Bound by Lies: Bound #1 (Adult Romantic Suspence) (25 page)

I tense. So it’s not about my safety, it’s about the job. My
stomach squeezes. It’s always been about the job. “I’m not going anywhere with
you. I’ll take my chances on my own.”

Caden narrows his eyes. “Don’t argue with me. You have no
money, no means, nothing. You’re coming with me.”

“I have money. In my backpack.” Shit, my backpack. I narrow
my eyes at Caden. “What did you do with my backpack?”

“I didn’t take anything else with me from Dixie’s except for
you.”

“That’s fine. I can go home and grab my clothes and cash.
The only reason I didn’t go back before is because I thought you might find me
there. Now I know that you’re not trying to kill me – except maybe for annoying
me to death – I can go back and grab my stash of cash and some clothes.”

“You can’t go back to your apartment. Jacob’s men will have
found it by now.”

“How? You said yourself I’m careful.”

“Your car. Before I left them they had found your car.”

I snort. “They can’t find me from just the car.”

“Did you register it in your name?”

I give him a look. “Do I look stupid?”

“Do you have a GPS?”

“Yes but…” I realize that all my previous driving history
will be stored into the GPS. Like my drive from my apartment to Navajo Valley
and the drive from Midnight Falls to my apartment. Caden is right. I can’t go
back to my apartment. “I’ll figure something out, but I’m not going anywhere
with you.”

“Yes, you are.”

I shake my head. “No fucking way. You’re gonna have to shoot
me first.”

Click.

“Don’t make me, kitten.”

I tense for a second. He wouldn’t. I turn my head towards
him, filled with disbelief. But he is holding the barrel of the gun aimed at
me. Then a thought strikes me. He’s a cop. I’m a material witness. He can’t
shoot me.

I force myself to laugh. “You’re not going to shoot me.”

I can see the cracks in his façade and notice his gun
wavering. No, he won’t shoot me. But it would make me feel better if I had my
own weapon. I remember the gun he keeps under the sink. Would it still be
there? I turn around and head to the bathroom.

“Where are you going?” he demands. I can hear him storming
after me.

“To pee.” I spin just inside the bathroom and try to block
his way in. He stops inches from me. His body almost takes up the whole
doorframe. I hate that heat still licks at me when I eye the width of his
shoulders. I hate that I have to look up at him to meet his gaze. I hate that I
feel so small standing before him. I fucking hate that he makes me want to let
him protect me.

No. I have to protect myself. I am the only one I have ever
been able to count on.

“What?” I snark. “You want to watch me pee? Is this another
unorthodox sex thing?”

He flinches with visible pain and I feel a stab of guilt in
my gut. Then his features harden. “Don’t lock the door. And don’t take too
long.”

Fuck him. And his orders.

I slam the door in his face. And turn the lock just to spite
him. With smug satisfaction, I hear him cursing at me outside.

First I turn on the tap so that the sound of running water
will cover up any noises I make. I open the cupboard and crouch down. Thank
God. The gun is still there. I slowly pull one end of the tape until the gun is
loose. Now that I have it in my hands I can see it’s a 9mm Smith and Wesson
M&P. I check the cartridge. All ten rounds are loaded.

I’m still wearing this ridiculous off-the-shoulder shirt
which shows off some of my belly, so I can’t tuck the gun into my waistband.
But luckily these sweatpants are baggy enough for me to put the gun in my
pocket. I check myself in the mirror and am satisfied that the gun bulge
doesn’t show.

I flush the toilet and while the water is rushing I close
the cupboard back up. I take my time in washing my hands and splash water on my
face before turning off the tap. As I glance up at the mirror and catch my
reflection I see the aching sadness hidden underneath the anger in her eyes. My
eyes.

I wipe my face and firm up my resolve. I open the door.
Caden is still standing at the doorway, arms crossed over his broad chest,
looking furious. “I thought I told you not to lock the door.”

I cross my arms and mimic his stance. “You gonna stand here
and block my way all night? We’re wasting time. I’m sure your
friends
are missing you by now.”

He makes an exasperated noise. “They’re not my friends. And
I’m not the one fucking around, Miss I-gotta-go-pee.”

I roll my eyes and stalk past him. “Whatever.”

