by E. M. Gayle
"Where am I? What happened? What the hell is going on?" My voice rose to near hysteria by the third question, matching the panic flooding through me.
"Easy now. One question at a time, and then we'll go from there, okay?" He reached forward and touched my face, his fingers tracing a pattern down my cheek and along my jawline.
Something wasn't right. I swatted his hand away. "Don't touch me. Answer my questions."
He didn't smile or laugh. Instead, his expression remained neutral, and that unnerved me more than any other reaction he could have had. Frustrated, I bared my teeth. "Please. Just answer the questions."
He stood and crossed the room, only returning after he'd retrieved a bottle of water. "Drink. And since you said please..."
I swiped the bottle from his hand and took a drink only because my throat was so dry, it hurt to talk. Although I still glared at him as I drank half the bottle. I felt marginally better.
"You're at my place," he started. "I brought you here because you need somewhere safe to hide, and no one except me knows it exists. Out here, we won’t have to worry about someone coming to look for you."
My brows raised, and I didn't know whether that statement was meant to reassure me or scare the hell out of me. In front of the couch there were large sliding doors that went from the floor to the ceiling, and if I wasn't wrong, they looked like the kind that would slide completely out of the way and leave the room completely open to the outdoors. More importantly, I could see the landscape beyond his back deck and pool area and it wasn't the desert of Las Vegas. In fact, it was the complete opposite of the desert. There were lots of big trees, green rolling hills, and snowcapped mountains off into the distance.
"Okay. But where is it? That," I pointed out the window, "does not look like Vegas."
"Because it's not. While I do have an apartment in town, it's not as hidden as this place. Taking you there would have made you a sitting duck."
"A sitting duck for who?" I asked, even though I was pretty sure I knew the answer.
He ignored that question and instead continued with my previous questions. "As for what happened…” He hesitated, running his hands through his hair. "I caught someone shoving a needle into your neck."
"With what?"
"That's impossible to know without a blood test. There are quite a few drugs on the market capable of knocking someone out in under a minute."
"Great. That's reassuring."
"I wasn't trying to reassure you. I warned you that you weren't safe, and you chose to ignore me. Whatever it was, he disabled you within seconds, and if I had not happened to have been there, you would not be here.
"Where would I have been?" I needed some kind of confirmation that my father had tried to have me kidnapped.
"You tell me. I'm not privy to where your father takes his victims to torture them, but if you'd like to share that information it could be extremely useful in my future endeavors."
"Neither am I. My father cut me off from all contact until recently. He wanted me nowhere near anything to do with my family, him, or his organization. So, this whole ruse you've had going since you met me has been a colossal waste of both of our time. I know nothing."
"Except somehow you had the one thing he wanted the most. Those diamonds were worth a fortune."
He didn't know the half of it. My father had a plan for those diamonds that had more to do with power than they did money. He would trade them for information and position—
"Wait. Did you say they were worth a fortune? What does that mean?"
His face darkened, and I could now see the anger he'd been trying to hide.
I looked around the spacious but cozy cabin. The dark, masculine colors of the room spoke of comfort and power without a need for bells and whistles. There was lots of leather, wood, and glass with very little light other than the natural light from the generous windows. On the one hand, it made you want to settle in for some quiet, cozy solitude, and on the other, it screamed with the fact that here, in the middle of the woods, you were alone and on your own. There were no neighbors, or passersby to remind you that you were no longer in a crowded city with anything you could want at your fingertips.
"We need to go." I swung my feet off the couch and stood, ignoring the lightheaded feeling that nearly knocked me back down. "I'm not supposed to be here."
"I think you are right where you need to be." He stalked closer, and that unsettled feeling intensified. "It's the perfect place to get some answers from you."
I tried to take a step back, only to be reminded that I was trapped against a piece of furniture, with no real way to escape. What the hell was wrong with me? Why, after all the intimate nights with this man when I didn't know his name, did I suddenly feel frightened now? This man had commanded my body in ways that no one else would have dared. And I'd not only allowed it, I’d reveled in it. Every command, whether spoken or unspoken had propelled me to a place that freed me from previous constraint.
Not now. This was different. He was different.
"What about the VIP party? I was supposed to meet with the press. Trina must be going out of her mind. My friends too. They will be searching everywhere."
He shook his head. "Nope. They all think you had an asthma attack and I rushed you to the hospital for treatment. They are worried, yes. But they’re not looking for you."
"Jesus Christ, Rock. Are you trying to ruin my career?"
"If that is your biggest concern right now, then your priorities are seriously fucked up. I'm trying to keep you alive."
"By what? Hiding me? That's not going to work. I can't stay here forever."
"I don't need forever."
"Then how long? How long to you expect me to stay here?"
"As long as it takes."
I was ready to throw my hands in the air. Frustration rolled over me like a freight train. "For what? I need to go back today. Not just to salvage the press conference, but to talk to my father. This isn't just about me."
"You're not going back and that's final. Not until I think it's safe."
My mouth dropped open at the finality of his words.
