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“Oh no you don’t, missy,” he barks out. “I know this game. You’re not going to shut down. You’re going to hear me out.”
Since I’m no longer fighting him, he lets go of my wrists and cradles my face in his hands, searing my soul with those stark eyes of his. “You can hate me, Julianna. I can accept that. Hell, I even deserve that, but what I can’t accept is you checking out on life.”
“I have no life, so there’s nothing to check out of,” I respond with an emotionless voice. “My heart and soul are already gone. It’s black.”
“The hell it is. Your life is just beginning.” His eyes flick over mine as he leans in close. “I’m not the enemy here, sweetheart, and you’re not my captive. If you want to leave, you can leave, but only after I know your head is on straight.”
“Good to know,” I deadpan.
He lets out an exasperated sigh. “Look, the guys and I are independent contractors. We work undercover for whatever job we’re needed for. We’ve worked in all realms and situations, but it’s always been my life mission to bring down as many slave trade markets as possible.”
I scoff, deriding him. “Some life mission. Having all those horny women to choose from… gee, I’m sure it was tough work.”
“Don’t even go there,” he warns, his voice turning to stone. “It fucking gutted me to go into work every day and see that shit going down. You are the only one I had ever let touch me the way you did,” he grits out between clenched teeth. “I would go to work every damn day reliving the nightmares of my own, and baby, let me tell you, I’ve had my fair share of them.”
“Do you even realize what you're saying, Travis? You were still a part of that game. You helped steal innocent women, drugged them, and did sadistic and vile things to them. You’re just as sick and twisted as the rest of them. You didn't prevent the horror of what those women had to go through; you enabled it.”
“What you fail to understand is that their days were numbered with or without me, just like yours were. They were going to be captured whether I was part of it or not, and if that was the case, the least I could do was try to bring the bastards down. My goal was to integrate myself into the business and do just that. Trust me, sweetheart; I think every one of those men should be castrated with an ax on a chopping block for abusing women like that.”
I’m temporarily stupefied. He’s got my full attention now, and he’s taking full advantage of it. “So, yes, Juliana, I was very much a part of that debauchery, and damn proud of it. Even though I couldn't help all of the women, I felt like the few I could help, I served justice.” His eyes drift off for a second, as if he’s reliving a some torment. “It's horrifying some of the shit I’ve seen over the years.” Then his eyes narrow on mine, his voice low and full of derision. “Compared to those women, you were living in the Taj fucking Mahal. What you had was a fairytale, Princess.”
“Yes, it was one big party, Travis, especially when you kept drugging me with Blyss after you took me from the facility,” I hiss. “Why was that? Did you need to ensure that you’d get some?”
“That’s a low blow, Jules,” he spews, grating out his words between clenched teeth. “I was nothing short of a gentleman, and you know it. Yes, I did drug you, and don't think for a second I wasn't at war with myself over it. Jared had told me you had quit taking Blyss, but I didn't know for how long. Shit, Jules, cut me a break.” His jaw muscles flex under the tension, and his voice turns cold. “The way I stormed into the facility to rescue you, I didn't really have the time to have a coffee and consult with Jared now, did I? Of course, you wouldn’t know I had Grant incrementally reduce your dosage so we could get you off that shit in the safest way possible.” He pauses to catch his breath, closing his eyes briefly, and then softens his tone, “I thought it was better to be safe than sorry. Whether it was right or wrong, I don't know. I only did what I thought was best for you.”
I have nothing to say. He keeps coming back at me with valid answers for everything. He lets go of my cheeks and lays his body over mine, resting his elbows on either side of me. He nuzzles into the side of my neck, and kisses me there slow and tender. Shivers race through my body. Damn him for always being able to manipulate me with a simple touch, a sweet kiss, or a seductive look. Of course, it doesn’t help that I’m still drugged. His anger is dispelled, his touch soft and gentle as his lips move to my ear, whispering, “From the moment I first laid eyes on you…when I took care of you that first night…I felt something I hadn’t felt in years. I don’t know; I can’t explain it.”
