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“I’ll show you tomorrow, Charity. It’s clearly signposted. Three. You don’t interfere with the work of my staff. Four. Do not try to communicate with anyone outside this island. Five. You do not risk yourself, in any stupid way.”
I frowned at the last part. “If I were stupid, how would I know?”
“You’ll know when I tell you.”
“That’s not fair.”
Inigo poured the doctor some wine and eyed my glass. I took a gulp then placed it down and nodded. For this dinner to be a success, I need a higher blood alcohol.
“It will make you think before you leap. This island can be hazardous.”
Was that him foreshadowing something horrid? He’d said he wouldn’t cut out my heart, but I cherished all the other bits of my body too. Besides, what if he were lying? I moved to grab my glass again. He frowned. I thought for a long, scary second then placed the wine glass back on the tablecloth.
He inclined his head to watch me, making me stare at him, at the stubble on his jaw, and the shaven side of his hair. The sculpted edges of his mouth were as tempting as the chocolate chunks on a gorgeous cake. I’d never been one to kiss men before they kissed me, but I could feel the thud of my heart as I contemplated leaning over and licking him.
Reverse my earlier decision. I am quite possibly a slut to be imagining licking a potential murderer. Make that a sexy villain—it sounded better.
The doctor took my left hand and held it flat to the table, and I protested about the difficulty in eating.
“And my right hand is holding yours. We can manage. The food is in small enough pieces.” He raised his voice. “Tell me about yourself, Cassius. You work for Jacob?”
“Yes.” He forked at something, as if trying to spear it dead. “I think you know all about me.”
“Fill me in. Maybe I don’t, and Charity might like to know,” he drawled.
“Perhaps she would. My father was in the British army. He saw some action in Iran. I was brought up as an army kid, stayed at some NATO bases, travelled around, and saw my dad suicide from the stress when I was sixteen.” He rattled on, despite the punch in that.
Wow.I kept listening but began to eat.
Cassius was in the army, like his dad, for a while, and now he worked for a man called Jacob at the CNC Fraternity, a man higher up in the hierarchy than the doctor, obviously.
“Do you like what you have to do?” The doctor was tracing his fingertips over the curve of each of my fingernails, a surprisingly erotic move. I paused, mid-chew, to look. He smiled brusquely.
“It pays well. I do what I’m asked to do. I decided long ago to obey and do whatever a job requires of me, without unnecessary complications.”
“Or emotional investment?” the doctor queried.
“Yes. My father’s reactions to death made me toughen up. Such things do. Or else they break you.” His next forkful was shoveled in his mouth, and he exchanged a hard stare with the doctor. “Do you agree?”
“I think so, but nothing is ever simple. Some can shrug off traumas, but most take time to accommodate them. Rarely do people break. They bend.” Why did I feel he was talking to me about this? “And as for future toughness after overcoming or surviving traumas? Perhaps I see it more as people insulating themselves. They pretend to toughness but inside they still feel.”
“Huh. Maybe so, doctor. I never said I was dead inside.” Cassius eyed me. “And her? Ask her about who she is.”
“You both know everything you need to know.” My fingers cramped on the fork in my right hand, as I looked from the doctor to Cassius, who had become hostile since the helicopter flight. Before that he had been a dick; now he seemed ready to use his steak knife on me, or the doctor.
“I did say I expect you to amuse me and converse. It’s part of the game.” The doctor fished in a pocket of his jacket and brought out a handful I instantly recognized as two white leather wrist cuffs that matched my collar. With my left hand already trapped, he easily tucked one cuff around my wrist then fastened the buckle. A miniature padlock was clicked shut.
I hadn’t struggled. It would be pointless. Chilly goosebumps raised the hairs on my arms and neck.
“The other one.” He waited, palm up.
“I thought you wanted my story?” Offering both my wrists to him to be cuffed would be a mistake, my primeval brain was screaming, even though giving in was inevitable.
“I do.” He clicked his fingers. “Now please. Or else.”
Or elsewas rife with that danger the doctor had mentioned. Worried, I looked around. No one here would help me. Inigo was implacable and his employee. Cassius seemed conflicted and maybe annoyed that I was letting the doctor handle me.
I lifted my right hand, but I couldn’t bring myself to surrender the last of my independence and place it on his palm. He reached up and took my wrist anyway, easily bringing it to the table and holding it there, reminding of how strong a man can be. He snaked the cuff over me and locked it.
