Page 35 of Wicked and Bound

Karliah blew him a kiss and playfully pushed him away before running down the beach with a final giggle.

Nash turned to head back to the suite. He stopped when he heard footsteps approaching on the sand. Mr. Gray—a shark in human form—appeared, looking immaculate in white linen.

His smile didn’t reach his icy eyes. “Mr. King, might I have a word?”

The smarmy bastard had come alone, so he probably didn’t have violence in mind. If he got aggressive, Nash could overtake him, no sweat. But it would blow up the whole operation. So he waited as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

“Sure. Beautiful evening,” Nash said casually.

“Indeed. I must admit to some…concerns.” Gray clasped his hands behind his back, circling Nash. “You paid quite handsomely for your breeder, yet our monitoring suggests you haven’t utilized her at all since your claiming.”

He’d known these freaks were keeping tabs, but damn. “Are you questioning my methods for dealing withmyproperty?”

“Merely making certain you understand that she’s yours to use at your whim, however you like. Whenever you’d like. The goal is, after all, to impregnate her.”

Nash’s stomach turned, but he kept his voice steady. “I prefer to break a woman slowly. The longer they resist, the sweeter the eventual surrender.”

“An admirable technique, but given her…spirit, some might wonder if you’re being too gentle. Almost…protective.” Gray’s smile didn’t hide the veiled threat in his voice.

“I know what I’m doing, and I don’t need you or anyone else interfering. As you pointed out, I paid handsomely for her.”

“Of course.” Gray studied him. “Still, we do have certain expectations. It would be…unfortunate if your purchase required additional motivation from our staff.”

Images of what that might entail burned across Nash’s brain—the equipment he’d glimpsed in their dungeons, the screams he sometimes heard at night. Letting these monsters “motivate” her was unthinkable.

“That won’t be necessary. In fact, I’ve been planning something special for tonight. Something that should diffuse her attitude and make her putty in my hands.”

Gray’s wide smile said that idea excited him. “Excellent. I look forward to seeing you taking the…situation in hand.”

As the asshole walked away, Nash breathed through his anger. But he had to take at least part of the blame. Last night’s cuddle on the couch with a movie had been unwise. He’d known it was a risk. Push had now come to shove, and he had toconvince Haisley to play along tonight. Worse, he couldn’t even explain himself. She was going to have to trust him.

Which she seemingly didn’t.

His chest tightened as he headed back to their suite.

If he wasn’t careful, tonight might destroy everything between them. Even if they survived this hell and tore down this predatory operation, what he had to do to sell his cover might destroy any chance of winning Haisley back. But if he had to choose between breaking her trust or watching her die, he’d sacrifice her trust every time. Even if it meant losing her forever.

The weight of that choice pressed against his chest like a physical thing. Protector. Perpetrator. Lover. Enemy. The lines were blurring, and he was terrified of what that meant for them both.

CHAPTER NINE

Haisley curled deeper into the window seat, tightening the belt of her silky borrowed robe. She’d given up pretending to read after staring at the same page for an hour and failing to absorb a single word. Outside, the Caribbean sun gleamed off the stunningly blue water. It should have been beautiful, but like everything about this island, it was merely a facade, steeped in deceit and danger.

And it was sucking Nash in.

Since that horrific night in the Midnight Sanctuary when he’d been forced to claim her in front of an audience, something had changed between them. And she felt it casting a long, dark shadow over her heart.

After that shattering on-stage performance, he’d taken her to their suite, drawn her into the shower, and whispered his explanation in her ear. It had made sense. Of course they were being watched. Tested. He’d had to make the claiming real.

But no matter how gentle his touches or how sincere his apology, she hadn’t been able to shake off that awful night. She’d felt faceless, voiceless. Like a mere possession. Unimportant. Disposable. And knowing that he’d lied to her about the Jasper thing only magnified her feelings. She’d heard his rationale forthe ruse. On some level, she even understood. But unlike that horrible claiming ceremony, no one had forced him to lie to her. To hurt her. He had chosen to do that on his own.

From the moment she’d stepped foot in this suite, it had become her gilded cage. And Nash? Her keeper. He came and went at all hours, offering no explanation about where he’d been or what progress he’d made in finding their escape. Most days, he barely spoke to her. Rarely touched her. Without that contact, she felt lost.

Last night before the movie, his phone had buzzed twice. Both times he’d stepped away, speaking in carefully generic responses. Afterward, he’d offered no information. He had simply plopped on the sofa beside her and tuned her out. This morning, she’d woken up alone.

Something had to give.

The operative who swore he’d come to save her no longer felt like the man she’d fallen for, but a stranger. Nash Scott had always been tenderly dominant and unflinchingly protective. Jasper King was cold and calculating, keeping her in the dark while he played spy games. She understood the need for secrecy, for caution. But why shut her out completely? Why not treat her like a partner instead of a pretty object he’d bought for an ungodly price?

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