Second Debt (Indebted #3)(14)

Once again, my family had destroyed any hope of me finding salvation by breaking the one woman who might’ve been strong enough to help me.

Nila murmured, “I don’t kiss men who I find abhorrent. Whatever happened between us is over.”

Gritting my teeth, I unfolded. “Quiet!”

She froze.

My outburst sliced through our bullshit, granting a smidgen of clarity. “Don’t lie to me. You will let me inside you. And you will let me own you.” Snatching her wrist, I jerked her close. “You will because we don’t have a choice. You’re inside me. Don’t you get it? You’re inside me. And it’s only fair that I’m inside you.”

Silence.

Breathing hard, I growled, “You know as well as I do the dangerous game we’re playing. I won’t retaliate from what you just did, but don’t push me any further. And don’t you dare f*cking say it’s over.” Pressing my nose against hers, I hissed, “Because it’s not.”

Her eyes flared. “Believe me, it is over. I have no intention of ever touching you again.”

My temper boiled at the thought of her denying me more of this—whatever this was. I’d tasted her; I refused to believe we were through.

Cupping her jaw, I murmured, “The moment this morning is done, I’ll show you how wrong you are. I’ll show you how deep I am inside you. How f*cked both of us are.” I pressed my lips against her cheekbone. “You want to win? What if I told you it would be better if you lost? Better for both of us if you submitted and stopped fighting for a change.”

She laughed. “Stop fighting? That’s all we have. Don’t you see? If I don’t fight you—then what am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to be okay with all of this?”

“Yes.”

She snorted, anger sharpening her features. “Delusional as well as insane.” Shoving me, she demanded, “Tell me why you’re here before I knee you in the balls again.”

God, I wanted to strike her.

I wanted to antagonise her to the point of giving in just so I could f*ck her again. My blood was lava; my cock rock hard.

Trying to get myself under control, I snapped, “I forgot to complete a part of the First Debt. My father just reminded me.”

She stiffened. “Didn’t I pay enough for that monster? Twenty-one lashings complete with scars that will last a lifetime. Or did he find out you didn’t freeze me before making me bleed?”

Resentment radiated on her face.

How could I handle her like this? This belligerent?

“No matter what you think of me, I’m doing my best to protect you. I told you I would be in equal trouble for disobeying. I have no intention of explaining the truth.”

Despite herself, some of her temper dispersed, leaving resigned tolerance in her gaze. “If it’s not that…then what?”

My fingers curled tighter around her wrist. I winced as something sharp dug into my thumb. Holding up her arm, the glint of metal winked through the black fabric of her jumper. “Are there needles in your cuffs?”

She tried to jerk her arm away. Unsuccessfully.

“Hardly safe, don’t you think?”

She looked at the sharp pins as I pulled them free and dropped them onto a side table.

Her lips curled. “A hazard of the occupation. It’s convenient to have them there—I misplace them if I’m knee deep in material.” Her black eyes met mine. “Careful where you touch me, Jethro. You’ll never know if a needle will stab you to death.”

I froze. Everything she said came layered with hints and metaphors.

A chill scattered down my spine. “You’re beginning to piss me off, Ms. Weaver. If I didn’t know any better, I would take that as a threat.”

“Maybe you should.”

“Maybe you should say what you mean and be done with it.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought I just did. I hate you. There, that blatant enough?”

Oh, my f*cking God. This woman.

“You don’t hate me.”

She snarled. “Believe me. I do.”

“You don’t know me.”

“I know more than I need and I don’t like what I know.”

My heart lurched. “You’re just like them. Judging me before you understand me.” The moment the words were free, I panicked. What the f*ck?

My fingers twitched to wrap around her throat, to squeeze the knowledge of my secrets from her ears. She’d cut me out. She didn’t deserve to understand.

I moved forward, closing the distance between us, unable to ignore the twinges of cuts on my soles. “Stop punishing me for what happened yesterday.”

She laughed coldly. “Yesterday? You think my repulsion of you is from yesterday?”

I frowned. “Of course, it is. Before you saw what was on the moor, you liked me. You kissed me. You wrapped your legs around me while I f*cked—”

“And you fell for it, didn’t you?” Her smile was nasty. “I made you kiss me. I made you f*ck me to prove a point.”

The fire in my blood suddenly snuffed out, leaving my heart blackened and charred and eager for the creeping icicles in the dark. My voice dropped to an emotionless void. “What do you mean?”

You used me.

Same as them.