Chapter 7
“Don’t I?”
He was so arrogant that it was unbelievable.
“I have gotten what I want up until now and I don’t intend for things to change.”
See? His arrogance was out of control.
“Maybe it’s time someone told you no,” she said.
He smiled, giving her an amused look. As though he thought she was adorable when she was being serious.
“No one tells me no, but it’s cute you think that you can,” he told her.
“It is not cute, I’m serious.”
“So am I when I tell you that one day soon, you’re going to tell me everything.”
She wasn’t. She glared at him. His amusement just seemed to grow.
Urgh. He was so frustrating!
Then she realized what she was doing. She was supposed to be acting submissive. To get him to lower his guard. And she should be keeping him happy.
Don’t push him too far.
“Sorry,” she muttered, lowering her gaze.
“All right, that I don’t like.”
What? Her arguing with him? She understood. Her mother and Rick had both hated her being argumentative.
“You don’t need to be afraid of me, Lily. You can tell me what you’re thinking without repercussions.” He reached out and placed his thumb under her chin, tilting her head back.
“I just can’t tell you no.”
The side of his mouth twitched as though he was holding back a smile. “Right.”
“You know that’s wrong, right?” She crossed her arms over her chest.
When he said that she couldn’t say no . . . was he talking in all things? Including . . . sex?
She swallowed. What would she do if he tried to have sex with her? To touch her?
Could she cope with that without her pills to get her through?
“Fuck. That isn’t what I meant.”
She kept her gaze on his chin, trying to stop her lower lip from trembling.
Take slow breaths.
“Lily? Unless you give me permission to be in charge, you can always say no to any sort of touching. Understand?”
“Even when you pick me up and carry me around?” she asked.
“Ahh, that’s different.”
Lily breathed out a long sigh. This guy was so frustrating.
“That’s usually so I can get you somewhere quick or because you’re trying to run from me. Or you can’t walk.”
Well. He wasn’t wrong.
“But I won’t touch you intimately without your consent. Or your arousal. Not that I’m worried about that.”
There he went again.
“Your arrogance is out of control.”
“Thank you.”
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
“Of course it was. And, also, what I said was simply the truth. Eventually, you’ll want me to touch you.
Then you’ll give your consent for me to take command of you.
Of your body. Of your pleasure. You’ll obey me in all things.
And you’ll enjoy it.” He forked up some more spaghetti and held it out to her. “Now, eat.”
Lily had to work so hard not to glare at him. “I’ll obey you and enjoy it?”
You cannot smack him in the face.
Violence is not the answer.
Oh, it was tempting, though.
“That’s right. Also, I did not touch you in any way except to move you and take off some of your clothes to make you more comfortable. I don’t need to use force. Not when you’ll willingly give me whatever I want very soon.”
It was so hard not to roll her eyes.
Honestly, she should win an award for her restraint.
“Do you realize what you sound like right now?” she asked him.
“Of course. I can hear what I’m saying. Now eat. No more questions until you take another bite.”
Shoot. She took another mouthful of the spaghetti bolognese, and it soothed her empty stomach as she swallowed it. The nausea was starting to dissipate, and she realized it might have been because she’d gone too long without eating.
At least it was still the same day. She hadn’t lost a lot of time.
“Why did you bring me here, Harvey? I thought you were Rick’s friend.”
She eyed him. Honestly, pretending to give in to him and lull him into a false sense of security wasn’t going very well.
Perhaps she needed another plan. Maybe there was something around the cabin she could use to drug him or hit him over the head with. Yeah, that sounded like a much simpler plan. Now she just had to find it.
“Not sure I like that look in your eyes,” he said. “You look like you can’t decide what would be the best method to use to kill me.”
Damn it. She also had to work harder on keeping her thoughts off her face. He read her far too easily.
“No protest. So, you really are dreaming up ways to murder me, huh?” he said with a grin.
She was kind of insulted that he seemed so amused about that. Shouldn’t he be a little bit scared about her trying to harm him?
“You don’t seem concerned about that.”
“You can try, baby, but you’re not going to be successful. Have another mouthful.”
“You didn’t answer my last question.”
“I kind of thought it was obvious.”
She shook her head. It really wasn’t.
“I took you because it wasn’t safe for you there. An opportunity arose and I took it. But the main reason that you are here with me is because it’s where you belong. You’re mine, Lily. And we’re going to stay here as long as we need to for you to learn that.”
He really was serious about her being his.
