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I strode over and pulled out a knife. Sara didn’t even flinch, didn’t seem to notice as I cut one wrist free, then the other. “Lia is alive. My cousin wouldn’t let anyone hurt a goddamn hair on her head, believe me.” Sara blinked up at me. “We didn’t hurt her. We’re protecting her.”
Sara didn’t move, only let out a ragged gasp, followed by a whispered, “What?”
“Lia is okay. More than okay.”
“She’s okay? She’s alive?”
“Yes,” I said, and I bent down, lifting Sara into my arms. She didn’t even fight me, just curled against me, like a small and broken animal seeking warmth.
I went too far. I went way too far.
Striding through my bedroom, I didn’t pause until we got to the guest room, and I gently laid Sara down on the bed. She blinked at me, pushing herself up, and then looking down at her wrists.
“What is this? More mind games? Or now you want to fuck?”
“This is the guest room,” I said. “Take a nap, take a shower, and I’ll get you some clothes.”
Sara swayed as she sat up and rubbed at her face. “I don’t understand.”
“We’ll see Lia later today.” I folded my arms as Sara seemed to wake up and her hands fisted in the blankets. “You want to see her—and I want to see if you’re lying.” I paused. “Or you can go. We’ll keep an eye on you, but you won’t see us. And I can’t promise that you’ll ever see Lia again. But I can promise you that if you were lying about working for Hendrix—”
“Can we go see her now?” Sara interrupted.
“What?”
“To see Lia—can we go now?” Sara tried to stand up and sank back down, putting a hand to her head. “I can rally.”
“No, you cannot. Besides, Ty and Lia aren’t up,” I said. “You need sleep, I need sleep.” I jerked a thumb over my shoulder at the door. “I’m locking that. You try to get out, you’re gonna set off an alarm and really piss me off. And then you will not ever see Lia.”
“Stay put, fine,” Sara said. “Fine. I can do that.”
“Good girl,” I purred, and Sara shot me a dirty look. “Enjoy your nap.” I gestured at the walls. “I’ve got cameras in here I’m turning on, so if you want to play with yourself, I won’t say no.”
“Go fuck yourself, Daniel.”
“Gladly,” I said and left the room, shutting the door harder than I meant to. I had ways to lock it, but I hesitated and decided not to. Another test.
Instead, I propped up a coffee table book on the floor in front of the door, knowing that if I found it on its side, that Sara had left the room. I pressed a hand on the door before I went to my room, not bothering to close the door, and headed straight for the shower, where my hand tried to give me the relief that I so desperately sought but couldn’t find.
Not with Sara was asleep in the other room—not when I still wanted her, too, more than she could ever imagine.
Sara
The goddamn guest room shower in this apartment was too nice. I’d taken a far longer time than I’d meant to under the hot spray, listening for a tell-tale knock at the door—or for Daniel to simply appear.
But when I got out and wrapped a thick, warm towel around myself, steam billowing around my ankles and my hair dripping onto my shoulders, I felt more like myself than I had for a week—and especially after last night. A strange shiver ran over me as I recalled flashes of last night, pressed up against Daniel as we danced in the club, the cold bite of air as we went into the alley and climbed to the roof, the hot kisses, the way we’d—
I broke off those thoughts with a shake of my head, trying to remind myself of being tied to that chair, wearing nothing but Daniel’s shirt, but in a twisted way it almost seemed like a continuation of our game. Instead of physical touch, it had been a battle of wits, and some part of me wanted a rematch.
Who cares? I get to see Lia today. That’s all that matters.
I stepped out into the room and drew up short as I took in Daniel sitting on the edge of my bed, wearing jeans and a hoodie,both of which I knew were extremely high-end athleisure and as expensive as a college class.
“I started to think that you were never going to get out.” He titled his head and his styled gold hair fell into his eyes. “Wow.”
His look, his casualness threw me off, and I swallowed hard.
Daniel’s eyes lingered on my face, then my neck and bare shoulders. Heat swept through me. “You’d never guess I kept you up all night.” He stood up as my brain went blank, unable to come up with a retort, and then gestured at the made bed. “I brought you clothes. And I got you breakfast.”
