Page 36 of Captured Onyx

Chapter 17

Malia

There he goes again. Trying to intimidate me by threatening to kill my parents.

A threat that I assume is an empty one.

I want to tell him. I want to say it out loud, to let him know that I see right through him.

But I won't. I will be smart about this. I can still use this knowledge to my advantage.

And besides, even if he really doesn't know anything about me or my parents now, he could still gather that information and turn the threat into a real one.

I don't want that to happen. It's one thing to fear for my own life, I can handle that, but it's an entirely different thing when it comes to my loved ones. It's bad enough that they have to deal with my disappearance right now.

I wonder how long it took Liliane to realize that I was gone? Did she want to let me sleep in and waited until the afternoon before she knocked on my door? Did she try calling me to go for breakfast? How did she react when I didn’t answer? What did she find once she got into my room? Did she tell my parents right away? Are they searching for me already? Is there anything her husband Jayson can do to find me? He's wealthy and well-connected in a world inhabited by people who can pull strings... the police, local government. Is he powerful enough to pull the strings necessary to start a search investigation for me?

If he is, this could all be over before it even starts. It could be over long before I even have to touch a gun again.

"You understand that, don't you?" Nate snarls, tearing me away from my thoughts. The stern, unyielding look on his face stands in stark contrast to the soft, caring tone of his voice from this afternoon that still echoes deep inside my chest. "You're putting your family at risk if you don't do as you're told, Onyx."

Onyx. I won't lie, it's the nicest and most creative pet name anyone has ever used for me.

"I understand," I say, batting my eyelashes nervously, suppressing the urge to spit out the truth at him. "I already told you I'll try my best. I'm just worried that it won't be good enough."

I sigh, the weight of responsibility heavy on my shoulders. "You said Lailah grew up in this world. She was trained for years and familiar with your ways. How am I supposed to catch up within just a few days? You're asking too much of me."

"Maybe I am," he admits. "But we'll try. It's all we can do."

Again, he speaks as if I was involved with devising this plan, as if it was my destiny to be fulfilled. I wonder if it's part of his strategy to make me feel like I belong, like I am one of them.

Like I am his.

"You said you trained Lailah," I say softly, deciding to boldly step out of my comfort zone to ask a question that's been bothering me since the start. "What kind of training specifically? Did you just train her for combat, or..."

I evade his eyes as I feel the blush heating my cheeks. He has seen me naked, he made me shower in front of him, ordered me to prepare my body for God knows what—and every time he touched me, he said I needed to get used to it.

But why?

"Or for what?" he prompts, stepping closer.

I don't know how to react. Instinct tells me to retreat, but another part of me yearns for his touch. How can it feel so good when it's clearly so wrong?

"Or did you also teach her to... you know, seduce people?"

My face must be burning as the embarrassment worsens when I realize that he must be able to see it, despite the dim lighting in this room.

"What do you think?" he asks, his finger tracing along the side of my body. The touch is subtle, barely noticeable through the fabric of the sweatpants I'm wearing. Barely noticeable, yet it sends electric shocks ricocheting down my spine.

"You said I need to get used to being touched by you," I dare to say. "Is it because being physically close to you is part of the mission? Because you'll not only teach me how to shoot a gun but also how to seduce a man?"

He chuckles. "Being physically close. Fuck, that's cute."

I press my lips together in anger, feeling another wave of shame washing over me. I feel so foolish.

"Why can't you just answer my question," I blurt out.

"I think I just did, Onyx," he says coyly, finally withdrawing his hand. I relax instantly, a faint sigh escaping my lips as my shoulders slacken.

---