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I expect to find affection in her gaze after the release I gave her, but all I see is suspicion.
“Why did you have blood on you?” she asks, making no move to get dressed.
“Can we have this conversation once you’re dressed?” Her nakedness only serves to bring about my desire to bend her over the bed and fuck her again.
“Do you lack so much self-control that you can’t speak to a woman unless she’s clothed?” Her words push me, and while I should be annoyed, I find myself strangely entertained.
Advancing toward her, each step deliberate, I loom over her petite frame, my gaze burning into hers. “I maintain control in all things, Raven.”
“Then why did you have blood on you?” she presses, her tone devoid of even a hint of fear.
Fuck, the way that affects me shouldn’t be allowed.
“Because I ran out of patience, not control,” I reply, stepping away from her before I do something I don’t have time for.
She makes a humming noise from the back of her throat. “Right. So, why did you run out ofpatience? You’ve been gone a lot and haven’t said why.”
I cast a quick glance back at her before walking into my closet. “You haven’t asked.”
“Well, I’m asking now.”
Taking my time, I grab a tie and drape it around my neck before pulling a suitcoat from its hanger and carrying it back into the bedroom with me. Just as I’m about to set the coat on the bed, Olivia drops her towel as she stands in front of the dresser with all her belongings in it.
It takes me a moment longer to continue what I’m doing and to answer her question. “Titan Moretti, the man who sent men to kill Senator McAdams, he also sent Abel after you.”
She pauses mid-pull with her black lacy underwear stopping at her knees. With one deep breath, she resumes. “And now you’ve killed Titan?”
With frustration, I have to tell her no. “We haven’t been able to find him. Today we thought we were getting closer, but the guy didn’t know as much as he pretended to.”
“But once you find Titan, you’re going to kill him,” she states, and I’m once again intrigued about her fascination with murder.
“Would that bring you happiness, Raven?” I ask, straightening my tie and giving her my full attention.
She stands on the opposite side of the bed from me, clad only in her underwear, but doesn’t seem at all uncomfortable being nearly naked in my presence.
“What would make me happy is knowing that there aren’t any more deranged men out there who want me dead,” she declares. “To be free from feeling trapped would be wonderful.”
A flicker of panic courses through me, but it vanishes as swiftly as it came. “You’re not being forced to stay here. You can leave at any time.”
Her laughter fills the room, harsh and bitter. “Right. Is that what you would prefer?” She turns her back to me, reaching for a pair of jeans on top of the dresser, but I don’t allow her the opportunity to put them on.
I spin her until she’s facing me again and pin her against the wooden surface just as I did on her first day in this room. “If I wanted you anywhere other than right where you are, then you would be there. As I told you before, I’m not your prince charming. I will disappoint you and I will hurt you, but as long as you’re here, I will also protect you. It’s up to you to decide if that’s enough. Once you do, don’t question your place here.”
She nods, her eyes unmoving from my challenging stare. “Understood.”
“Good, because I need to go,” I reply. “I only came home to shower and change.”
“Am I allowed to ask where you’re going?”
I turn away from her to grab my suit coat from where I left it on the bed. “You can always ask.”
This elicits a heavy sigh from her. “Where are you going now?”
“To Monroe,” I answer freely. “They don’t appreciate it when I fail to make appearances at least once every few days.”
“And your employees, do they have any idea who you truly are?” she asks while resuming her dressing.
I shake my head. “They may have theories, but I’ve made sure there’s never any concrete evidence of what I choose to do outside of Monroe.”
