Page 39 of King of Temptation

“Fine.” Lip curled up in a snarl, she reached for the button of her jeans, popping them open and yanking the zipper down. “You want to spank me so fucking badly? Do it.”

Drawing his gun from his holster, he leveled it at her. “Keep your clothes on, Marigold.”

She froze, fear, real fear shining bright in her eyes.

Finally.

“You won’t shoot me.”

“No. I won’t.” Her shoulders sagged with relief. “As long as you do exactly as you’re told.”

“Brody, what the hell is going on?”

He hated himself for the way her voice pitched up, the way it trembled. But she hadn’t left him a choice.

“I’m trying to get your attention. Spanking your ass didn’t work, but maybe letting you see who you’re really fucking with will. Go sit in the chair.”

Slowly, so slowly he could feel his heart cracking with every movement, she raised her hands into the air and stepped sideways toward the chair. “Okay. You have my attention. I’ll stay out of your business. Just take me home and I promise you’ll never see me again.”

“I really wish I could believe you, menace.” Using the gun to gesture, he pointed toward the metal chair. “Sit.”

She lowered herself onto the seat, and though he could smell the fear pumping off her in waves, her eyes were perfectly dry when she jerked her chin up to meet his gaze. “What now?”

Brave little brat. He gestured to the black duffel bag Lochlan had left for him beside the chair, per the texts he’d managed to sneak in during dinner. “There are two sets of cuffs in that bag. Get them out for me, please.”

“So fucking polite for a man who’s about to kill me,” she muttered, and he couldn’t help the rush of pride that swelled in his chest. Held hostage at gunpoint, being forced to chain herself to a chair, and she was still snarky as fuck.

Was it any wonder he was crazy about her?

He watched as she dug out the first set of cuffs and opened them. “Lock one end around the back leg of the chair.”

Shooting him a hard glare, she did as she was told, securing one cuff to the chair and then the remaining cuff to her wrist. When she was secure, she reached back into the bag and grabbed the next set of cuffs. “I can’t get these on with one hand.”

She had a point, so he moved closer, keeping the gun trained on her as he approached. And it was only the decades of training he’d had that enabled him to snag her arm with his free hand when she lunged forward to try and grab the weapon from him.

“Naughty girl,” he murmured, tightening his grip on her arm as she struggled and fought to free herself from his grasp. “Maybe I should have spanked you first so you’d behave yourself.”

“Fuck you, Brody.”

“As much as we’d both enjoy that, menace, it’s never going to happen.” With her wrist still in his grasp, he tucked his gun back into the holster and crouched to pick up the cuffs she’d dropped in the struggle. He attached them to the leg of the chair closest to him before sliding the remaining metal cuff around her wrist.

Once she was secured, he stood and stepped back, watching as she yanked uselessly at the cuffs, wiggling and jerking to the point he was worried she might knock the chair over.

“Stop.”

Thankfully, she did as she was told, though the phrase “if looks could kill” did run through his mind when she lifted her head to snarl at him. “I hate you.”

“Good.” If she hated him, she was much less likely to keep poking around in his business. Which was exactly what he wanted.

Liar.

Ignoring the annoying voice in the back of his mind that sounded suspiciously like Killian, he pulled a burner phone from his pocket and hit the button to dial the single number he’d programmed into it weeks ago, just in case.

“What are you doing?” It was curiosity as much as anger and fear winding around her voice now, and damned if he didn’t admire her for it.

“Making extra sure you keep your promises.”

The familiar sound of a phone ringing echoed in his ear once, twice, three times before the person on the other end answered. “Hello?”