Page 73 of Power and Possession

But from the paleness of Steele’s face, I knew it wasn’t over.

“I won’t do it,” Steele said, the venom in his voice practically poisonous.

I heard a deep chuckle on the other end, and then Steele dropped the phone on the couch.

“You have to stay here, Ashlynn. I have to take care of this.” He launched to his feet, looking around the room for his clothes, dressing as if he was going to war. Dark jeans, a dark shirt, a leather jacket.

“I won’t stay here, Steele! What in the hell is going on? What does my father want?”

Steele looked at me in pity. “He has Cooper. He wants a trade.” He grabbed a handgun from the nightstand drawer and tucked it into the waistband in the back of his pants.

“You? You can’t be serious. I just got you back!”

He stopped dead in his tracks. Eyes searching mine, looking for the confirmation of what I’d said. One, two, three seconds. He looked at me as if I was the only thing in life that held any meaning for him. He worshipped me with his eyes, caressed me with his stare. His entire being seemed to absorb everything that I was.

He pulled me into his arms, kissing me fully on the mouth. It was the first kiss we’d shared since I’d left, and I tried to put every ounce of feeling I had into it.

Steele moaned slightly and then pulled my bottom lip into his mouth savagely. I panted, shocked by the level of his passion. My emotions were all over the place. I was scared, nervous, full of lust…I felt like the only thing holding me together was skin and muscle and tissue.

He broke our kiss suddenly, and then cupped my face in his large hands. His calloused fingertips rubbed my cheeks, and then he kissed me on the forehead.

He turned his back to me, heading out of his room and down the stairs.

I chased after him, wearing nothing but his shirt and my panties, my bare feet tripping on the rug in my haste. “Steele! You can’t do this. Bring me with you. I can make my father see reason.”

He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, his back to me, shoulders slightly hunched.

“I can convince him to let you both go.”

Steele turned on the spot, looking up at me.

“It’s not me he wants, Ashlynn. It’s you.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

Ashlynn

I should have known that my father wouldn’t have believed my flimsy story about needing time away. He probably had security cameras all over the warehouse, watching everything. I’d been so stupid. Of course he knew I was the one who rescued Steele. He’d watched me unlock the door and help him hobble out into the waiting limo.

And now Steele was going to pay the price.

I had to stop him.

“Take me with you. Or else I’ll do something stupid, Steele. You know me. I’ll be reckless, I won’t give up. Please. I can calm my father down.”

Steele looked at me, his eyes possessive. It was clear that the look meant that I was his, and there was no way he would ever let me go again.

So I was shocked when he nodded to the bedroom. “Go upstairs and get dressed.”

I ran upstairs like lightning, flying into his room and looking for a pair of sweatpants to put on. I was pulling clothing out of his closet when I heard the bedroom door close, and heard a thud as something heavy was set against the frame.

My heart sank.

Of course he wasn’t going to let me go.

I ran to the door, pounding on it. “Steele, let me out! I’ll never forgive you for this—ever! Please, I can do this!”

There was nothing but silence on the other side of the door. I slumped onto the floor, frantic. There had to be a way to get to my father, there had to be a way to talk to him—

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