She nodded as she picked up the plate. “He needs me to take care of all those troublesome men out there.”
Isaac bit his tongue sharply to keep from interrupting her.
“He knows he’d have to force my cooperation, though. But, as long as I’m tied to you with a blood bond he can’t do that. I’m safe. Safer, at least.”
“At what cost?”
“It’s a cost I’m willing to pay—for now.”
“And you’re certain I’ll let you go when the cost becomes too high?”
She finished putting the dishes in the sink before she took a moment to study him. And, for that moment, he was convinced she saw him—the real him. Lonely, angry and more than a little bitter about everything his life had taken away from him. The possibility scared the shit out of him. Not even he liked looking at himself that hard.
“I am,” she said with a seductive smile. “When the time comes, you’ll let me go.”
“How can you be sure?” He longed for her certainty.
She sat on his lap gracefully and rubbed her cheek on his shirt. “Because, keeping me against my wishes would destroy me.” She looked up into his eyes, her own haunted. “And destroying me would destroy you. You’re a survivor.”
Well, when she said it all logical like that…
“And, as much as I hate to admit it,” she continued, “I’m beginning to think there might be some good in you.”
He took a deep breath and released it slowly as he wrapped an arm around her waist. She was right. It was going to hurt like hell but, when the time came, he was going to let her go. He had to. “Careful, you might start to sound like your sister.”
She laughed, saying, “Oh, no. She doesn’t think there’s any good in you.”
“Oh good, she’s wising up. Now, we just have to teach my sister the same lesson and we’ll be in good shape.” He looked down at his watch and sighed heavily. As much as he liked having her on his lap, they had business to attend to. “Speaking of which, we have a meeting.”
She stood, but pouted in the most adorable manner as she stepped away from him. “Already?”
“We have to get there early enough to scout for traps and ambushes.”
She thought about it for a moment and then held her hand out to help him up. “Then let’s get this done, already.”
“Ladies first,” he said, gesturing toward the door.
“Don’t trust me at your back?” she teased.
He laughed and shook his head before saying, “Just like the view.”
She looked dubious, but still led the way. And, as he watched her hips sway enticingly, he was thankful.
He wasn’t as thankful, however, for the constant pressure of her palm as it made its way up his thigh on the ride to the meeting place. The woman was hell on his composure. When they finally arrived at the entrance to the state park, he almost breathed a sigh of relief. Yes, he liked having her hands on him, but he loved being sane when meeting with a megalomaniac’s underlings.
“Isn’t this kind of…I don’t know…out in the open?” She turned to look out the window and the movement pushed her hand further up his thigh.
His teeth hurt from clenching his jaw, but he ignored the pain as he counted to ten slowly in his head as he tried to picture all things non-erotic in nature. When he’d collected himself enough to answer, he said, “Witnesses provide safety for both sides. The woods provide enough privacy to talk. But, most importantly, it’s on neutral ground.”
She nodded her understanding. “Not much of that left.”
“And it looks like we weren’t the only ones who wanted to get here early.” He nodded to a clearing where a man and woman stood close enough to be together, but with enough distance between them to indicate they didn’t want to be.
“Is that really Molly?” Nikki asked as she squinted at the people.
“She’s a little thinner than the last time I saw her, but that’s her.” Isaac pulled his car into a parking place near them and then took a deep breath before putting the car in reverse and cutting the engine. “Do you think you can talk to her, see if you can find out anything useful, while I deal with the scumbag?”
“Absolutely.”
The scent of pine and recent rain greeted him as he stepped out of the car but he barely noticed. He was too busy wrapping Molly in an almost choking hug. One he refused to release her from until she gently pushed against him.
When he did finally back away, he took a moment to examine her before asking, “Are you okay?”
Her smile was weak and held a trace of bitterness he’d never seen. “When was the last time either of us was really okay?”
“Point taken.”
“But I’m surviving. They give me water and feed me. Hell, sometimes the food is even edible.”
Leave it to Molly to try to lighten the situation. “Have they…” His throat tightened around the words and he couldn’t finish the sentence.
“Tortured, raped, beat me?” she finished for him. “No, no and maybe a little.”
Pure rage wrapped around him in a foggy veil, forcing him to react. Before he realized what he was doing, he’d turned to the scumbag who’d accompanied Molly and his hand had wrapped in a tight fist. The tattooed man wore his blond hair in a buzz cut and he appeared to be well-built, but Isaac was betting he could take him. But before he could land even the first punch, Molly stepped between Isaac and the man.
