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Heat flared in my stomach, causing the churning to stop and my arms to burn. No, I wouldn’t let these people confuse me. I’d been a fighter my whole life, I wasn’t about to stop now.
“Explain yourself,” I pushed through gritted teeth.
Sighing, Joseph clenched his jaw and glanced at the monitors, just as Finley kissed me. The red of his cheeks grew, flushing down his neck. The tension across his shoulders made me aware that he was a ticking bomb, ready to explode.
“I own this club.”
“You what now?” I blurted, my mouth dropping open.
Hitting a button on the desk to pause the video, Joseph turned to me, his hands held to his sides as he clenched his fingers into his palms. “I haven’t exactly been honest with you. I like games, I wanted to know who you were, and whether or not you could be trusted.”
“So… you expect me to let you know everything about me in order for you to trust me? While keeping everything…” Breathing in hard, I tried to stem my inner shivering “…and I mean fucking everything… from me?”
“Like I said,” he forced out, “I like games.”
“I don't understand.” Frowning, I shook my head. “You know what? I don't care. This isn't worth it, I quit!”
Spinning from the craziness in front of me, I reached for the door. My hand didn't make it, instead pausing in mid-air where Joe caught my elbow and squeezed. I yelped, glaring at him as I wrenched away.
Holding up his hands as I turned to face him, he swallowed. “I'm sorry, I don't want to be that guy.” He waved to the screens behind us. “But you need to hear me out. To let me show you that you don't have to tolerate that behaviour. To show you...” Coming closer, he stared down into my eyes. “...that you deserve so much fucking more.”
“Honesty,” I breathed, “I deserve that more than anything.”
His eyes blinked as he slowly nodded his head. “Yes, you do. And you'll get that. After...”
“After what?” Butterflies flickered in my stomach as he offered his hand, gesturing for me to take it.
His powerful scent wafted over me and filtered into my nostrils. There was something about the way he was asking me to trust him that drew me in. I was a fool for even debating slipping my fingers into his - which they did, quite against my own reason. And yet, I couldn't help myself. Clearly, I needed a lobotomy.
“You need to do something,' he said, leading me out of the door and through the entrance of the main club room.
Swallowing, I followed him, my gaze raking the whole room, which was now empty. With the lights up and the bodies gone, the grandeur of the old theatre was obvious. The red and gold that lined the old chairs had been spruced up. The stage was empty, the red curtain pulled back and pinned with giant gold leaves. I tried to concentrate on my surroundings, but my heartbeat pounded in my chest as Joseph marched us to the corridor that led to the bathroom. My feet slowed as I pulled back, trying to stop our momentum. Joseph ignored me, tugging hard on my wrist and looking at me over his shoulder.
“Please,” he insisted, “Trust me.”
His pleading made me bite my bottom lip as I stepped forward, nodding for him to go on. Why was he taking me back to the place where I’d been attacked? I didn’t have time to ask him the question before he shoved open the swinging black door and propelled me inside, urging me towards the sink.
“Stand there,” he said, moving to the exact place where Finley had stood the night before.
Wringing my hands together, I eyed the sink before looking at him. For some bizarre reason, he wanted me to replay what had happened. Why else would he bring me to this place? Surely, he wasn’t sadistic enough to enjoy seeing my discomfort. Or was he? I didn’t know any more.
He stayed silent until I stepped forward and turned to face him, leaning my back against the very spot I had touched last night. “Come on then,” I spat, “why the fuck are we here?”
Placing his hands on his hips, he squared his shoulders as he stared at me. “Pretend I’m him.”
My head was shaking before any words slipped out of my mouth. “No way.”
His jaw tightened, the stubble moving as he bit down on his teeth hard. “You need to take back what they’ve taken from you. Pretend I’m him.”
Frowning, I crossed my arms over my chest and cocked my hip. I considered myself quite an intelligent person, most of the time. However, his therapy session certainly wasn’t what I had been expecting. It was almost laughable. Except, the muscles in his arms flexed as he folded his fingers into his palms and took a step forward. He straightened his spine and came closer still, his energy intimidating rather than soft.
“What are you doing?” Perspiration lined my palms, making them slippery against my top.
“If you want to pretend,” he muttered, “I will.”
My mouth opened to answer but before I could, he stepped right up to me and pressed his weight against my body. We had shared intimacy, and yet, his energy wasn’t kind. Still, I couldn’t quite understand what he was trying to do.
“I’m going to take what I want.” Joseph grabbed my hands and held them tight against the surface of the sink.
