Chapter 26
WAR
S he’s angry, but not as angry as she should be. When I unlock her wrist, she rubs it while watching me warily.
“You’re lucky you were here when I woke up, War. If I’d woken up alone and chained to a wall, I would’ve lost it.”
“I’d never leave you alone in restraints.”
She blinks. “You’ve got a policy on that? Why? Not your first kidnapping?”
I chuckle. “Nah, this is my first kidnapping. What it isn’t is my first time putting a girl in cuffs. I’ve done that plenty of times.”
Ash’s big blue eyes stare daggers at me. “Is that what you get off on?”
“It can be good foreplay, to get the right kind of girl worked up.”
“I guess I’m not the right kind of girl.”
“Time will tell.”
Her eyes narrow, and she leans back against the wall. “You’re gonna force me into restraints during sex? And then what? ”
“I’m not gonna force you. If you don’t want to try it, you don’t have to.”
She crosses her legs and leans forward, setting her elbows on her inner thighs. She looks up at me through her lashes, her tone curious. “But you like it?”
“I like the reaction I get if the girl’s body likes it.”
“Why do you need to use restraints?” Her gaze drops to where my hands hang next to my thighs. “You could use your hands.”
“I can, and do. But sometimes I’ll want my hands free to do other things to you.”
“I was just kidnapped for real, remember? Even if I might’ve been interested before, I’m not now… They held me down. Every time that memory comes back, it’s bad.”
Drawing in a slow breath, I clench my jaw. Exhaling, I sit down on the bed. “That’s an important thing for me to know. When we try things, we’ll go slow. Test the waters. If anything lands wrong, in any way, we’ll stop. Can try again later. Or not. You’ll tell me.”
Her head tilts, and she watches me intently.
“If it makes a difference,” I say, “anyone who had a hand in doing that to you is a dead man walking. If Trick doesn’t get to them first, I will.” Resting my hand on her ankle, I rub her skin with my thumb.
“Or maybe… I will.” Her soft voice draws my gaze to her mouth.
My thumb stops stroking, and my fingers tighten on her leg, squeezing for emphasis. “Think that would be better? Heal the wound more?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.” She chews the corner of her mouth.
“Maybe not. I’ve never gone after anyone out of revenge.
I’ve only shot guys to protect myself or someone I care about.
” Her delicate pinky moves to lie across my fingers.
“But I’m thinking that going after the guys who took me could be a kind of defense.
Not just revenge. A move to keep them from hurting some other girl. ”
“Sure.” I flip my hand, so I can close my fingers around hers. “But you already took some of them out. You could leave the rest to us. No need to get greedy about it.”
That causes her to tap her fingertips against my hand. “You want to do it?”
“Definitely.”
“Why?”
“A lot of reasons.” I reach back, grabbing my shirt and hauling it over my head, so I’m bare-chested. “You ready, Ash?”
Her gaze travels over my chest. “For what? Sex?”
I nod.
“But not getting chained down, right? Just regular sex like we’ve been having?”
“Just sex. After a while, I’ll show you more. With a safe word, you can stop the games anytime you need to.”
“A safe word. That’s the big time.”
“Doesn’t have to be. Get undressed.”
“I need to say something to you. And to ask you something.”
My hands stop at my belt buckle. “Go ahead.”
“What’s this really about? Deep down? Is it just a game? Or something bigger?”
“That’s a question you already know the answer to.”
“Do I?”
“Taking you could get me killed. This is me showing you there is nothing in the fucking world that matters more to me right now than keeping you with me. Definitely not just a game.”
“Okay, good.” She licks her lips. “Because I don’t think it would be good for me to keep having sex with you unless it’s gonna be about more than that. When I thought you were gonna drop me off without making plans to see me again, I was pissed. As well as some other things.”
A smile curves the corners of my mouth. “Oh, yeah? What other things?”
“Not ready to talk about it.” Her hand snakes out and jerks the chain and then slaps it against the wall. “Don’t chain me up again outside of sex, either. Because I want us to be in this together. I won’t try to run.”
“That would be a good lie to tell if you were planning to,” I point out.
I’ve seen her shift gears with men when she’s looking for an exit. Softens her tone. Nudges them into dropping their guard.
“You need to trust me.” The challenge in her voice is unmistakable.
“We’ll see.”
Raising her middle finger at me, she shakes her head. “Then, no.”
I unbuckle my belt and slide it free. “Better behave. Or I’ll start with the games right away.”
“You’d have to force me. Bad strategy.” She shakes her index finger like she’s scolding one of the kids she babysits for.
I cock a skeptical brow at her.
“Dangerous.” There’s a teasing lilt to her tone that makes it hard to take her threats seriously.
I allow myself a small laugh because sometimes the paradox of Ashling Patrick is too much.
She looks innocent and sweet and young. Giant china blue eyes.
Blond hair. Rosebud lips. A total Manga baby doll.
And when she threatens me, it’s like a kitten holding up a paw and meowing about how sharp her claws are and how a full grown lion should watch out for them.
But I know better than to underestimate this girl. I’ve seen the bodies drop with my own fucking eyes. She could lie in wait. She’s small. I wouldn’t spot her until she broke cover. And then it would be far too late.
For some reason, my cock just gets harder at the thought.
Beautiful and deadly. Light as a feather. Quick as a lightning strike.
There’s no one else like her.
Anyone else I could walk away from. But not Ash .
Ash, I want to own.
And I want the entire fucking world to know it.
Especially the men who will hate it most.