by Tiana Laveen
Okay, play along with this...
“Yeah, so that while we’re in the damn act, you can try to slice my throat?” He laughed loudly, enjoying how she continued to try to play it cool. “I know all about your martial art credentials, woman. I know about your training in special defense. I know all about you. You’d never give up pussy to me, not even to save your own life. When are we most vulnerable?” He threw his hands up, beaming, waiting for a response from her that he clearly knew he’d never receive.
“When we’re naked and in lust! You’d have both—and that would be the end of me, right? Undressed and horny, that is when a man is at his weakest. He has exposed his balls to you for kicking and twisting and removing if you have enough strength or the right tools because of his damn lust... No, no, Officer Knight,” he shook his finger at her and smiled, “Contrary to what you may think you know about me, none of this will work.” He traced the side of her face with his finger and she turned away in revulsion, unable to play along in that moment. Then she realized just that fast, she’d lost...but still, she wouldn’t give up.
****
“So, in that regard,” he continued after a brief deliberation as he circled her like prey, “you have nothing to worry about. I’m a purposeful man. Everything I do has a reason, Officer Knight...everything.”
“What do you plan to do at this point?” He didn’t miss the tapering of her eyes and the way her prominent cheekbones sunk a bit inward as she held on to the last word of the sentence.
Tough little cookie.
“Since you’re going to kill me, at least tell me why you’ve been killing all these dealers? What are your true intentions and why did you kill two cops and a teenager?” She dug deep, jumping on another train to see where it would ride her. The little pest still believed she’d survive this. Interesting. Why else would she want answers to top priority questions? It was two-fold, and he saw it coming, though it didn’t lessen his annoyance.
Xzion stopped patrolling, smiled and leaned back against the table.
“Yes, let’s have a chat, get to know one another, but let me tell you something,” he pointed at her—obviously having a good time, no, a great time, “it will be one-sided. You don’t ask the questions, Knight, I do. You know, you may be a good cop, but you were in way over your head on this one. You made one of the oldest mistakes in the book and you can’t press ‘delete’ to make this go away.”
“I’ve made no mistakes. I’m here, aren’t I?”
He grinned even wider. “Yes, you are here, not that that means much at this point...” He looked her over once more and caught another whiff of her intoxicating aroma. “You followed me for days, like I wouldn’t catch on. That was stupid, Knight. You didn’t tell anyone about this little,” he looked around, “stake out. Think about me, the type of person you’ve more than likely profiled me to be. I saw you the first fucking night.” He seethed, hating that he’d been taken for a fool. She thought she was so cleaver.
“Then, you put on this ridiculous get-up,” he pointed to her, “Though I must admit, you did a great job, but I never forget anyone I’ve ever seen, no matter how well they are disguised. Your worse mistake however, was coming to my home. You know that now, right?” He didn’t wait for a response. “You never go to a person’s house you suspect is a murderer without alerting others. Tsk, Tsk, Tsk.” He waved his finger at her. “That’s police training 101. For someone like me, they send a fucking S.W.A.T. team with their weapons drawn. Why would they want you to deal with me solo? Oh, I know.” He smiled. “They didn’t! You didn’t follow orders...”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about. Many people know that I’m here. All of this is being recorded.”
“Oh, stop the bullshit!” He grimaced and rolled his eyes. “You’re just insulting my intelligence. You wanted to be a bad ass, impress someone. You had shit to prove, right? Now, you’re going to pay.”
“One thing is for certain, they’ll be looking for me.” Her nostrils flared.
“You still have no idea what deep shit you’re in. No one is coming for you, Knight. If they were,” he huffed and threw his hands in the air, “they would have been here by now. No, you didn’t even tell them you had a new lead. We both know why you did it...now everyone, including yourself, is screwed.” He rubbed his hands together and watched the color drain from her face. He felt a tad bit sorry for her, but only a tad.
“Your ego prevented you from telling them you had a suspect and you’d found where I lived, because you wanted to be able to claim the victory all for yourself...prove them wrong about you and your department. Victoria, that was a catchy name to use before...”
Now she looked utterly confused. He loved every twitch of her brow.
“When I saw you dancing on that pole...my, my, my...”
Now he’d done it. Her lips twisted and veiled terror distorted her features.
“Send Aries my love...” He sneered.
“You had...”
“No worries.” He cut her off. “They expect you to be dead pretty soon anyway, but they’ll be disappointed that you didn’t do as you were told.” He ran his finger slowly down the length of the table before turning back to face her.
“None of them find us and live long. That’s been the entire problem. So, to avoid another death of their own kind, they’ve been sending in people like you in years past...damn goats, sacrificial lambs, and none of them made it back home.” He leaned back and crossed his arms.
The blood drained from her face. This time, he didn’t get a kick out of it.
“Enough of that.” He sighed and smiled like a child on the last day of school. “After the drug finishes wearing off—you’re still a little loopy—you’re going to tell me the name of the agent that sent you, the one you report to as well, if they are not one and the same.”
