Page 32 of Bloody Quarter

His eyes glanced over. “No.”

I shook my head. “I still don’t understand what you’re doing with me. How long do you plan on keeping me?”

“As long as it takes or until I get bored.” Greyson turned his head and looked at me, causing my stomach to flip. “You don’t want me to get bored, Alora. Bad things happen when I am.”

No, I was wrong. What was worse than Greyson knowing I’d sacrifice myself was that there was some part of my depraved mind that thought he was sexy. And, wondered what he would kiss like, what his hands running along my body would feel like, and how a man like him would fuck. What I wouldn’t give for a strong drink right now.

It was still very early, and other than a few cars that paid no attention to the fact that I was cuffed inside the truck, we didn’t see anyone. Pulling down the alley that ran behind his bar, there were a handful of parking spots which was rare in the city. He backed into one and shut off the vehicle before looking at me.

“I need to prep you for tonight, and I expect you to behave, Doll. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” He hopped out, and every instinct in my body screamed to run as soon as I could, but I didn’t, and I knew I wouldn’t. He’d managed to cage me without any bars.

I watched him walk around the truck, and everything he did was predatory. I’d seen him switch it off, but his instinct was to hunt. If we were animals, he’d be a tiger or something else equally as cunning and agile. Greyson opened the door, and he lifted a brow at me. That subtle expression told me that he was very aware of my state of mind. It was really fucking strange to feel like I knew his thoughts when I hardly understood my own.

As soon as his hands encircled my wrists, my pulse went haywire, and it took far too much self-control not to moan. He didn’t take any chances. As soon as one cuff was unlocked, he clipped it to his wrist.

I held up our hands as we walked away from the truck. “You know, if you have to handcuff girls to be with you, then it’s probably something you should analyze,” I said, and the corner of his mouth turned up.

“I have no problem getting women. I could have ten tonight if I wanted.” A pang of jealousy stabbed me, and I clenched my teeth together to keep from showing it. He stopped with his hand on the back door and looked down at me. “You don’t like that, do you?”

“I didn’t say anything. Do whatever the hell you like as long as it leads to letting me go.”

“You’re so quick to ask for your freedom but name one thing out there that you are excited about. That you want to live for? That drives you to wake up in the morning and look forward to the day?”

I looked away. “I wanted to take classes to become a chef, well, a baker, really.” There was no point in hiding it from him. It wasn’t like it was ever going to happen. “I wanted to buy a small home of my own. I had plans.”

“And yet they weren’t enough to keep you from almost throwing yourself off of a bridge.” My jaw ached from clenching so hard as I glared up at him. “Don’t get angry with me for speaking the truth.”

“Whatever.”

“I’ll make you a deal, Doll, so that you can see I’m more than what you think I am.”

“You don’t know what I think you are.”

“Let’s not play games. Of course, I do, but that is not the point. The point is this…admit that you’re jealous. Admit that you would hate to see me fuck another woman in front of you and that you’d be consumed with dark and murderous thoughts. If you do, I will pay for the course you want. I will even go so far as to set up online courses so you can start right away before classes start next semester. But you must tell me the truth first.”

What I really wanted was to punch him in the face, steal the key, and run. Then keep running until everything from my past, New Orleans, and Greyson Laurent became nothing more than a distant memory.

“You’re never going to let me attend class. Do you really think I’m that stupid?” I tried to cross my arms and jerked to a halt due to the wrist on the other end of the handcuff. I pointed at the cuff. “Case in point. You have me for whatever reason in your head, and when you’re done, I’m dead. I’ll be another trophy in your case or whatever it is that you keep. I know what you are. The problem is, I died eight years ago, so there is nothing you can do to me that’s worse than the pain I’ve already caused myself.”

I yelped as Greyson pushed me up against the door. My stupid heart hammered, and not solely out of fear, as he tipped my chin up. His lips hovered over mine, his stare penetrating my mind and making me swallow hard. It didn’t matter if I scolded myself and said that I shouldn’t want anything to do with him. My body enjoyed his touch, and he was right. I would be jealous.

“You’re only partially right.”

“What part am I wrong about,” I asked, the heat of his body forcing its way under my skin and warming me. It was just as demanding as everything else about him.

“Some things you need to take a leap of faith to find out.”

“Faith? That’s a funny word coming out of your mouth,” I said, not even sure where I was getting the balls to be so bold.

“Maybe, but it’s not for me. You believe in a world beyond this one, or you wouldn’t sit at your sister’s tomb and talk to her when there is nothing but dried bones encased inside.” I narrowed my eyes into a glare. “Fuck me. You are sexy. Now, say the words you know are on the tip of your tongue, and I will give you the carrot.”

“And what if I don’t?”

He smiled before he nipped my bottom lip almost hard enough to draw blood. “Then you will feel my stick.”