“Not him.” She put a hand on Isaac’s chest to push him back, not that it actually moved him. “He hasn’t touched me.”
Was she seriously defending one of Rathe’s men? Isaac had to take a deep breath in order to ignore the impulse to push her out of the way and beat the crap out of the man. “He’s one of the men holding you.” Isaac’s voice was barely above a growl.
“True, but he’s one of the better ones holding me. If you put him in the hospital, there’ll be one less lesser-evil between Rathe and me.” She shuddered but then took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. “As much as I hate to admit it, he’s serving a purpose.”
Isaac glared at the man again but released his fist. If this scumbag’s existence was shielding Molly, then Isaac would let him live. For now. “Fine. Then I guess we should get this over with.”
The man nodded stiffly and then looked over at Molly. “We’ll be right over there,” he said, pointing to a trail just to their left. “Don’t wander off.”
“Like that’s an option,” she replied with a snort.
“Just wanted to make sure we were clear.”
“Crystal.”
Isaac watched the conversation, proud that his sister wasn’t cowering or averting her gaze. She wasn’t broken. And that was as close to okay as he could hope for under the current circumstances.
“Good.” The man turned and started walking, leaving Isaac with only one option, to follow.
When they’d gotten far enough away not to be overheard but were still close enough to see the women, the man stopped and turned to face Isaac. “So you’re the famous Isaac Marrow. Huh, I always imagined you would be scarier in person.”
He wouldn’t give the man the satisfaction of losing his temper again. “And you are?”
“Thomas. Thomas James.”
“So, Thomas James, what are the demands?”
“First, there are a couple things you should know.” Thomas looked over at Molly again and some emotion that crossed his face made the hair on Isaac’s arms stand on end.
“I’m listening.”
“I’m the one that holds Molly’s blood bond.”
“Stupid thing to tell me, seeing as if I kill you I can take Molly and never look back.” Either the man was a complete idiot or there was more to this story. And since Rathe hadn’t gotten to the top of the crime pyramid by putting idiots in positions of power, Isaac was betting it was the latter.
“You wouldn’t kill an undercover enforcer, though, even if he was from another Community.”
Fuck. If that was true, this just got a whole lot more complicated. “Does Molly know?”
“No. It’d be too dangerous.” The man’s gaze never shifted off Molly. “She’s a good person and tougher than most, but she can’t lie if I order her to tell the truth. And Rathe’s had me make that order several times for interrogation.”
“Not to say I don’t trust you, but if you’re undercover why not just walk with her now? You could release her and everyone goes their separate ways.”
Now Thomas looked at him. And the only emotion Isaac could see in the icy depths of the man’s blue eyes was anger. “The only reason my Community had to get involved was because you guys couldn’t take care of your own trash. I’ve spent three years building this case. Three years of memories that no amount of alcohol will ever wash away, just so I could work my way up the organization. I won’t blow it now. Not when we’re so fucking close to bringing him down.”
“But Molly—”
“If you think Molly would rather walk than bring Rathe down, you don’t know her half as well as you should. After the things she’s seen, after the things she’s been forced to do, she needs this as much as I do.”
“So what do you propose?”
“We work together.”
That was a pretty big proposal, seeing as Isaac only had the man’s word for it that he was actually undercover. If Thomas knew the plan and he was actually working for Rathe, it’d be over. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I came here today to negotiate my sister’s release.”
Thomas glared at him, but then shook his head and his expression softened. “Please, not even Rathe is actually expecting you to negotiate in good faith.”
“That’s not really my problem,” he said with a shrug. “So, what are your evil puppet-master’s demands?”
“He wants you to take his ink and he wants you to hand Nikki over, unbound.”
Isaac acted like he was thinking about it for a moment and then nodded. “And in return I’d like him to retire, stand trial, and wear a pair of Sim cuffs—permanently.”
Thomas tipped his head back and laughed. “Not going to happen.”
“It’s just as likely as me taking his ink and handing over an unbound Nikki. He’s going to have to pick one or the other.”
Thomas nodded and then handed him a phone. “It’s a burner. I’ll be in touch with further negotiations.” He watched as Isaac put the phone in his pocket before continuing, “And I understand why you don’t trust me. Check with my division head, he’ll back me up. I’m with the West Coast Community.”