“You can’t just claim someone simply because you want them. You can’t just kidnap them and hold them hostage until they want you too.”
“I think the fact you’re here is proof that I can.
However, I already know that you want me, remember?
Wanting me isn’t the issue. Desiring me isn’t the problem.
Acknowledging it to yourself is. Letting yourself be happy is.
Giving me all of your problems and issues so I can make them go away is.
Knowing that you’re going to be mine forever and embracing that, is. ”
“I . . . I . . .” She rubbed her forehead, feeling her headache start up again. This was all too much, and she couldn’t cope. Everything he was saying couldn’t possibly be true. This sort of thing didn’t happen in real life. It was like some sort of movie or book.
People didn’t just kidnap other people to force them to be with them.
“Life doesn’t work this way.”
“It does when you’re me,” he said.
“I thought you were a nice guy, an ordinary guy.”
“I am a nice guy when I want to be, when things are going my way. I’m a nice guy to most people. Just not to people who get between me and what I want.”
“Who got between you and what you want?” she asked.
“You already know the answer to that. Rick did. Your mother did. But they’ve both been taken out, and I didn’t even have to do anything. Your sister and her man took care of them. Your mother and Rick basically self-destructed. Isn’t it nice when the bad guys don’t win?”
“You don’t consider yourself a bad guy?” she asked.
“Of course not. Ask anyone. Harvey Gallagher is the nicest guy they’ve ever met, always ready to help. He donates to causes like sick children and animal shelters. Comes from a good family, had a nice upbringing. There are very few people that would have a bad word to say about me.”
“Because you got rid of the ones that would?”
She did not like the smug look on his face. Had she actually guessed properly? Lily swallowed heavily.
“You didn’t, did you?” she asked.
“I’m not sure you’re ready for that answer,” he told her. “Eat some more.”
“I don’t think I feel hungry anymore.” She was starting to feel frightened of him. Which was a normal reaction.
“You’re hungry, Lily. And you’re not scared of me.”
“I’m not? I don’t think you get to tell me how to feel.”
“I’m not telling you how to feel. I’m telling you that you aren’t scared because deep down you know I won’t hurt you. I wouldn’t harm anyone unless they deserved it.”
“Right, and what would they have to do to deserve it?”
“Harm you or my family.”
Was he serious? That was the line?
Could she even be upset about that? If someone harmed somebody she loved then she’d want to get rid of them too.
Of course the difference was that she wouldn’t actually do it.
“What about Rick? He isn’t going to be happy with you.”
“Eat.” He held up the next forkful of food and with a sigh, she took it.
“Well?” she asked after swallowing.
“I don’t give a shit what Rick thinks of me.”
“You don’t? I thought he was your friend?” she asked.
“No. I had my reasons for being close to him. Something I’ll explain later.”
“What if he tells someone that you took me? What if my mother does? Or James?”
“Well, they’ve all got their own issues right now, especially your mother and Rick. And considering that Rick is a selfish asshole, I doubt he’s going to ever say anything. He won’t want to look bad in front of anyone we know.”
Yeah, she guessed that was true.
“Your mother might make suggestions, might put up a fuss, but she’s definitely got her own shit going on as well. I doubt anyone is going to listen to her. Then there’s also the fact that you didn’t put up any protest when I picked you up. Anyone there can attest to that.”
“Did Clem look concerned?”
He stared at her for a long moment. “Yeah, she did actually, but I think she knows I’m the best person to take care of you right now. To get you healthy.”
“What if there’s no way of getting me healthy?” she said. “What if there’s no cure for what’s wrong with me?”
He leaned forward. “What is wrong with you? What did the doctors tell you that you needed those pills for?”
She shook her head. She didn’t want to tell him. “I just need them.”
He frowned and held up some more food for her. She took another bite, but she was starting to get full.
“I don’t like secrets between us, Lily. I’ll tell you that right now. And I’m very good at ferreting out answers, so you might want to think about giving them to me before I have to do that.”
“I just get upset. I can’t regulate myself and I hurt people.”
He shook his head. “I don’t believe that. You seem pretty regulated right now, and the only person you’ve been hurting is yourself.” He nodded down at her bandaged hands.
Wait. She’d done this to herself?
“I did this?” She held up her hands.
“You don’t remember scratching your hands and then falling over outside and getting dirt on them?”
She hated when she couldn’t remember stuff, when she had these gaps in her memories. But small bits filtered through.