Page 25 of Because You're Mine

“Tell me what happened today,” he demanded in his quiet, measured voice.

Allie shivered again and tried to meet the steel in his eyes, but quickly dropped hers. She shrugged. “I’m sure you know already, your guys are pretty efficient.”

“Apparently not, or you wouldn’t have been able to get out of their sight,” he said letting some of the lethal darkness enter his voice. “Now, I suggest you start talking to me or I’ll start talking to them again and I won’t be as calm as I was earlier this afternoon.”

“Jay!” Allie gasped, finally forcing herself to meet his implacable gaze. She found no mercy there. His guys had fucked up by letting her get away from them and he wasn’t a man to let mistakes pass without swift and brutal retribution.

Allie brought a hand up to her mouth for a few seconds before dropping it and twisting her body sideways against the island so she wouldn’t have to look at him. She dropped her head and began twining a section of long dark hair nervously in between her fingers. She felt swamped by his powerful presence, despite his calm, still body. His seductive, familiar scent wrapped around her, drawing her in like a dangerous predator. She wanted to lean toward him, but knew that way lead to danger.

She drew in a breath and began to speak. “I convinced Hershel and Vic that I needed supplementary reading materials for a sociology class I wanted to take online. I had talked to you about it yesterday and knew you’d approved the class… because… because you’d see it as a step toward me settling down. Uh… because it’s not actually addictions, but still closely enough related to the field to hold my interest.”

She felt his body tighten fractionally and could see his fingers grip the counter next to her until his knuckles whitened. She held her breath until he loosened his hold. His breath touched her cheek as he spoke. “Very subtle, Allison. I’m disappointed.”

She glared down at his hand, which still leaned against the island and said, “I’m disappointed you kidnapped me, so I guess we’re even.”

He chuckled unexpectedly startling her into looking up at him. His eyes were still dark and the lines around his mouth held a grim promise, but he still found humour in her words. He nodded at her, “Please, continue.”

She shrugged and dropped her gaze to the floor again. “I knew Hershel would check with you about taking me off property and I knew it was sooner than you would have liked for me to go, but I also thought maybe you would take the chance. You knew I would be excited about the possibility of starting a new class because I’ve always been that way and if you’ve had me tailed for the last ten years your guys would’ve reported on my extreme keener-ism. I made sure I spent the entire evening last night and this morning researching my new class and all the books associated with it. Then I checked all the book reviews and selected the books I knew would be at the bookstore that I needed, the massive one next to the subway line. Then I spent the rest of the morning harassing Hershel into asking you to let me go. I knew you would do a quick search of my internet history to back up the legitimacy of my bookstore claim.”

“Fuck, Allie. I don’t know if I should be pissed off that I underestimated how manipulative you’ve become or proud of your intelligence.” He lifted his hands off the counter and turned her toward him. “Now tell me what happened after I gave five men permission to take one woman to a bookstore and not take their eyes off her.”

“I didn’t really have a plan,” she admitted with a shrug. “I thought I would just get out of the house and scope things out. Maybe gain some trust with you and the guys and then try a few more times and get my security to relax their guard a little. You know how much I like books, so I didn’t think it would be too hard to convince you to let me go back if this trip was successful.”

Jay snorted, making his feelings on the success of her adventure clear. “So what the fuck happened then.”

“Starbucks.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“You know how lost in books I can get. I must have been in the bookstore for over an hour. I realized I was really thirsty and then just sort of wandered into the Starbucks for a drink. I got a frappuccino, looked up and realized none of my guards were there,” mischief sparkled in her eyes as she relayed that piece of information with relish. “I realized it wouldn’t take them long to check the Starbucks when they noticed I was missing, so I watched for an approaching train, ran straight out the door and onto the train. Lucky for me there were no transit officers and I was able to make it down the line without getting a ticket.”

“Son of a bitch,” Jay said.

“I took the subway to the central bus depot and then a bus to Victory Square…. and you know the rest,” Allie finished.

He was quiet for a minute as he processed everything she said. Finally he asked, “Why?”

“I wanted to see Serena,” she said right away.

“You know I would have brought her to you,” he growled impatiently. “Why the show, Allie? Why all the manipulations when you knew I would track you within minutes?”

She tried to pull away from him, but he held her still. She glared up at him and, placing her hands against his chest, gave him a small, ineffectual push. “Because,” she breathed angrily, “I wanted to show you that you may try to control me, but I will fight back, Jay. When you least expect it, I’ll make a mockery of all your precious rules.”

Jay reached for her arms and dragged her against him until her breasts were pressed against his chest. Any amusement he may have felt fled. His eyes were liquid steel as they pierced hers.

“Even if my rules are meant to save your life?” he asked, his voice hard.

“A life of slavery isn’t a life I want,” she shot back angrily, her eyes snapping dark fire.

“I would rather have a live slave than see the woman I love dead,” he bit out.

Tension snapped between them, firing the attraction that shaped their entire adult existence. Jay’s eyes dipped to her full lips, shivering under the onslaught of emotion. His fingers clenched around her arms even as she brought her hands up between them to push him away.

“You will never have the freedom you want,” Jay said, shaking her a little. “You understand?”

She shook her head, a sob escaping her lips. “I can’t accept that, Jay. I’ve worked too hard to build my career, to create the things that I love and the supports that I needed when you pushed me away.”

“You have me now, Allison,” he said from between clenched teeth. “Accept that it will have to be enough.”

She shoved him hard, twisting until she was able to break away. He let her go, giving her the essential room that she seemed to need in that moment. She drifted toward the glass patio doors and stared out at the storm. The rain was hitting the pool so hard the water was pounding back up toward the sky several inches before settling back into the pool again. She looked stunning in the dim, grey lighting. Like a beautiful, dark shadow with her curves packed into patterned leggings, a loose pink bias-cut top with straps that criss-crossed down her back and black designer sandals. All purchases he’d made for her based on things he knew she loved to wear. She wore her eclectic clothing choices with a confidence that never failed to turn him on.

She shook her head sadly. “It’s not enough anymore. It might have been when I was eighteen. I might have learned to settle down and be a mob wife, or whatever it is you want from me, but not now. I want the choices I’ve worked hard for, the things I’ve earned.”

“Then you’ll be my prisoner for real, love. Because I’m not letting you go and I’m sure as fuck not letting a mistake like today happen again,” Jay said quietly, his eyes holding hers intently.

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