Page 56 of Bound to a Killer
Not now.
These guys don’t have formal ties to The Ringer, and I trust Tanner’s connections, but that doesn’t mean they won’t sniff us out for more money if they sense something’s off. Or worst, press for sensitive information that could end up in the hands of someone who is linked to Antonio. This needs to be swift and quiet. Like it was planned.
“Hey,” I whisper, resting a hand over her shoulder. This time she doesn’t flinch as aggressively, but she’s still stiff. “Remember what I said? It’s just a name. Don’t overthink it.”
She turns away from the notepad, her eyes still refusing to look anywhere but in mine. Her chin dips with the slightest movement, but I register it as a nod, and cool relief sweeps through me.
She glances back down to the paper and lifts the pen to sign.
17
ARIA
“Scream and lose all your privileges, or stay quiet like the good girl I know you can be, and you’ll be rewarded.”
He clips close enough so only I can hear, his breath hot against my ear as we step into the hotel lobby. Surrounded by strangers and the dull hum of conversation, he wants me silent—obedient—before I have the chance to make a scene.
I sit on the edge of the bed, the threats still looping in my head as I listen to Ledger end his call with Frankie, who’s at the other end of the hall.
“We won’t be staying long,” I hear him say to her. He paces the room, shoulders drawn tight, scanning like he’s looking for something out of place. Then his gaze settles on me.
I tense, arms still strained behind me from where he tied them earlier, the pillow at my side having long absorbed the sobs I stifled there. Even now, the sound of the locks on the door still rattle in my head, first a soft click, then a deeper clunk that settled into place.
I hadn’t realized it at the time, not with my eyes blurred by tears, but now, I see it wasn’t just the hotel’s lock. A second lock sits wedged tight against the original, bulky and unfamiliar.
It doesn’t belong here.
Neither does he.
His presence is far more jarring than the lock itself. Anyone would be able to notice that hunk of metal. It sticks out. Signals the red alarm bells.
Unlike his calm, steady facade that seemed to fool the ditzy receptionist downstairs, who couldn’t snap her gaze away from him long enough to notice the tension lodged in my throat.
It’s all starting to feel futile. The fight had seeped out of me as I slogged through the warehouse to this hotel.
He’s got everyone fooled. And for a moment, even myself. But whatever was starting to bloom between us was swiftly snipped apart before it got the chance to spiral into something more.
Something dangerous.
The trust between us is gone. I’ve ruined everything. Even if there was somehow still a chance at mutual trust, I’ve definitely shattered it by now.
His eyes narrow on me. Like he’s studying, contemplating whether he needs to threaten me again or whether I’ll stay cooperating. I stay rigid in my spot, knees pressed tightly together to keep them from quivering, the ache in my shoulders tugging through me. There’s no use in resisting anymore.
The silence around us thickens.
He takes a step forward, and I can’t help the way my heart soars. Each beat against my chest is another reminder that despite everything he’s done, I still can’t stop the attraction from building.
“You know why I had to do what I did…don’t you?” he asks, halting at the halfway mark between the bed and the doorway.
I try to find my voice, and when I do, I muster every ounce of fortitude I have left.
“I wasn’t going to tell anyone about you,” I say, even as the sharp glint in his eyes nearly drives the words back down mythroat. “I know you don’t believe it, but it’s true,” I add, stunning myself with the calmness in my voice.
He raises a wry brow. “Suppose I believe you,” he says, darting a quick look to the windows where the curtains are already drawn for privacy. “It doesn’t really change anything.”
My shoulders droop, the small movement tugging painfully against the restraints. I already know in the deepest parts of me that he’ll never let me go, but still, I need to understand. “But why?”
He stares at me for a long moment. His gaze sparking a familiar heat that builds the longer his eyes stay trained on me. My heartbeat doubles, slamming violently against my chest.
