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“And I declined.”
“I wasn’t askin’.”
Planting my palms on the counter, I lean toward him. “What makes you think I’d want to help you?”
“Because I’ll keep my mouth shut about your ability if you do.”
A red haze clouds my vision at the audacity of this man. My words are clipped, cold, and harsh. “You. Motherfucking. Asshole.”
He lifts a shoulder in a casual shrug. “You won’t have to worry about word gettin’ out as long as you help me.”
“That’s blackmail!”
“Call it whatever you want. You’re the only one who can help me.”
My fingers curl into fists against the counter. “And just how exactly am I supposed to help you?”
A beat of silence lingers before he straightens and scrubs a hand down his face. His voice is somber and muted. “Emilia worked at a place downtown called HelixCorp.”
He shakes his head, frustration creasing his dark brows. “I’ve dug and dug and can’t find shit on them. All I can pull up is the name and that it’s supposedly in downtown Jacksonville, but nobody actually knows where. It’s fuckin’ weird as hell.”
The edges of his mouth pinch in irritation while desperation lines his tone. “Look, you could easily help me poke around, and with your ability, nobody would be aware.”
It’s that desperation and beseeching look in his eyes that pull at me.
Dammit. What is wrong with me? I cross paths with a gang member and all of a sudden I’m ripped free of all logic and common sense? Self-preservation?
This man has somehow erected a section of my heart that isn’t black and decrepit. It’s the part of my heart that wishes I had someone just as hellbent and protective. That’s what has me edging closer to agreeing to help him.
But I’m sure as shit not dismissing his blackmail threat. No way, no how. “You realize I could stop time and kill you, right?”
I’m bullshitting him, because I’m sure as hell not a murderer. But I force myself to hold his icy stare. I refuse to be pushed around and manipulated like some kind of pawn.
His mouth hardens, green eyes chilling over. “You threatenin’ me?”
I let out a harsh laugh and lift my chin. “Yeah, Danny. I am.”
“You know what usually happens to people who threaten me?”
A lump forms in my throat, but I refuse to back down now. “I’ve got a pretty good idea.”
His eyes skim over my features. “Yet here you are, doin’ it all the same.”
Silence descends over us, saturated with tension, and it takes all my willpower not to look away from his penetrating gaze. Once he finally leans back a fraction, still scrutinizing me, the corner of his mouth twitches, and I get the feeling he’s begrudgingly impressed that I’m not backing down.
Desperation to gain the upper hand has the words falling from my mouth before I realize it. “Just so you know, I’m not fucking you again.”
Not one ounce of surprise flashes across his handsome features. He just surveys me critically for a beat before the outer edges of his eyes crease as though I’ve amused him.
He steps back, gaze locked on me, and the challenge gleaming in the depths plants a seed of panic in my gut. Because this is decidedly not the kind of man to challenge in any way.
It’s confirmed with his next words, spoken with that trademark arrogance. “Yeah? We’ll see about that.”
34
DANIEL
“Are you seriously planning to creep on me for the rest of the day?”