“Even if I find out you are what you say you are, there’s still no guarantee I’ll trust you.” They started walking back toward the women. “He’s got an uncanny ability to turn people.”
“I understand. You gotta do what you gotta do to sleep at night. But you should make up your mind sooner rather than later. Molly’s getting itchy and if she tries to run…” Thomas’ mouth slipped into a grim frown as he paused. “I wouldn’t be able to protect her. Not without blowing my cover.”
And Thomas had already told Isaac how he felt about blowing his cover. “I understand what you’re saying. Anything happens to her, though—”
“He won’t kill her. She’s too important. Everything else heals.”
Isaac grabbed Thomas and turned him so he was facing Isaac. “Anything happens to her—”
“Shit’s already happened to her. Happened to her before she even took this case. She’s an enforcer, for Christ’s sake. If you’re that worried though, stop dragging your fucking feet and do your job.”
As much as Isaac hated to admit it, Thomas was right. It was up to Isaac now. Everything was on his shoulders. “Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind. And I’ll be in touch.”
“Call my people. Check out my story. If we work together, we might just pull this off.”
Part of him was hoping Thomas was being straight. He may not like the man or his callous attitude toward Molly, but he didn’t have to like Thomas to work with him. And having someone on the inside would be nice. But trust was a death sentence in his line of work. If he was going to let Thomas in, Thomas was going to have to walk through fire to prove which side he was loyal to.
Chapter Nine
For the next two days, Nikki was dragged from city to city and house to house while Isaac was busy terrorizing people with what he called interviews. If their pale complexions were anything to go by, though, she’d guess they were closer to interrogations.
At first she’d thought he would let her sit in on the interviews, but he hadn’t. Then she’d done a little interrogating of her own, but he refused to give anything up. So she’d asked to be left behind, but that was a no-go as well. Finally she resigned herself to the futility of her position and did her best to find ways to entertain herself while he was grilling the poor people. But, by the third day, she was more than a little grumpy. She was tired of him not trusting her alone and yet, at the same time, not trusting her to actually be with him. Especially since today Thomas, her father’s lackey, the same one who had Molly acting all weird, was stopping by for a visit. Just thinking about Thomas being under the same roof and not knowing what he was planning made her fidgety and restless. She had to move.
The covers pooled around her waist as she sat up in the bed. And, though he was still asleep, Isaac rolled away from her as she stretched her legs under the sheets. But even if he’d been awake he wouldn’t have said anything. The man made brick walls look chatty.
She sighed with frustration as she looked down at him. It was hard, living with a man who refused to trust her with even scraps of information. She hated being kept in the dark. More than that, she’d found herself getting angry with Isaac for keeping her in the shadows.
“It’s too early to get up.” His voice, husky with sleep, cooled some of her irritation. “Lie back down so we can sleep.”
“I don’t want sleep.” That got his attention. He rolled back to face her and quirked an eyebrow at her in question. “I don’t want sex either, not right now at least,” she added.
“Then what it is you do want?” The light kisses he rained on the back of her hand sent a shiver of desire down her back and almost made her change her mind.
“To talk.”
His heavy sigh made it apparent that talking wasn’t really high on his list, but he did consent with a nod.
“Molly thinks Thomas is lying about something—hiding something.” Best to start the conversation off on a neutral note, she decided.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“When you’re meeting with him today?” She stressed the word “you’re” for his benefit, but made sure to keep the rest of the sentence soft.
“Yes.”
“And what should I do while you’re locked in a room with my father’s scumbag lackey?”
“You, my dear, can do whatever your little heart desires.”
Okay, this wasn’t exactly going the way she’d hoped. Then again, talking hadn’t been his idea so she probably should’ve expected brisk answers. Time for a different tactic. “Not if my little heart desires you,” she said, running her fingers lightly over his cheek.
He laughed, but he moved his hand up her thigh. “Really? You predict that at exactly 10:30, four and a half hours from now, you’re going to want only me?”
So he was on to her. Not a big deal. She could work with that. “Is that so hard to believe?” She let her fingers glide over his ear and down the side of his neck.
“No, not hard to believe. But the timing is rather convenient.”
“Only if you were interested in a threesome,” she remarked drily.
He paused and tipped his head to one side as if giving it thought.
