turning in his head. After what felt like forever, he let go of my jaw and stepped back.

“Get the lil’ nigga outta here,” he said to his people without taking his eyes off me. “Don’t touch him yet.”

Two of the dudes moved toward Ish, starting to untie him from the chair.

“Indie, what are you doing?” Ish was asking, panic in his voice. “Indie, don’t—”

“It’s gon’ be okay,” I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. “Just go with them. I’ll handle this.”

“I’m not leaving you!”

“Yes, you are.” I looked at him, putting everyounce of authority I had into my voice. “Go. Now.”

They finished untying him and pulled him to his feet. Ish kept looking back at me as they dragged him toward the door, his eyes pleading. Then he was gone.

The door closed, and I was alone with Stone.

He walked around me slowly, like a shark circling prey. I kept my eyes forward, refusing to show the fear that was creeping up my spine. He didn’t say anything, just stared down at me with those cold, calculating eyes.

I took a breath, steadying myself. This was it. This was my shot.

“Let my brother go,” I said. “Let him live, and you can have me.”

Stone raised an eyebrow. “Have you?”

“Yeah. You can keep me. Fuck me. Do whatever you want with me. However you want, for however long you want. Just let Ish go home safe.”

He stared at me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then he laughed, and it was a short, harsh sound.

“You think I can’t get pussy? You think I need you to offer yourself to me?”

“I think you get plenty of pussy,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “But you don’t getmypussy.Thispussy is top tier. Let me prove it to you. I can see in your eyes that you want it.”

His jaw clenched. “You don’t know shit about what I want.”

“I don’t?” I held his gaze. “You been staring at me since you walked in here. You grabbed my face, and I felt how your hand shook just a little when I licked your thumb. You want me. And I’m offering myself to you. All you gotta do is let my brother walk out of here alive.”

“I could just take it,” Stone said, his voice low and dangerous. “I could fuck you right here, right now, and still kill your brother. What’s stopping me from doing that?”

“Nothing,” I admitted. “But you won’t.”

“And why is that?”

“Because I don’t believe you that type of nigga. You a killer, yeah. But you got a code. I can see it. And taking pussy by force? That ain’t your style.”

We stared at each other, the tension in the room so thick I could barely breathe.

“You got a lot of confidence for somebody tied to a chair,” Stone said.