"Have you lost your mind?" Probably not the best choice of words considering the circumstances. I was having trouble staying calm.
He shrugged. "Maybe. It's impossible for me to be impartial when it comes to your safety. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you alive, including piss you off."
I was so angry right now I could spit. And yet, his conviction and goal were not unreasonable. They both were actually kind of hot if I really thought about it. I shook my head to stop that line of thinking. I could not condone his methodology.
"I'm not kidding around with you, Rock. You cannot keep me here against my will."
"Actually, I can if I want, and there's not much you could do to stop me."
I sputtered.
"Do you think you could find your way out of here and back to Vegas without me? We may only be hours away from your destination, but I guarantee just getting past these woods would be too much to handle on your own."
Was that supposed to be some sort of threat? Or scare tactic? "You're being an asshole," I finally said as my mind began to settle on just how precarious a position he had put me in.
"I'd rather be an asshole in a world where you lived than a nice guy who had to live a life without you in it."
Well, shit. Every time he thumped his chest and declared I couldn't survive without him, he went and said something like that. How was I even supposed to take that? I had no defense against those kinds of words.
Except there was still the matter of my sister.
"You don't understand. Nothing about this situation is that cut and dry or simple."
"You got that right."
I ignored that dig and continued. "This isn't just about me."
"Don't do that again, Nova. I don't give a shit about your fiancé or whatever agreement he made with your father. The second your father decided your life was forfeit
, everything changed. You aren't going to marry that asshole. I won't allow it. If I have to tie your ass to a chair and keep you here until both those fuckers are in jail, that's what I'm going to do."
A deep sigh worked its way from my throat. I collapsed back onto the sofa, feeling the weight of the world settle around my shoulders. I'd dug myself a hole at age eighteen, and it seemed five years later, it had only gotten deeper. I was no closer to getting out of it than I had been back then.
"Please, Rock. You need to listen to me. I wasn't talking about Ronin. I never wanted to marry him. Nearly every single thing I've done over the last five years was so that I could get out of that scenario. Only, it seems no matter how hard I try, I can't break free. You know I took the diamonds, and you know why. What you don't really know is how."
"That's pretty evident at this point. You stole them. And there's a video tape that proves it. It's a moot point."
I shook my head, unable to deny I'd screwed that part up pretty bad. "You're not asking the right questions, Agent Reed. It's not about how I actually got my hands on them, it's how I found out about them in the first place."
"I don't see how that really matters, either. Not unless you are going to admit that you are more a part of your father's organization than you keep insisting on." He tapped his fingers on his leg. "Although, now that I think about it, I would like to know. Are you going to tell me, or do I have to guess?"
I'd never in a million years planned to betray my sister's involvement. But if it convinced him I couldn't stay away from Vegas for a second longer it would be worth it. The longer I hid from my father, the greater chance he took things out on her.
"If I tell you, will you promise me that we can go back to the city as soon as possible?"
"No." His answer came so quick and blunt it felt like a slap to my face.
"Please, Rock. What do I have to do to convince you? You and I can take the diamonds back to the city, arrange a trade with my father, and then I can help you catch my father redhanded with those diamonds if you let me. Wouldn't that work? We can both get what we want if we work together."
"What kind of scam are you trying to run here, Nova? You and I both know I don't have 'the diamonds.'
His use of air quotes around the diamonds confused me. What was he trying to say? His anger at me made no sense. What the heck was I missing?
He shoved his hands in his pockets and stalked across the room away from me. "I haven't figured out what kind of con you are trying to run on me, but I will. And until then, we are not going anywhere. You can beg, cajole, and plead however much you want. I'm not changing my mind. Not until you tell me the god damned truth."
"Truth about what? About my sister? Or the fact that my father has imprisoned her and threatened her life if I don't toe the line? Is that what you wanted to hear?"
He turned slowly to me, his face still impassive as before. "No. But I know the fucking truth. And until you start talking, we're going exactly nowhere."
Her head was definitely going to explode. "What truth?! What are you talking about?"
He walked over to stand in front of me and reached down to grab my chin.
"The diamonds, Nova. I know they're not real."
Chapter 11
Rock
* * *
This woman infuriated me to no end. Her inability to just be honest was enough to drive me mad. I didn't care if that was a case of kettle meet pot. I'd had no choice but to keep my identity from her. But this? This was malicious.
"What do you mean the diamonds aren't real?" The hysteria in her voice annoyed him. He didn't need her theatrics any more than he needed her lies. He was tired, hungry, and contending with the fact that despite everything, he couldn't stop thinking about fucking her. The inappropriateness of that fact didn't seem to matter. At least not to his dick.
"Enough, Nova." He released her chin and walked away from her again. Every time he touched her, his mind splintered between duty and need. "The charade is over."
"Fuck you, Agent Reed. I'm not trying to play some game with you."
He closed his eyes against her curse. Her anger should have helped his case not hinder it. It should have been enough to give him the perspective he desperately needed to get out of his own head. And yet, whether she angrily called him Agent Reed or softly called him Rock, it had the same affect.
