Page 29 of Liberating Lily

At least it was still the same day. She hadn’t lost a lot of time.

“Why did you bring me here, Harvey? I thought you were Rick’s friend.”

She eyed him. Honestly, pretending to give in to him and lull him into a false sense of security wasn’t going very well.

Perhaps she needed another plan. Maybe there was something around the cabin she could use to drug him or hit him over the head with. Yeah, that sounded like a much simpler plan. Now she just had to find it.

“Not sure I like that look in your eyes,” he said. “You look like you can’t decide what would be the best method to use to kill me.”

Damn it. She also had to work harder on keeping her thoughts off her face. He read her far too easily.

“No protest. So, you really are dreaming up ways to murder me, huh?” he said with a grin.

She was kind of insulted that he seemed so amused about that. Shouldn’t he be a little bit scared about her trying to harm him?

“You don’t seem concerned about that.”

“You can try, baby, but you’re not going to be successful. Have another mouthful.”

“You didn’t answer my last question.”

“I kind of thought it was obvious.”

She shook her head. It really wasn’t.

“I took you because it wasn’t safe for you there. An opportunity arose and I took it. But the main reason that you are here with me is because it’s where you belong. You’re mine, Lily. And we’re going to stay here as long as we need to for you to learn that.”

He really was serious about her being his.

“You can’t just claim someone simply because you want them. You can’t just kidnap them and hold them hostage until they want you too.”

“I think the fact you’re here is proof that I can. However, I already know that you want me, remember? Wanting me isn’t the issue. Desiring me isn’t the problem. Acknowledging it to yourself is. Letting yourself be happy is. Giving me all of your problems and issues so I can make them go away is. Knowing that you’re going to be mine forever and embracing that, is.”

“I . . . I . . .” She rubbed her forehead, feeling her headache start up again. This was all too much, and she couldn’t cope. Everything he was saying couldn’t possibly be true. This sort of thing didn’t happen in real life. It was like some sort of movie or book.

People didn’t just kidnap other people to force them to be with them.

“Life doesn’t work this way.”

“It does when you’re me,” he said.

“I thought you were a nice guy, an ordinary guy.”

“I am a nice guy when I want to be, when things are going my way. I’m a nice guy to most people. Just not to people who get between me and what I want.”

“Who got between you and what you want?” she asked.

“You already know the answer to that. Rick did. Your mother did. But they’ve both been taken out, and I didn’t even have to do anything. Your sister and her man took care of them. Your mother and Rick basically self-destructed. Isn’t it nice when the bad guys don’t win?”

“You don’t consider yourself a bad guy?” she asked.

“Of course not. Ask anyone. Harvey Gallagher is the nicest guy they’ve ever met, always ready to help. He donates to causes like sick children and animal shelters. Comes from a good family, had a nice upbringing. There are very few people that would have a bad word to say about me.”

“Because you got rid of the ones that would?”

She did not like the smug look on his face. Had she actually guessed properly? Lily swallowed heavily.

“You didn’t, did you?” she asked.