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He shrugged, uncaring. “What happens between you, me, and Kaleb is our business.”
“Maybe so, but she’d make it her business. She threatened you. I heard her.”
Trace pinned my gaze with his own. “No one keeps me away from what I want.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Just how much of this invitation you’re issuing to me is motivated by the urge to flip her the finger and make a point that she has no say in what you do?”
“I already made that point to her at the ball. I don’t feel the need to make it again. And if I did, I wouldn’t use you or anyone else to do it.” He took my hand and gave it a gentle tug. “Come with us.”
“You know you want to,” said Kaleb.
Oh, I did. And if Trace was down with risking Alondra’s wrath, well, I figured he’d later regret it … but that would be on him. I’d done the right thing and warned him like a good citizen.
I stood. “All right.”
Two sets of eyes glimmered with male satisfaction.
Trace didn’t release my hand as he began pulling me through the crowds toward the ornate doors. Kaleb remained close behind me, his warm palm splayed on my lower back.
In the hallway, Trace guided me to a particular door and unlocked it with a swipe of his card. “We booked this room with you in mind, hoping you’d be here tonight.” He let the door swing open.
From the doorway, I got a good glimpse of the space ahead of me. Gray walls. Dark floor. A table. Three chairs.
An interrogation room, I quickly realized.
Well fucking now.
“In you go.” Kaleb gently but firmly ushered me inside and led me straight to a chair that was clearly meant for whoever was there to be ‘questioned.’
It wasn’t until I sat down that I noticed there was a steel bar in the middle of the table. Uh, okay.
“Remember, Briar,” began Kaleb, “if you need us to stop at any time, you say stop—that’s all it will take.”
I gave him a slow nod, trusting them.
Trace let a set of metal cuffs dangle in front of me. “Yes?”
I licked my suddenly-dry lips. “Yes.”
Indigo-blue eyes heated. “Put your hands out in front of you.”
I did as Trace asked. My pulse quickened as the cold weight of the cuffs settled around my wrists—not too tight, but restrictive enough to make adrenaline pump through my blood. It was only at that moment that I realized there was a third cuff connected to the chain. Trace attached it to the steel bar and, yeah,thatI’d not been expecting.
The chain was long enough that I could sit up straight in my seat, but not enough for me to back away from the table or fully stand upright. I gave an experimental tug, and the chain easily held.
I was going nowhere.
And I freaking liked it.
Trace and Kaleb both took a seat opposite me, their expressions neutral, their eyes flinty, looking the absolute epitome of cool, casual, and assertive. It was a little unnerving, to be truthful. And it made my stomach get all fluttery in the best way.
Trace folded his arms. “Here’s how this is going to work. We’re going to ask you a series of questions. They’ll be a little on the invasive side. You might not wish to answer. If that is the case, you can decline to do so.But… you will pay a price. Youcan also choose to lie of course but, again, you will pay a price. As such, I’d advise you to only lie if you’re sure that we won’t detect you’re being untruthful.”
I looked from one man to the other. “What kind of price?”
“Nothing bad.” Pursing his lips, Trace briefly inclined his head. “Depending on your idea of ‘bad,’ I suppose.”
Notcomforting. But I wasn’t put-off. Excitement edged the nervous thrum in my blood.
