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I furrow my brows, but shelve that line of thought for later. Because right now, I have an incredibly stubborn secret assassin to confront about her strange actions.
Locking herself back in?
I can’t wait to find out how she plans to explain away this one.
13
ISABELLA
My gaze snaps to the left as I catch movement from the corner of my eye. Dread pools like ice water in my stomach as Rico strides out from the darkness, coming straight towards me.
“Let me get this straight,” he says, a mocking note to his voice that hides none of the threats beneath it. “You free yourself from the handcuffs so that you can go and pee, and then you lock yourself back in again?”
Fuck, fuck, fuck. I was so sure that he had left. I saw him drive away, and I haven’t heard anyone move at all. How the hell did he manage to sneak up on me without me hearing it? He must be much more skilled than I thought.
Rico comes to a halt in front of me, staring down at me like a god of death. “Now why would you do that, Isabella?”
My name rolls over his tongue like a promise, a threat, and a spine-tingling caress all in one.
I slowly climb to my feet, using the trunk behind me for support since my hands are now once again shackled behind it. “Look, I—”
“Did you or did you not pick the lock on the handcuffs, go and pee behind that bush, and then lock yourself back in?”
“You don’t understand—”
“Don’t tell me what I do or don’t understand,” he snaps, his voice cleaving the air like a blade. The sheer authority in it seems to vibrate against my very bones. “Just answer the fucking question.”
My mind has finally settled on a very plausible explanation. One that, if I play this perfectly, should finally convince him completely.
I can’t keep a gun next to my bed like I usually do, but that doesn’t mean that I’ve forgone all my other habits. I always keep a pair of lockpicks sewn into the lining of the hot pants I sleep in. And in all my other pants too, for that matter. Sliding them out, I quickly pick the lock again and free my wrists. Then I let a mask of anger and desperation settle on my features as I take a step away from the tree and throw the handcuffs down on the ground before Rico’s feet.
“Yes, I picked the lock on the handcuffs,” I scream at him, my voice full of frustration. “And yes, I locked myself back in.”
“Why?” he demands.
“Why the hell do you think?”
His brows furrow slightly.
“Gods,” I curse, throwing my arms out before stabbing a hand in his direction. “You don’t even know the effect you have on people, do you?”
Another flicker of confusion is briefly visible in his eyes.
“You walk into a room and just command the entire space.” I’m not even lying about this part, because this is exactly how it feels. Holding his gaze, I shake my head. “Everything about you screams ruthless and overwhelming power. I swear, even the fucking wind would stop blowing if you ordered it to.”
He blinks in what I think is surprise.
“So yes, I picked the lock.” I shoot him a pointed look. “I’m not a complete idiot, you know.” Letting a mask of embarrassment settle on my features, I glance away for a second. “And then I went to pee behind the bush because I didn’t want to pee my fucking pants.” I meet his gaze again. “And then, yes, I locked myself back in. Because three days ago, you put a boot to my throat and almost crushed my windpipe. All you have done since the day I met you is to hurt me and humiliate me. So what would you have done to me if you had come back tomorrow and found that I had escaped? I don’t know. All I know is that it would’ve been something extremely painful and humiliating. So I locked myself back in to give you what you wanted.”
His eyes are fixed on mine, but I can’t read his expression at all. Hoping that I have him where I want him, I press on.
“Don’t you understand?” I hold his gaze with desperate eyes. “I would give you anything you want. But I don’t knowwhatit is that you want from me.”
He narrows his eyes slightly. Fuck, am I losing him? Or does this mean that I’m convincing him?
I take another step closer to him and then drop to my knees. Spreading my arms wide, I stare up at him with pleading eyes. “So go ahead. If you want to beat me, beat me. If you want to torture me, torture me. Do whatever you want to me until you’re satisfied. But the answer will always be the same. I don’t understand what you’re asking me.” I let my arms drop back down in a defeated way. “So do what you need to do and then tell me what you want me to say so that I can say it. Because I just want this to stop.” I choke out a broken sob. “Please, just make it stop.”
Damn, I really should win an acting award for that sob alone. So perfectly pleading and desperate. And the way my voice broke on that final word? Absolute perfection. There’s no way he won’t fall for this.