“I’m not telling you a goddamn thing.” Her voice was low and cool. And yet, here was another locomotive she tried to hobo herself upon. Sex didn’t work, lies didn’t either, so now, she became the angry ‘fuck with me if you want to’ broad with a badge. She began to bore him. “This is the wrong time for this, Knight,” he responded, unmoved.
“It’s the right time, all right. You’re going to kill me regardless so whether it is painful or not, I don’t care. I’m not giving a crazy criminal like you, anything! Go ahead, slice me from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet, burn your tic tac toe into my damn head, I don’t care. I will die with honor and whatever you do, please don’t think no one knows about this, because they do...but you go right on ahead and take your chances.”
Awesome. So now she has blended tactic two in with tactic three. I appreciate the change-up. Good. At least I’m entertained again...
Xzion licked his lips and tilted his head to the right. “You’re an excellent bluffer. I almost believed that... almost.” He ran a hand along his thigh. “Now, while we wait for you to have all of your senses back, is there something you’d like? Maybe some water? I believe in making my guests comfortable.”
“What is up with all of this ice, huh?” Anger resonated in her tone. “Why is it so damn cold in here? It’s not cold enough outside for your liking? And what’s up with that room that looks like it belongs in a science magazine?”
“Buying time now... I told you, no more questions, but seeing as you actually believe you are getting one over, I am informing you that you’re not, but, in the interest of entertainment, I’ll play.” He crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at her, trying to not rest his eyes on her breasts again. “I like it cold. No, it’s not cold enough outside for my liking. That room is my own business. So, since I’ve answered, do you have any more questions?” He yawned.
“Why would you want to harm me? I don’t sell drugs, I try to keep them off the streets. You should be thanking me since we want the same thing, have the same aim, the same goal.”
“Is that what you really think this is about? You think I’m mad about drug
trafficking?” He popped up and leaned in closer to her, causing her to lean back into the chair. He grasped her chin again and gazed penetratingly in her eyes.
“Now, it’s my turn. Answer my questions. I’ll repeat them. What agent sent you and who are you reporting to?”
The all too familiar faraway look came over her face. Her frown turned placid, her eyes dull...
“Agent Peterson sent me. He is who I report to...and Agent Brown and Bryant.”
He patted her head, causing the wig to fall the rest of the way off, landing to the right side of her on the floor.
“Good girl, Knight.”
Still under his command, he untied her arms and hoisted her over his shoulder. He knew he was supposed to kill her. Right after she answered him, he was supposed to put a slug or two in her, and go on about his way. But he couldn’t...he just couldn’t bring himself to snuff her out. For a split second, he imagined shooting her, and the thought of it repulsed him. He didn’t understand exactly what was going on, but he couldn’t stop it. He’d racked his brain at one point in time—trying to make it stop, to make the attraction go away.
It was a culmination of things. He liked her persistence. He enjoyed the fact that she was physical, liked getting dirty, all the way in the trenches on the front line, and seemed to enjoy, at the very least, the notion of mortal combat. He liked that she wore a badge and looked strong and sweet at the same time...and her lips, those damn lips, the way they curved and glimmered. Moments later, he relocated her to warmer surroundings. He ran his finger down the lips he’d been studying ever so closely after he laid her across his massive bed enveloped in crisp white sheets, then tied her arms to the posts.
Her lips...they look so soft...
He couldn’t resist anymore. Bending over her, he gently pecked her cheek, then enveloped her lips with his own.
Sweet God, she tastes so good!
He was snatched out of the euphoria as he felt her body stiffen against his. He didn’t want it like this...he wanted things to be different. He wanted her to want him.
Reluctantly, he pulled his control away from her, bringing her back into the light of her own way of thought. He was taking her down the rabbit hole, taking over her brain, but it was all wrong. That wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. He let her go, at least from his mind. She shook her head in confusion and looked around—the glassy-eyed baby doll expression evaporated—taking quick inventory of the bedroom surroundings.
He took note of her expression. She knew she was in trouble, big trouble. Her lip trembled, and he watched her wrestle with herself, try to keep her cool, but it was too late. She was in way over her head now. He had her in his boudoir, and she was trapped.
This time, she let out a scream so shrill, it made his ears ring. And there it was. Panic...
****
He could see it in her eyes, she saw and felt it. Once a perpetrator moves you to another location, you’re screwed. Isn’t that what she was taught in self-defense and warned all the women she trained against? Never let the guy take you somewhere else—fight, fight, fight!
Gently placing his hand over her mouth, he muffled the cries, though no one could hear her anyway. He slowly dropped his hand from her trembling lips after a spell.
“Officer Knight, I can’t have you screaming...that would make me angry. I don’t like loud noises, now shhh...” He smiled and put his finger up to his own lips.
“Let’s make a deal of some sort. Surely there is something you want in exchange for my freedom?” she asked, hopefulness in her tone.
So now we are back to plan A. Well, gotta give her credit for resilience.
He shook his head in disbelief. “There is nothing you can do for me, Knight...not a damn thing.”
“Please, just think about the—”
“We need to talk further but for now, I want you to get some sleep.” He ignored her, knowing it would make her fall deeper into despair. No matter what position she tried to mind fuck him in, he wouldn’t allow it, and it was killing her.
