He was standing there, and then he wasn’t standing, he was walking toward me, one small step at a time approaching me like he had not a care in the world.

“Let me go,” I said, keeping my voice even and firm.

“We discussed this,bella. The answer is no,” he said.

He got closer, and I realized that he was naked, though I refused to let my gaze linger, much as it wanted to.

Told myself that the physical reaction to him, that the way my pussy was clenching with unfamiliar need was only adrenaline.

“I won’t ask so nicely next time,” I said, extending my hands.

“Trouble, are you going to shoot me?” He actually smiled, the first real smile I had seen from him.

“My name is not Trouble,” I said, the sound too much like a pout for my liking.

“It may not be your name, but that’s what you are. Nothing but,” he said.

“Trouble?” I huffed. “Me? I’m a fucking vet tech. I take care of strays. I go to night school. I don’t do anything to anybody. It’s not?—”

I cut off quickly, knowing that I was losing my cool.

He didn’t give a shit who I was, just like he didn’t give a shit how I got here.

So I couldn’t be desperate.

And more importantly, I needed to remember that I was the one with the leverage now.

“Now put on some clothes and walk me out of here,” I said.

“You’re not gonna shoot me,” he said, stepping closer.

“I will,” I responded, my voice not wavering.

I hoped I wouldn’t have to, but I wouldn’t let my inaction lead to my demise.

I’d gone through too much, had lost too much to let my own fear and weakness bring me to my end.

“You won’t,” he said.

He was so close now that if I stretched my arms, the gun would touch his chest.

Not an instant later, I realized he was close enough to wrestle the gun out of my hands.

Click.

I pulled the trigger almost instantaneously after that realization hit me and then waited.

Looked down at the gun when nothing happened, and pulled the trigger again.

And again.

Click. Click. Click. Click.

Nico smirked. “You can’t shoot me with no bullets, Trouble,” he said. Then he shrugged and plucked the gun out of my hands.

My fingers fell away effortlessly, because I knew there was no point in struggling.

“So you’re not a complete novice, but you don’t know the difference between the weight of a gun with bullets versus the weight of a gun with an empty magazine.”