Page 29 of Tied

Chapter 14

Cain

I never expected an answer to my question, but I love the expression on Riley’s face right now. She looks just terrified enough to tell me that she has no intention of testing me on this. She believes what I’m saying.

Still, I decide to put more weight into my threat.

“She lives on the Upper East Side in Manhattan with that rich prick, doesn’t she?” I hiss, and Riley’s eyes widen with terror. “What’s his name again? Brower, I believe? Michael Raad Brower. Isn’t that right?”

She doesn’t respond, instead only staring me down with her lips pressed into a thin line, and her face loses all of its color.

“You… wouldn’t,” she repeats, her voice so low that it’s barely audible.

“Alena is her name?” I go on, now leaning in closer to her. “Alena Prey.”

“Brower,” Riley corrects me. “They just got married.”

She bites her lip as if to stop herself from revealing any more sensitive information. Not that she did. I already knew this. I know all there is to know about little Miss Riley and her only living relative.

The only person whose life means more to her than her own.

“Leave Alena alone,” she pleads now, and heavy tears start trailing down her pale cheeks. “Please… don’t hurt my sister.”

“I won’t,” I promise. “If you do what I ask of you.”

Another tear, and another. She cries silently, seemingly unaware of the salty river drenching her pretty face. The make-up she was wearing earlier is gone now, and her hair is still damp from the shower she must have taken after she was delivered down here. Apart from the duvet wrapped around her shoulders, she’s as naked as can be. So vulnerable, so alluring.

“What exactly are you asking of me?” she sobs, subtly shaking her head. “I mean… you say I’m supposed to, like, seduce a random guy and go home with him so I can access his computer? What makes you think I could do such a thing?”

She looks so small and helpless now, the tears falling from her chin in heavy drops as she moves her head.

“Because I know what you’re capable of,” I tell her. “Don’t let this go to your head, but you’re brilliant, Riley. I know that those ridiculous Wi-Fi-hacking tasks were nothing to someone like you. I saw your code skills back then, and I’ve heard the praises from your old boss.”

The look on her face changes while she listens to me. Her cheeks are still wet, her eyes still wide with fright, but there’s a note of pride in her expression now.

“So, you did seek me out back then?” she murmurs, sounding as horrified as she is flattered.

But I shake my head. “No. That was pure coincidence. I was interested in the project, not in you.”

I relish the shadow of disappointment that cloaks her now. Little Miss Riley wanted to be seen by me, and she wanted to be appreciated for her skills more than her appearance or kinky allure. Smart girls like her always crave having someone notice and admire the brain behind the looks, even if they invest in dolling themselves up.

I feel a nudge of regret and irritation at myself upon that realization. If this is about gaining her trust and obedience, why didn’t I just lie to her? Flatter her, make her feel special. I could have told her that, yes, I did look specifically for her, maybe even stalked her to find out where she worked.

“That changed after I met you,” I add, and intrigue flickers in her grey-green eyes. “When I was told that most of the brilliant code for that program wasn’t written by the senior developer but by you, I didn’t want to believe it at first.”

“That’s why you asked me about it,” she interjects, understanding dawning on her face. “You asked me a lot of questions that were meant for Elijah. He got mad at me about it.”

I nod. “Yes, because I was intrigued with you, Riley. That such a young girl could write a program like this, it’s unheard of—to me, at least.”

She sways away from me ever so slightly when I lean in even closer to her, my face almost touching hers while I reach up, placing a finger beneath her chin to keep her face in place and make sure she doesn’t avert her eyes from me.

“And such a naughty little girl, too,” I whisper, feeling her hot breath caressing the skin above my upper lip. “I could see it in your eyes right from the start. I could hear you calling me out, begging to be tied down and taken by me like a—”

“Stop it!” she cuts me off, closing her eyes in shame. She tries to turn away from me, but I pinch her chin between two fingers, firmly holding her in place, and she grimaces in pain.

“Stop,” she repeats, her pleading eyes latched onto mine. “Stop doing that.”

“Doing what?”

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