Page 24 of Only for Him
My mouth is dry. Of course he sounds likethis.
And the way he sayslittle viperlike I’m something precious and dangerous all at once. Something amusing and something to be toyed with at his leisure. For his pleasure.
“You killed him.”
“I did you a favor.” The voice betrays a smile. “He would have done far worse to you.”
“Why his hands?” I’m trying to keep my own voice flat, but the tremors are back as I wait for him to confirm what I know already. The momentary silence is filled with fear, revulsion, and curiosity.
And excitement.
“I told you, little viper. Because he touched you. That’s not allowed.”
I close my eyes, and swallow. “You know I’m a cop.”
“I do. Convenient, isn’t it? Gives you more latitude than a civilian.”
I force a laugh and it sounds like glass in my throat. He’s not wrong. I never wanted to use my “latitude”,but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
“You took something from me,” I say. “Why?”
“To see if you’ll lie for me, little viper.” His voice shrugs. “And I think you will.”
I can’t breathe. “You want me to betray the department?”
“I want you to trust your instincts.” The voice is almost gentle. “They’re better than you think.”
I grit my teeth. “Did you kill MacDougal?”
A brief, exhaled laugh burrows into my ear and straight to my thundering heart. “I did.”
“Why?”
“Because you wanted me to.”
The phone shakes in my hand. “People wish death on people all the time, but they don’t mean it.”
“You did.” I can hear his grin widening.
He’s having the time of his life, isn’t he? I’m falling apart and he’s taking advantage of it. I want to hang up on him. But if I do, I won’t hear that deep rumbling voice at my ear anymore.
It pisses me off how much I want to keep listening to his voice taunting me, goading me, and calling me little viper like I belong to him already.
I don’t deserve any of this.
“Who are you?” I put some fire behind the words with my best cop voice. I have no idea how many more questions he’ll entertain. I need to make the most of this call.
“Does it matter?”
“Of course it fucking matters,” I snap, turning away from the window and pacing the perimeter of the room. “You’re in my life. My apartment. My?—”
I pause before I give myself away.
“My head,” I finally say.
“Hmm.” He rumbles by my ear and Ihatehow much I like hearing it.
“What do you want from me?”