"I don't understand how you thought giving me fakes would work. You had to know it was only a matter of time before I figured it out. Were you trying to buy some time? Did you already give them to your father, and now that he doesn't need you, he wants to kill you?" He turned back to her. "Say something, dammit."
She stood from the couch, straightening her back and arching her neck like a queen about to dress down someone beneath her. And fuck if she didn't look beautiful like that.
"I did not give you fake diamonds. That's ridiculous. Each one of them were inspected and authenticated by someone I trust."
He wanted to meet this person she trusted, because he found it hard to believe she trusted anyone at all. And if she did, why?
"Our forensics lab isn't going to give me anything other than the black and white facts, and the facts are, they are not real. So, there is a definite disconnect somewhere. Either you're lying or I'm lying, or someone else is involved I'm not aware of. Either way, I'd say we're both fucked, and not in the good way that I can't stop thinking about."
She sucked in a breath at his confession. "Don't do that."
"What? Be honest? Sweetheart, as far as I can tell that's all we have left. Either we are honest with each other or we're both dead."
"Then don't accuse me of a crime in one breath and tell me you want to fuck me in the next."
I crossed back to her and pulled her tight against me. I had expected a fight, and while she did stiffen, she also didn't try to get away. "Keep talking like that, and I won't be responsible for what happens next. For every filthy word that comes out of your mouth, I'd like to bend you over and spank your ass. Seriously. Now is not the time to push."
"You wouldn't dare," she hissed, her eyes going wide.
Laughter bubbled up. "You have no idea what I'm capable of. But before this case is over, you will."
"And that's the problem right there," she spat, recovering quickly. "I'm nothing but a case. Always have been, always will."
I reached up and wrapped a hand around her neck. Not to hurt her so much as to restrain her, although I couldn't lie that the little flash of fear I saw, before it got replaced with anger, made my dick get just a little bit harder. Something I thought was impossible at this point.
There was something about her that pushed at every button I possessed. Where I normally held my control in a tight, ruthless grip, with her, my ability to stand fast unraveled. Every time I turned around, I found myself in a state of reaction instead of proaction. It had been a damn joke to think that mixing business with my pleasure wouldn't burn me in the end. Yet, I hadn't seen her coming. I'd lost my edge. And now I had to rewrite the rules between right and wrong, and good and bad. I had crossed a line that was bound to leave a permanent mark for us both.
Now I had a decision to make. Either she would be my weakness, and thus my downfall, or I would reshape my path, and hers, into something entirely new. Where crossing a line no longer mattered...
"Do you have any idea how much easier all of this would be if you meant nothing to me? If I could just walk away and never have to worry about the fallout, I could run this op, nail your father to the wall, and take out his business partners in one fell swoop. Hell, I could round you up as well. It won't be long until we have a copy of the videotape your father procured. It would be all the evidence I need to add your name to the list. Being in possession of blood diamonds is a serious offense." I ground my teeth across every syllable, uncaring if I made her mad. She wanted the truth and that's what she was going to get. "I wasn't supposed to get attached."
I leaned forward, placing my face at her neck and b
reathed deep. There wasn't a thing about her I didn't miss when I left her after each of our encounters. But her scent, it did something crazy to my brain, and I couldn't get enough of it. If I was a smart man, I'd bottle that shit up and sell it like perfume and then make a million fucking dollars. Except then I'd have to share her, and I'd learned in the last week that I would never share anything about her.
She was mine.
She would marry another man over my dead body.
I crashed my mouth onto hers and took the kiss I was dying for. And she kissed me back. All tongues, teeth, and desperation as we tangled together mercilessly. To my delight, she gave as good as she got. I fished my hands through her hair and pulled, and she returned that pain in kind. My scalp burned, and I fucking loved it.
We were both angry with each other and turned on and desperate. It was a heady combination that I couldn't get enough of, and this kiss was the match to start the fire that would burn us both alive.
I leaned my weight against her, enough to make her lose her balance and topple back onto the couch. I followed her down. I half expected her nails to scrape down my face or her hands to push against my chest. Anything that might stop this before it went too far. But it didn't happen. She grabbed my head instead and held me tighter against her as we both frantically deepened the kiss.
Before I completely lost my mind, I tore my mouth from hers. "No more lies?"
She nodded. "Definitely. I hate not being able to tell the truth."
I wasn't sure I believed her, but I was too far gone to let that stop me. As if she sensed what I needed, she surged her hips forward, putting additional pressure I didn't need against my dick. "Fuck," I groaned, biting at her lip and reaching for her breast so I could tease a nipple. "You are impossible to resist. I can't stay away from you."
"Is that what you want? To stay away?" Her words were breathless and hot against my neck.
"Fuck no. Although you do make me feel things I shouldn't. I need to protect you. I want to keep you here and hidden from the world so you are safe. Is that so difficult to comprehend? I'm not sure what I would do if anything happened to you, but I am pretty sure the world doesn't want to know."