I pause when I notice an overnight bag on the bed which
hadn’t been there before. That looks like my bag from my apartment; light blue
with a top zip, two pale handles and a strap. I stride over to it and unzip the
top of the bag.

“No, that’s fine. Just look through whatever you want,”
Caden mutters as he steps to my side.

I ignore him. Inside the bag are a few of my shirts and
pants as well as a pair of my sneakers, deodorant and my toothbrush. I frown.

Caden’s voice is soft when he speaks again, “I went by your
place first, just in case. I picked up some of your stuff. I thought you might
need it when I found you. You should put your shoes on.”

My chest clenches as my fingers trail one of my shoes before
I take them out and slip them onto my feet. His thoughtfulness hurts.

“You kept my notes,” he says quietly. “All of them.”

My cheeks flame. He found them all in my bedside drawer.
“So? Don’t embarrass yourself by making a bigger deal out of it than it is.”

“Kitten−”

“Now that I have my stuff I’ll be on my way.”

I rezip the bag and grab the handles with my left hand. I
barely blink before a line of cold metal clamps around my wrist.

Click.

I stare down at the metal bracelet around my wrist and
follow the small chain to the other bracelet which he closes around his right
wrist.

Muthafucker.

He has cuffed us together.

“Take this off now,” I demand through gritted teeth.

“Nope.”

I let out a long string of curse words which only serves to
make Caden smirk. “Colorful. Very ladylike.”

I start to throw punches at him with my free hand, which he
blocks with his free arm. “Do it now. I am not staying cuffed to you.”

“No can do.” He manages to kick out one of my feet, making
me unstable. Before I can right myself he has spun me and I find myself with my
back against his chest and his thick arm around me. My skin alights at his
nearness and I feel myself shudder internally. “Even if I wanted to uncuff you
from my side, which I don’t by the way, I can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t?”

“I left the key in the car.”

Bastard. But my imagination starts running on a different
track. Caden. Me. Cuffed together. He spins me out and pushes me back to the
bed, falling down after me. I can feel his weight crushing me along the length
of my body and his erection pressing at my thigh. The familiar ache throbs to
life in me. God damn him. How can he still make me want him so much? Even after
everything. He groans against the pulse in my neck. “See what you do to me, kitten.”
He grabs my cuffed hand and places it on his…

Dammit. I blink and stare at the empty bed in front of me. I
can’t be this close to Caden. I need to get away from him. “Let go of me.” I
struggle against him. I look down and try and slam my heel into his instep, but
he just lifts me up so my feet are helplessly dangling off the floor. I wriggle
harder, trying to slip loose from his grip. I can’t get loose. I let out another
string of curse words directed at him.

He sighs. “Look, you can either walk out of here with me
peacefully or I can knock you unconscious and carry you out.”

Fury swirls inside me and mixes unabashedly with heat. “Fuck
you.”

“Okay, unconscious it is.” He reaches up to my neck with his
free hand. Dammit. I will not be carried out of here like some rolled-up rug. I
resign myself to give in. I’m not going to win this. Not at this moment. I need
to pick my battles.

“Okay, okay,” I gasp out. “I’ll come peacefully.”

“You sure?” I can hear the disbelief in his voice.

I inject as much submission as I can bear into my voice.
“Yes. I won’t cause any trouble.”

“Why do I not believe you?” he mutters as he slowly sets me
down and releases me. He grabs my bag with his left hand.

I try to snatch it off him. “I can carry my own damn bag.”

He mutters under his breath and I catch the words “stubborn”
and “pain-in-the-ass” as he swings the bag out of my reach and over his head so
that the long strap slings over his body and rests on his back. He starts for
the door, not bothering to shorten his long strides, and he drags me along with
him. I stumble after him.

He stops at the door, opens it and peers out. He turns
briefly to me and pulls his gun out from his belt. “Coast is clear. Let’s go.”

He pulls me along the short length of corridor, his gun
leading the way. We reach the fire escape and slip inside the cold, dank
stairwell. He pushes the light on and the staircase is coated in a sickly
light.

“You think they might be here?” I ask.

“No, they don’t know about this place. But better safe than
sorry.”