She screamed out again, so he quickly placed a cloth in her mouth. The shrillness of her vibrating howls made his head ring.
“The rag is in your mouth to borrow a moment of quiet time, not because it will change anything. Look, you’re wasting your energy and breath. This house is soundproof. Nothing you say, no matter how loud you say it, will be heard from the outside. Now, I’m going to untie you and leave you in here. I’m sleeping in another room but I’ll be able to watch you and see everything you do.”
He then untied her, prepared for her to land a fist across his flesh. Instead, her eyes contracted; the revulsion deep within her seemed to be fermenting and encircled him in its dark grip. Due to that, he thought better of it. He grunted and re-tied her, causing her to buck in anger. He didn’t feel like dealing with the aggravation of her bustling about, trying escapes all evening, causing loud, destructive thumps in the night.
She lunged at him like a crazed animal. When he caught her steady fist in his palm, their eyes locked. Instead of becoming angry or telling her a thing or two about herself, he dismissed it—hell, he wasn’t surprised. How was she supposed to feel? He walked cautiously away from her then closed his bedroom door, locking her inside the chamber until the late morning sun had risen many hours later...
****
Jayme turned her head back and forth, her hair now undone in thick shoulder length corkscrews against the over-stuffed white pillow case. The cloth from her mouth lay off to the side.
He was in here while I slept.
She wearily yanked her arms, twisting and turning as she tried to free herself. After rubbing her wrists raw against the ropes, she peered in the direction of the sundrenched area of the bedroom. The dark yellow light poured through for a quick second, giving her reprieve. She’d prayed it was all a bad dream, and didn’t even recall falling asleep. Something had made her fall into slumber, but she wasn’t sure what. Perhaps she’d been drugged again, and she suspected she had. She sighed, grunted and screamed out, then quickly stopped as she recalled his warning.
I’ve got to get out of here. Just try to keep my cool...I can do this...
The door swung open.
“It’s not what you think,” he said gruffly as he set a glass of orange juice down on the nightstand, along with two pieces of toast and a bowl of hot cereal.
“What isn’t what I think?”
“Just know, not everything is as it seems.”
He’s been watching me from somewhere...looking at me.
“Aren’t you the ‘XXX’ killer? Then things are what they seem...” Not before catching the telltale dark circles under his eyes, she turned away from him and he hesitated.
Yeah, he has been up all night. He comes in here trying to convince me of something. What is going on here? We aren’t friends. My mission is to survive and if I can, take him out!
“What does it matter at this point, hmmm?” he snipped as he leaned down close to her, untying her wrists.
Jayme quickly looked around the room. “I...need to use the bathroom.”
“Okay.”
She was surprised he didn’t simply toss her a bucket. Instead, he took her by the arm and gently led her to his lavatory en suite. She stopped and glanced at him from over her shoulder. The smell of bleach had subsided.
“I’ll give you some privacy.” And with that, he closed the door and waited on the other side...
****
Xzion looked down at his wrist, noting the time and several missed conference calls. Aton had been trying to reach him all evening, and he had no idea how he’d explain what was occurring. One lie always led to another, and he could feel the ball of deception needing to be fed until it was larger than the truth by leaps and bounds. He’d spent the rest of the evening and early morning clumsily rolling around in his spare bedroom on an air mattress, occasionally watching her through three cameras set at different angles. He watched her dream for a few minutes, and wished so
desperately to know what made her smile.
He was feeling things he couldn’t describe, strange things—and they left him utterly confused. Instead of wanting to harm her, make her pay for the shit she’d gotten him into, he wanted to protect her. And then there was of course the reason all of this began in the first fucking place—his cock had seen her first and claimed her as its very own. He’d been all over the world, seen beautiful human women, just as lovely if not more than the ones on his own planet, but it never interfered with the operation. Maybe it was because the United States was taking the longest. He’d now sewn roots here, and in that process, was looking out for a stronger connection with someone. Loneliness had a way of doing that to a person, even someone like him.
He mulled the matter over, trying desperately to understand what the hell was going on and why he was falling apart. He knew that right at that moment, Jayme was going through his medicine cabinet. He also knew that she’d see things she didn’t comprehend, and it wouldn’t help her in her quest to understand him or simply to escape. It would only make her more afraid and frustrated. There was nothing he could do for her. She was trained for this shit, and she’d keep trying to turn this around, to pull the wool over his eyes, but the worse of it was, he was trained for this, too, and it would be an uphill battle for him. Everything he loved about her would be turned against him, but he was prepared.
He didn’t want to hurt her, but there was no way at this point that he could let her go. It was far too risky. He could always ask Aton for advice but he had no doubt what the directive would be—to murder her. Once he received the order, if he disobeyed, things would be far worse. No, he needed to keep his trap shut. He’d figure this out—just needed a bit more time. The bathroom door opened, exposing the object of his desire. From the look in her eye, she was surprised to see him still standing there. She’d taken the liberty to freshen up.
“Would you like to eat now?”
