Page 35 of Merciless

ALANA

“What are you doing?” I snap when Reid continues to silently linger behind me like some weird little gremlin.

If only he was a little ugly thing. JD too. It might make all this easier.

I’m not a stranger to fucked-up relationships and unconventional desires and fantasies. Not only have I experienced and enjoyed things that would terrify most people, but I’ve already read a lot of it too in an attempt to sate my twisted cravings.

That’s probably why I’m not overly freaked out being bound and at the mercy of the monster behind me.

There isn’t much he can do that hasn’t already been done or that I haven’t fantasized about happening.

He doesn’t answer, just continues to linger.

“Fine. Be like that. But is there any chance of getting something to eat? Been down here quite a while now, in case you hadn’t noticed, I think I deserve something.”

He scoffs, letting me know he’s listening.

“I’m not sure what’s on Tripadvisor about this place, but I can’t say I’m going to be giving it five stars. Cold shower, lukewarm, possibly bacteria-infested drinking water. No food.”

“It’s not a fucking hotel, Pet.”

“Still better than some of the shitholes in the Creek. And the view has been pretty good. You got a gym in this mansion?”

“Of course.” He grunts, obviously intrigued enough by my line of questioning to go along with me.

“You might want to start putting in a couple of extra hours in a day. I hate to break it to you, Big Man, but JD has you beat in the body department.” It’s lies. Total fucking lies, but I figure it might hit a sore spot. I bet those two are hella competitive and I’m more than happy to feed into it. “His definition. Mouthwatering.”

Silence.

“Got nothing to say about that, Big Man?”

“I know what you’re doing, Pet.”

“If that were true, I wouldn’t still be tied up here now, would I? You’d have all your precious answers and you’d have either decided to send me back to my husband or I’d be dead.

“I think it’s more than clear to both of us that you have no idea what I’m doing.”

His shoes thump against the concrete floor and I suck in a bated breath.

It all rushes out of my lungs when he finally steps in front of me.

Why are all the worst ones the prettiest?

Wait, no. Reid Harris isn’t pretty.

Breathtaking is more like it.

He’s dangerously good-looking. But unlike JD, who owns his looks and knows exactly the power he holds over women—and probably a good few men alike—Reid relies on pure fear to get what he wants. However, he’s quickly discovering that it’s not working all that well on me.

“Looks are important to you, aren’t they?” he asks as he paces back and forth in front of me, rubbing his hands together like he’s scheming something wicked.

“You’ve got to use everything you have to your advantage, don’t you think? Take you, for example, you’re scary to some people, so you ensure you turn it up to one hundred when the time suits. JD… I’m pretty sure he could flirt the panties off almost every woman on the planet. Bet he’s used that to ensure you get what you need a time or two. Devin and Ezra too. Their skills definitely lie in their moves and not their brains.”

He stills, glaring me dead in the eyes.

“And I have plenty of experience that tells me that my looks get me the things I want.”

“Like Kane. Or your husband.”

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