“Seriously?” she asked.
His rich laughter filled her with the warmth of a good brandy. “Nah,” he said after kissing her softly. “I don’t share.”
“So I’ve gathered.” Some of her irritation made its way into her tone.
“Come on, Nikki. What’s this really about?”
She rolled her eyes but refused to answer.
“Out with it, already. I want to get to the good part of ‘good morning’,” he teased.
That did it. His mocking tone reignited her irritation. “I want to sit in on your meeting with Thomas.”
“Really?” He backed away from her, but only an inch or two. “Why?”
Why indeed? Obviously because she wanted answers. Yet it was more than that. This had somehow become more important than just idle curiosity over the last couple of days. Still, it was the best answer she had. “Because I’m tired of not knowing what’s going on.”
“What’s going on is, I’m going to promise Thomas I’ll meet your father’s conditions and then, here’s the twist,” he said with a wink, “screw your dad over when it’s time to deliver.”
“My father will be expecting that.”
“I know. If he didn’t, winning wouldn’t be as much fun.”
“I can help.” God, she was starting to sound like a broken record. She doubted she could count the number of times she’d offered to help over the past week.
He smiled as he propped himself up on one elbow next to her. “You are helping.”
“I do have skills outside of the bedroom.” She was quickly losing patience and her voice was tight with control. Just this once, she needed to be more than a good lay. She wanted Isaac to see more than a Rathe or a seductress when he looked at her.
“Yes, I remember. You’re quite good in the kitchen, too.”
Either he wasn’t hearing the strain in her voice, or the man had a death wish. Maybe he needed a more direct approach? “Why can’t I sit in on the meeting?”
He sighed and fell onto his back. “Why does it matter?”
“Because it does.”
He draped an arm over his eyes before saying, “The more people involved, the greater the chance someone will screw the pooch.”
“I’m not people and I certainly wouldn’t screw the pooch, as you so eloquently put it.”
“It’s not something people do intentionally.”
Of course they didn’t. And because she was obviously inept, she completely understood his position. Yeah, right, that’d be the day. “I would never do anything to jeopardize getting Molly back,” she said though clenched teeth.
“I’m sorry, I just can’t—”
“Trust me?” And suddenly a piece of the puzzle clicked into place. This was why she’d been so irritated with his constant refusal to let her do anything meaningful. Somehow, against all odds, she’d started to trust him. And the constant reminder that he would never trust her—even a little—hurt, especially since she had never done anything to warrant such callous behavior. “I know I’ve done some disreputable things in the brief time we’ve known each other. I’ve tricked you into helping me, kept secrets from you, and controlled your every move. Oh wait,” she said drily, “that was you, wasn’t it? My bad.”
“I’ve apologized and offered to remove the bond.” His eyes cooled and became hard as he stared at her.
“The apology doesn’t count if you keep making the same mistake.”
“What the hell does that even mean?” He ran his fingers through his hair in apparent frustration.
“The bond. You tricked me because you didn’t trust me. You’re doing the same thing now.”
“I’m not tricking you.”
“You’re intentionally keeping stuff from me. It’s the same thing. I understand you don’t want to risk Molly’s release, but this is my mother’s killer we’re talking about. I want to get him just as much as you do.”
“We will get him.”
“No, you’ll get him,” she corrected. “Even though I’ve offered to help, you won’t let me do anything. Why?”
“Because you aren’t trained in negotiations or in interrogation. I’m sorry. I can’t let you sit in on that meeting.”
“And I’m sorry that you refuse to see me as anything more than a good fuck.”
“That’s not true and it’s not fair, Nikki.”
“You’re right, it’s not fair but it sure as hell is the truth. You haven’t allowed me to do one meaningful thing where this case is concerned. And now you won’t even tell me what’s going on so I know what to expect. You’ve completely shut me out.”
“I haven’t shut you out. There are just some things I can’t share with you.”
“Don’t worry, I get it.” Her heart shouldn’t hurt at the finality of the words, but it did. “But this,” she motioned to the space between them, “has got to change.”
He ran a finger down her cheek, stopping to sweep a lock of hair behind her ear before continuing to caress the side of her neck. “What, exactly, do you want to change?”
“I can’t keep sleeping with you.”
He glared at her for a moment before saying, “So, you’ll cut me off if I don’t give you what you want?”
