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“Without anger?”
“I wouldn’t be angry. Frustrated, maybe. But—”
“You would not force her?”
“Never.”
He believed that—at least in his own mind. Laila wasn’t convinced. “Then why restrain a woman to your bed at all?”
His eyes flared with heat again. “Some like it.”
“Impossible.” Surely he lied.
“Oh, they do.”
And so did he. His face and the engorging of his erection again said so.
Why would a woman want to be manacled to a man’s bed and held down while he did…whatever he pleased? “I do not believe you.”
The buzzing of his phone interrupted whatever he’d been about to say. He scowled and pulled it from his pocket. “Zy. Talk to me.”
There was a long pause, and she could hear another man’s muffled voice.
Trees nodded before the other man even finished speaking. “Roger that.” Then he flicked a glance her way. “I’ll let Laila know.” Another pause. “Fine. Yeah, I’ll check in later. Thanks.”
Then he hung up, and Laila was relieved to have a change of subject. “Do you have news about my family?”
He nodded. “They’ve arrived at their safe house after driving all night. Valeria and the boy are sleeping now. Your sister will call you later.”
“Where are they?”
“Someplace safe.”
Laila had heard that tripe before. Why wouldn’t he tell her where EM Security had hidden her family, unless they intended to keep her and Valeria apart so they could use the separation to control her? After all, Emilo had been a master at that.
As soon as her sister had rested, she would call and verify Trees’s claim—then make plans accordingly.
Trees turned his attention back to the lock he meant to install on the door, and she thought through the situation. What if he lied? What if he intended to use his restraints on her? What if she needed to escape?
She couldn’t let him install that lock.
Trembling, Laila approached, touching her fingertips to solid concrete muscle over the surprisingly supple skin of his back. “You can stop. Installing that is not necessary.”
“I think it is.”
“What if I promised I would not escape?” And she meant that…at least for now.
“You’d be lying, and I’d be forced to cuff you again.”
“No. After last night, I know Victor will not give up easily and that I am safer with you.”
He hesitated. “I can’t take that chance.”
“Please. I would feel safer if I was not being kept prisoner. But if you lock me up against my will, I will always be afraid.”
Trees hesitated, then sighed before he shoved everything back into the bag. “Son of a bitch. Fine. But I’m watching you. One more attempt to get free, and I won’t hesitate to both lock you in and cuff you to whatever the fuck I need to, whenever the fuck I want to, until you realize that you have to stay. Are we clear?”
“Of course.” What else could she say?
“All right.” He shoved the bag away. “If I even suspect you’re trying to escape me, I’m warning you now. I’ll be all over you until you beg me for mercy. And I won’t have any.”
A day and a half later, Laila was still trying to understand Trees. Except the handful of hours he had driven to reach this campground in Nowhere, Alabama, he never took his stare off her. He watched her as she ate, as she paced the RV with nervous energy, as she talked on the phone to her sister. He stood guard outside the bathroom while she brushed her teeth or washed her face. He glared as she yawned and fought to keep her eyes open, then he ignored her protests that she wasn’t tired and carried her to bed—cursing her stubbornness—eventually invading the uncomfortably small mattress and lying beside her to shield her with his big body.
A few times, he tried to initiate conversation, asking about her sister, Jorge, or her childhood. For what reason did he need to know those things? To use the information against her? He claimed he was curious, but why? Sometimes, she answered. Mostly, she ignored Trees, pretending she never noticed him at all—not that such a thing was possible.
But he hadn’t touched her, despite the fact he clearly wanted to.
That confused Laila. They both knew she couldn’t stop him. If he violated her, she could tell her sister, of course. But it would be too late. Then again, maybe Valeria would see that as a small price for her to pay to escape Victor and Hector Ramos for good. In some ways, she would be right.
Much to Laila’s relief, Trees had also tucked away his soft leather cuffs, probably somewhere in his bag. She was grateful…but she couldn’t forget his threat. If she “misbehaved,” he would use them against her will. Would she even have to give him a reason? A couple of days ago, she would have said no. Today? He’d kept his promise so far. Maybe that meant something.