When we get to the ground floor the back exit is lit up by
the green glowing exit sign above the door. He presses down the door handle
with the butt of his gun, pushes the door open a slip and peers out.

“Stay close,” he whispers to me.

I snort. “Like I have a choice.”

We slip out into the dark night. He presses against the
building and slides along until he gets to the corner. Along the side fence is
a slim path overgrown with untrimmed bushes.

He pauses and turns back to whisper to me, “My car is the
black sedan parked directly across the road from the entrance. Walk calmly with
me to the driver’s side, wait for me to open the door and climb through to the
passenger’s side. Got it?”

“I know how to walk to a getaway vehicle, you know.”

He gives me an exasperated look before reaching into his
pocket with his cuffed hand. In turn it yanks my hand forward and I almost
touch his crotch. My cheeks heat. Damn him. He pulls out his car key and gives
the street another cursory look.

“Let’s go,” he says, and he takes off into the open,
gripping the gun to his side.

The metal of my cuff cuts into my skin and I wince, but I
force myself not to make a peep. I won’t give him the satisfaction. I am
itching to pull out my gun, still hidden in my pants, and put a bullet in one
of his long legs. That’d slow the bastard down. But I don’t. I need to bide my
time. I need to be obedient with him and lull him into trusting me. Then once I
have the damn cuff off me, I can pull out the gun and take pleasure in watching
his face turn when he realizes he has been fooled. Like the bastard fooled me.

The openness of the street feels like a savannah. I imagine
predators lurking in the shadows, watching us. My gaze darts around, my skin
alert. God, why do my shoes have to be so loud? My footsteps are ricocheting
like bullets off the inside of cave walls.

We almost reach the car when I hear, “Well, well, well.”
It’s a deep voice calling from behind us.

Shit.

Caden turns, shooting an arm out to push me behind him. Over
his shoulder I can see the barrel of a gun pointing at us from the open
driver’s side window of a dark car parked silently in the shadows. The car door
opens and a dark figure steps out. “Drop the gun, Caden, and kick it over to
me.”

Caden laughs. “What game are you playin’, Mack?”

Click.

“I ain’t playin’. Do it or I shoot.”

“Okay, okay.” Caden drops his gun. It clatters on the gravel
and he kicks it over to the man named Mack still hidden in the shadows. Cade
lifts his hands, pulling my cuffed hand up with it, and I raise my other hand
to follow.

“I always knew there was something off about you, Caden,”
Mack says. “When I spoke to Valentine, she said you were too much of a pussy to
fuck her, even though you told everyone you did. I mean, who the fuck turns
down Valentine?”

Valentine. The matchbook. The woman on the other end of the
line.

“So I got suspicious,” Mack continued. “And when this
familiar-looking broad shows up on our lot, you start acting mighty strange.
It’s a good thing I decided to follow you.”

He moves forward so that the streetlight shines dimly across
his hook nose. It’s the guy who recognized me at the lot. I flinch and draw
closer to Caden. My heart thunders like a wild horse, desperate for escape.
They’ve found me. Jacob has found me.

“That’s fuckin’ bullshit, mate. You’re just mad ‘cause I got
to her before you,” says Cade. “I’m taking her in to the boss right now. I
don’t need your help to handle her.”

“Do you think I’m fuckin’ stupid?” Mack moves around the car
towards us. Caden shuffles back slightly against me and I grip his arm. “What’s
Jacob gonna say when I tell him I found you cozying up to his girl? Looks like
you’re going to get your wish, Caden. You’ll finally get to meet the big man in
person.”

Mack jerks his gun. “Both of you, hands on the boot of the
car.”

“What do we do, Caden?” I whisper to him.

“Just do what he says, kitten,” Caden whispers back. But I
can see in his eyes the look of defiance. He hasn’t given up. He’s trying to
find a way out of this mess.

My resolve firms up. I’m not giving up either.

We walk slowly to the car boot and place our hands on the
bonnet. It’s warmed from the engine. I hear Mack step behind us. Out of the
corner of my eye, I see him thrust the barrel of his gun into Caden’s back as
he pats him down. Mack finds a second gun holstered under Cade’s pants around
his ankle. He belts this gun and steps back. Then he rummages through my bag
before he is satisfied there are no more weapons.