“I didn’t say anything about cutting you off.” It’d be ridiculous to even try. As hurt and angry as she was with him, she still wanted him. If he reached out to her, she’d go to him happily. He’d drawn his lines, though. She needed to draw hers. “But I’ll be sleeping in the guest room from now on.”
“You can’t be serious.” His jaw tightened and the soft pink blush that started creeping up his neck hinted at his anger, but she refused to back down.
“I’m afraid I am. Either you trust me and value my input, or I’m just a good lay. I’m fine either way.” The lie slid through her lips as smooth as silk even as it made her heart ache. “But I need to know which it is.”
The breath he pulled in was harsh as he took his hand off her. “I’ve never—”
“Be careful how you finish that sentence,” she said, her voice calm despite the painful cramping in her stomach. “There are a lot of things you’ve never done. You’ve never taken more than what I’ve freely given, and you’ve never misled me about the future. But if you’re about to feed me a line, I will call bullshit.”
“I do trust you and value your input,” he said, his voice rough with emotion.
She sighed heavily and shook her head, but refused to back down. “Really? What input could I have possibly given you? I have no idea what’s going on because I’ve been locked out of every discussion.”
“You told me that Molly thinks Thomas is lying about something.”
“Everybody’s lying about something. If you let me sit in on the meeting, though, I might be able to determine what he’s lying about.”
He sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed, his feet making a loud thumping noise as they hit the floor. “And how would you do that? Or are you a telepath as well?”
“No. I’m a seductress, he’s a guy. You can do the math.”
“I thought you had a thing against using your magic?”
“My magic is just one of the facets of my abilities. You, more than most, should know that.”
The gentle pink flush that colored his neck and cheeks turned to a bright red in front of her eyes as he stepped out of the bed. “So you’re going to seduce the truth out of him?”
“It is one my strengths.”
His next breath was harsh, as if it pained him to fill his lungs. “I will not be manipulated or threatened.”
“It wasn’t an ultimatum.”
“Like hell it wasn’t. There is no way I’m putting you into a dangerous situation and there’s no way in hell you’re going to seduce another man in my own house.” His voice dropped dangerously as he spoke. “If you need space, if you need distance, I’ll respect that. But let’s make sure we’re clear, it’s because you want it, not me.”
She stared at him for a second before realizing her mouth was hanging open. Snapping it closed, she shook her head at the white noise clogging her ears. What the hell just happened? She’d only wanted to sit in on the meeting with Thomas. Wanted some tangible evidence that Isaac trusted her, valued her for more than her skills in the bed—or on the kitchen countertop.
“I see.” It struck her how idiotic the words were. She didn’t see. Nothing made sense and she wasn’t even sure how she’d gotten from sleeping in his arms to—to whichever circle of hell she was currently in. The only thing she knew for certain was she had to get out of his room. And quickly. “I’m going…” Where? Did it matter? Not really.
She stumbled out of the bed and made her way to the room she’d slept in the first couple of nights she’d been here. The same room she’d woken up in to find him next to her after they’d had sex the first time. Because he didn’t want to sleep without her. A sharp pain lanced her abdomen and she had to press her palm against her stomach before she could walk into the room.
When she shut the door behind her, her fingers found the lock in the doorknob and turned it deftly. Had there been a lock before? Surely there must’ve been, but she’d never noticed it until today. How had she not noticed it? She shrugged off the question as she crossed the room and fell onto the bed. It didn’t matter. None of this mattered. The only thing that did was the numbness that surrounded her. She needed to cling to it tightly.
For one brief, shining moment she’d forgotten she was a pawn, not a partner. It wasn’t Isaac’s fault. He’d been honest and upfront with her. Painfully so. She was leverage, his ace in the sleeve. She was the one who’d somehow allowed herself to believe things had changed between them. But nothing had.
The pain in her stomach started to invade her chest, but she refused to feel it. She’d never intended for things to change for her. It was, really when she thought about it, just a stupid mistake on her part. So this whole misunderstanding, and that’s what she was going to refer to it as from now on—a misunderstanding, had actually been for the best. She couldn’t feel anything more than attraction for Isaac. Most certainly not love. For a seductress to love? She shuddered at the thought. There was no worse fate. Except maybe to be the object of said love. So it was best that she found out now. That they cleared up the whole misunderstanding before she did something really idiotic like falling in love with the man.