Page 140 of The Curse Breakers

His face hardened. “Ellie.”

My temper flared. He still wasn’t going to tell me. “They know who I am, Collin! They think they have proof I’m involved. I have a right to know!”

“I don’t have to tell you shit, just like you don’t have to listen to my warning that your professor is going to get you killed.” He grunted and threw the net into a pile. “You could have told me this in a phone call. Why are you really here?”

“I need you to take me out onto the ocean.”

He put his hands on his hips. “Why don’t you have your boyfriend take you?”

“Because I needyou.”

He stared at me for several seconds. “No.”

“No?What do you meanno?”

“I mean no. I’m not your errand boy, Ellie. The last time I offered to help you, you blew me off.”

“You wanted to hide me on your boat!”

“I wanted to protect you.” His voice broke, and he turned to look out at the sound.

I took a deep breath. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important.”

He started working on his net again. “There are lots of charter boat businesses around here. Go hire one of them.”

My anger exploded, and I opened my purse, digging out my wallet. “You want money, Collin?” I grabbed what little cash I had and held it out to him. “Here.” I shook my hand. “Here’s some goddamned money.”

His face softened, defeat in his eyes. “I don’t want your money, Ellie.”

“Collin, please.”

He watched me again, and then he took a step to the edge of his boat and reached his left hand out to me. I took it and stepped over the edge. He didn’t move backward, so my stomach bumped into his.

I flinched in pain, but Collin didn’t seem to notice.

“Why do you want to go out onto the ocean?”

“I need some answers, and I’m hoping it will help to be in the ocean. Like when we went to the beach and pressed our marks together.”

“Youwantto press our marks together?”

“Yes.”

He watched me for several seconds. “Okay. But we do this my way.”

I sucked in a breath. “What does that mean?”

“It means we do itmyway.”

“I’m not having sex with you.”

A sneer crossed his face. “Because you’re having sex with him.”

I couldn’t look into his eyes. “Don’t do this, Collin.”

He stiffened. “My way or not at all.”

Did I have a choice? “You’d really force me to have sex with you?”

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