Page 19 of Queen's Move

“Fine,” she muttered. “Move your heavy ass and it’s all yours.”

He shifted, leaning the top of his body slightly to the side. He still held her arm wrenched up her back, his long fingers wrapped tight around her wrist. She could feel the tensile strength in his hold. Could feel the depth of his control. He could so easily snap her wrist or break her arm. Yet, though his grip was firm, she didn’t feel in danger of an injury. It chilled her to the bone that Sotza knew exactly how and where to apply pressure. He would know how to make his victims suffer, draw out the pain while keeping them alive for torture.

“Slowly now,” he commanded her.

Vee was both glad and annoyed at the healthy respect he was showing for her ability and willingness to cut him. If he was wary of her then he’d keep a close eye on her and she might never get the opportunity to murder him. She opened her fingers one at a time, releasing the blade. He took it from her. She heard the clatter of it hitting the floor as he tossed it off the side of the bed. He took her wrist and pulled her arm around to her side and then up by her head. She was surprised when he didn’t let her go, move away and get on with her kidnapping. Instead he spread his fingers over top of hers and linked their hand. He shifted his body on top of her, took her other hand and did the same thing, bringing it up beside her head and linking their fingers.

That moment, them together, the fire crackling in the background casting warm, flickering shadows across the walls, could have been the most romantic moment of her life. If he wasn’t such a fucking psycho. As they lay together, breathing together, the heat of their bodies mingling, all she could think was,what’s next?Was he going to haul her out of there, take her back to Miami? Or maybe Venezuela?

“We should be together, Vee,” he said quietly, speaking in her ear again, his chin resting against the side of her head. “Don’t you see how good we’d be? How powerful? You’re smart, beautiful and kind. You would complement me in every way.”

Vee let out a breathless laugh. “Kind?” she gasped. He was back to crushing her again, although not quite as much as before. “You did see what I did to Luis before you decapitated him, right?”

“So you can hold your own, make tough decisions when needed. We both know, as a leader, you should’ve killed Luis, made an example of the man. He wavered in his loyalties. I had your back on that one, made sure his loyalty was unquestionable.”

“You’re a fucking serial killer is what you are!” she hissed. “You kill them if they remain loyal and you kill them if they switch sides. No one stood a chance when you decided to take my city.”

“All is fair –”

“I swear to god if you say ‘all’s fair in love and war’ I will find the super human strength to get you off my back and stab the shit out of you.”

He chuckled. “And a sense of humour, Vee. You’re the whole package.” He moved, sliding to her side and sitting up. She tried to roll away from him, but he grabbed hold of her and flipped her onto her back, pinning her arms over her head. She glared at him, the fight reigniting in her eyes. He narrowed his eyes and frowned. “No more, Vee. I really don’t want to hurt you.”

“I don’t understand why you’re doing this! If you think I’m thewhole package,” she said scathingly, “then why don’t you let me have Miami back? You can set me back up as the queen and then have my back when I need it. We could’ve done that in the first place, saved all this drama, saved those lives.”

“It’s too late,” he said, his voice a low rumble as his eyes were drawn to her exposed stomach, where her top had ridden up. “Beautiful,” he murmured. “Perfect curves, silky skin.”

“It’s not too late!” she cried out. “What do you want from me? I’ll give it to you. Do you want to fuck? We can do that, just promise you’ll let me go.”

He gave her a chiding look. “You are worth so much more than just a fuck, Vee. Don’t underestimate yourself.”

She blew her bangs out of her face, annoyed and frustrated, still a little afraid, although she was about ready to believe he had no intention of killing her. “I’m worth exactly what I say I’m worth,” she snarled. “Wouldn’t be the first time I traded sex for favours.”

He stared down at her, his gaze heated. She didn’t know what he was thinking. If he was pissed off, pitying, contemptuous. Finally, he replied, “I really think you believe that.”

“Of course I do!” she said, yanking on her wrists, trying to free them from his grip. “I used to fuck Tony for all kinds of things. Jewelry, money, drugs, the right to breathe.”

His fingers tightened around her hands. He hadn’t liked that. “I meant,” he said, his voice taking on a hard edge, “that you believe you aren’t worth much.”

She frowned. What the fuck was this? A therapy session? Was he trying to raise her sense of self-worth, give the old self-esteem a boost? “You’re a strange man,” she said drily. “Fine, I’m worth a lot. Like, how about a city? Yeah, I’m probably worth the cost of Miami.”

He chuckled and then stopped, looked surprised. When he looked down at her it was with a peculiar expression, soft, determined, caring. It made her heart trip. “Vee, mi amor, you make me laugh. I don’t do that enough.”

“I’m not trying to be funny, asshole.”

“You don’t have to try to be anything, Elvira. You just are,” he said.

“Don’t call me that!” she practically shouted. “And can we please get on with this, whatever it is. My arms are getting sore from being wrenched around and held down so much.”

His lips curved up and he released her hands. “Whatever the lady wishes.”

Vee snorted and brought her arms down. She shoved herself up the mattress, pressing her back against the headboard. “This lady wants you to die. Immediately, if it’s not too inconvenient.”

He laughed again and reached for her knife, turning his back on her for a second. She eyed the spot right between his shoulder blades. If she had a second knife that’s exactly where it would go.

He turned back to her, gave her tiny pyjamas another heated look and said, “You’ll need to get changed. All that bare skin will freeze in this climate. Frankly, I’m a little shocked that you chose Canada as an escape. It’s vast, easy to get lost, I’ll give you that. But is it worth trying to survive in a frozen wasteland?”

“I happen to love it here,” she gritted, ignoring the inner voice that agreed with him completely. The one upside of his kidnapping her is she was pretty sure he was going to take her back south. Still, she wasn’t going to give him an inch. “Very fucking beautiful.”

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