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“What?” She sounds wary.
“Your name.”
“M-my name?”
“Yes. Who are you?”
“Ruth. Ruth Lowison.”
“Thank you. See, we’re off to a good start.” I reach behind her neck for the ends of the drawstring holding the hood in place.
She holds her breath while I loosen it, then I drag the hood up and off.
Pale-blonde hair spills from a loose knot at the back of her head. I catch a brief glimpse of deep, kingfisher-blue eyes before she screws them up, dazzled by the sudden stab of light. Her face is heart-shaped, and pretty if you’re turned one by the classic, English rose type. I realise, unexpectedly, that I am. She really is quite a stunner.
I give myself a mental shake. I have a job to do here. I allow her a few more seconds to adjust, then I bury my hand in her hair and grab a fistful. Tipping her head back, I issue my next command.
“Open your eyes and look at me.”
She tries to comply, I’ll give her that, but still the sudden blast of bright light is too much. She squints up at me, blinking hard.
I wait until her gaze steadies. “So, Ruth Lowison, what the fuck are you doing here?”
“I don’t know. I was just—”
I give her head a sharp shake, using my grip on her hair. “Of course you know. Why did you come here? Who do you work for?”
“I… I don’t work for anyone.”
My nose is less than an inch from hers. I can actually smell her terror. “Liar,” I whisper. “Do you want to try that again? I’m in a good mood, so you can have one final chance to tell me the truth.”
“I don’t understand. Why would you…?”
“Who do you work for?” I demand, injecting a deliberate sliver of menace into my tone.
She pales. The shift in my mood is not lost on her, but it fails to elicit the necessary information.
“I was just looking for someone. I never meant… I mean, obviously I made a mistake…”
She’s got that right. Her main mistake was letting herself get caught. As for me, I have shit to do, and she’s already interrupted my day. I have no more time to waste playing nice.
I straighten, pulling her to her feet as I do. “That was your last chance, Miss Lowison.”
“No! I’m telling you the truth. There’s been a mistake…”
“Yup. Now it’s time to set things straight again. Starting with a little not-so-gentle persuasion.” I spin her around and, using the pocket knife I always keep handy, I slice through the cable tie binding her wrists. She barely has time to begin rubbing the stiffness from them before I spin her back to face me. “Take your clothes off.”
She stares at me, wide-eyed. Her mouth opens in a startled ‘O’, and she shakes her head.
“Either you do as I say, or I call a few of my men in here to do it for you. Your choice.”
“You can’t. Please, don’t do this…”
She’s struggling to get free, but I have her elbows in a firm grip. She’ll be going nowhere.
“Am I to take it that you need some help to get naked?”
“You’re an animal,” she spits.
