Page 22 of Assassin's Mark
“So we’re somewhere near Fratelli’s then?” I didn’t remember any warehouses in that area.
Levi threw me a crooked grin over his shoulder. “That would be telling. Maybe, maybe not.” Each step toward the door made his words harder to catch. I strained for each one,praying for a hint, something I could use against him. “Am I driving straight there? Does that mean you can calculate where you are based on the time it takes me to return. Did I order online somehow and arrange to meet someone somewhere along the way? Are they bringing the food to our door and I’m only pretending to leave?” He pulled the door open, paused, glanced at me. “The computer is passwordprotected, by the way. I wouldn’t try using it if I were you.”
“You’re not me,” I snapped. Levi had likely never been kidnapped, taunted, used.
I swore sympathy lit in his eyes. “No, I’m not. But I am telling you the truth, Abby.”
“Shut up, Levi.”
A chuckle drifted back as he closed the door behind him. Jerk.
I did try the computer, but he was right—it was locked down tight. Same with thedoor, again. Since attacking Levi when he walked in the door would likely end up the same way this morning had, I decided to reserve my final shard of glass for an opportunity that had a better chance of winning. One where Levi was unaware—if that was even possible. With my luck…
I paced the confines of the room until Levi returned. The aroma of creamy alfredo, melted cheese, and warm bread accompaniedhim, proclaiming the freshness of the food, but I refused to try to calculate how fresh. As Levi had so patronizingly pointed out, there were any number of ways to fool with the timeline. Instead I sat at the table and dug in, feeding my hunger and stuffing the questions away for later.
One great thing about constant takeout and the lack of real dishes? No cleanup. Levi even put the leftoversin the fridge and threw away the trash. I retreated to the bathroom to go through my usual nighttime routine—with all the same supplies; how creepy was that?—and avoid a few more awkward minutes in Levi’s presence. Coming back out, I jerked to a stop mere seconds before slamming into Levi’s broad, bare chest.
“Time for bed.”
Hell no. “I’m not tired.”
“Of course not,” Levi said. “It’s not eveneight. But I have things to do.”
Did that mean he wouldn’t be joining me? Please, God, let that be what he meant. I definitely wouldn’t be disappointed. Really.
“What kinds of things?”
He smirked but didn’t answer, gripping my wrist instead. Why did his fingers have to be so long? No matter how I twisted and turned, those overlapped digits stayed strong, clamped relentlessly onto my fragilejoint. By the time he’d dragged me to the bed, I was panting hard and wishing I’d left my bra and jeans on. Granted, the tank-and-shorts pj combo covered all the important bits, but I still felt oddly naked despite the cotton obscuring my skin.
“What are you doing?” I asked, hating the whiny edge to my voice. When I caught sight of the handcuffs on my side of the bed, the whine turned into panic.
“I’m ensuring that I have a safe night’s sleep. It seems you have some tricks up your sleeve.” Levi nodded toward the dresser. There, lying on top, was the second shard of glass I’d hidden inside the toilet tank.
A hard bump sent me tumbling onto the bed on my back. “No! Levi, no!” I scrambled backward across the bed. “You’ve got everything. I don’t have anything else that might hurt you, I promise.”
Those fingers clamped onto my ankle and pulled. Levi wasn’t even breathing hard as he leaned over me. Cold metal circled my wrist, then snicked shut. “And this will make sure of that, won’t it?” He threaded the chain around a slat in the headboard.
“No!” I tugged, felt the metal bite into my wrist. “That hurts.”
“Then stop pulling. I’m not going to worry about you smothering me in my sleep.”
“I’d smother you while you’re awake if that was an option. Why wait?”
I had my uncuffed hand outstretched as far as I could get it, trying to evade Levi’s capture. I should’ve known he never took no for an answer. He was more like my father than he wanted to admit. Rather than fighting, he simply laid over me, his heavy weight forcing me still and preventing me from breathing all at once. Panickedinstinct had me lifting my legs, kicking up, bucking, anything to get free, get air.
“Uh-uh-uh.” Levi rolled, his legs covering mine—and just like that, our bodies lined up. I hadn’t realized the wrestling had excited him—or me—until that moment, until his rigid erection settled against my core and a thrill of pleasure shot through me. Levi used that moment of distraction to secure my secondwrist.
I let myself go limp beneath him. “Is this the only way you can get any?”
His breath washed across my throat as he nuzzled the sensitive skin there. “I don’t need tricks to get pussy, little bird.”
“Could’ve fooled me.”
Levi propped himself on his elbows above me. “I didn’t need them last night, now did I?”
I closed my eyes, turning my head away from what I was sure was a gloatingface. “Just leave me alone, Levi.”
A slight squirm settled his hips more firmly in the cradle created by my spread legs. “Believe me, I’m trying. There is nothing more risky than sleeping with a mark, but…”
