Page 72 of The Trouble With Bad Boys

I bucked my hips up, anger coursing through my body. “I hate you! I wish I’d never met you!”

“I know,” he said quietly. “I wish you’d never met me either.”

The resignation in his voice penetrated my haze of anger, and tears burned across the bridge of my nose. “Please let me go. We can figure this out. We can?—”

I abruptly cut off as he pulled a long strip of fabric from his back pocket. My ire reignited as he advanced toward me, and I shook my head. “Don’t you fucking dare. I swear to God, I’ll?—”

My next words were muffled as he maneuvered the fabric over my mouth. I tossed my head, but my position made it impossible to deter him, and he tied it behind my head. I cursed him, but my vitriol was nothing but a jumbled mess behind the gag.

I glared at him, a violent storm of emotion brewing inside me. I was furious that he’d bound me to the bed. Disappointed he refused to trust me. Sad that he felt the need to do this by himself.

Staring down at me, he petted one hand over my hair. I yanked away from his touch, and his expression seemed to fall even further before the walls went back up behind his dark eyes. “I’ll be back later.”

What if he wasn’t? What if he didn’t come back at all? Fear rolled through me, and I jerked against my bonds. I screamed, but the fabric muffled the sound to a dull cry.

Rodrigo spared me a glance, his lips turning down at the corners. “Don’t hurt yourself. They won’t hear you anyway.”

I watched as he picked up the Do Not Disturb placard, then took a step backward. His gaze was fixed on me, like he wanted to say something. But what else was there to say?

He disappeared from the room and despite his warning, I screamed my rage at the top of my lungs. I kicked and bucked wildly, to no avail. After what felt like forever, I finally gave up.

I lay there, limp and exhausted, emotionally drained. Then the tears came.

Sixteen

RODRIGO

Shrouded in darkness, I sat deathly still.

Waiting. Watching.

My ears were tuned to every creak and groan; my eyes alert to each shift of the light. Hours had passed, yet there was still no sign of Araña’s men. All afternoon I’d taken up residence in the chair, watching the shadows lengthen and creep up the walls until darkness enveloped the house.

I was certain they would come. But an hour had passed, then two. Time had steadily slipped away while I’d sat guard, never moving a muscle. My body was primed and ready for action. But my mind... My mind was back in the hotel room with Lily.

Guilt clutched at my throat and tightened the muscles between my shoulder blades. What I’d done was wrong, but it was the only way to keep her safe. Lily was too damn headstrong. She would rush in to help no matter the consequences. And I refused to allow her to put herself in danger. Not for me. I didn’t deserve her nurturing. I’d brought evil to her door; it was my responsibility to make sure she was safe. Even if she hated me for it.

The words she’d thrown my way had cut deeper than any knife. The pain of hearing her say she hated me, that she wished she’d never met me, was worse than any torture. But I deserved no less. Had I never stumbled up to her door, she would be safe and completely unaware of the evils that lurked close by.

Still, I couldn’t bring myself to regret a single thing. I’d enjoyed every moment of my time with her, and I’d carry a part of her in my heart for the rest of my days. The memory of her compassion and caring would keep me warm when I was long gone, far away and all alone once more.

I adjusted my grip on the knife that rested at my side. It was the same one I’d pulled from Lily’s knife block a week ago, and I hadn’t let it out of my sight for a moment since. Araña’s men still hadn’t shown, and I now I had to wonder... Was I overthinking things?

Maybe the man I’d seen at Lily’s floral shop was just a random kid. Of course, the fact that he’d run was an admission of guilt in itself. But the question was why?

Keeping my back to the wall, I skirted the house and peered out the windows for the dozenth time. I’d cracked the window earlier so I could listen for any approaching sounds. Creatures called to one another within the woods surrounding her house, letting me know that everything was safe.

I sighed and rubbed my temples. Had I been wrong all along? Guilt pressed in on me from every side. I hated feeling this way. In fact, I’d never felt it before. I’d always been so sure of myself, justified any action I carried out. But with Lily it was different. She was good and pure, and I’d betrayed her trust.

A pang of regret ricocheted through my heart. I wasn’t sure why it bothered me so much. In the past, I’d completed my job and walked away. But Lily wasn’t a job. She was... A complication.

Every encounter with her left me rattled, unsure of every move I made. I knew she was attracted to me—but what I hadn’t counted on was the passion that had exploded between us like gunpowder.

I’d assumed whatever I felt for her was born from protectiveness; I now wondered if I had made a serious miscalculation. I wanted her with a desperation that worried me. I never lost my head over anything, let alone a woman. But how could I walk away from something so potent?

It would be wrong of me to take her to bed when I planned to leave soon. But she was single, as was I. Perhaps we could ease the ache of loneliness for just a bit—if she allowed me into her bed.

I snorted. Like that would happen after this afternoon. She was probably just waiting for me to get back so she unleash that epic redheaded temper on me. Despite the severity of the situation, I couldn’t help but smile at the thought.

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