Chapter 18
HAILEY
My consciousness crawled through the darkness.
Warmth surrounded me, carrying the scent of his jacket.
There was the clink of ice cubes hitting glass, then silence.
My eyes flew open.
I blinked several times to adjust to the muted light as I took in the unfamiliar surroundings.
Lush emerald green and bursts of red, yellow, pink, and orange were everywhere.
Large glossy leaves and exotic flowers sharpened into focus. Higher up, I surveyed the massive glass and wrought iron panels which made up the ceiling and walls. The sky was gray and rain pelted the panels, creating a shimmering stream of water which diffused the meager light from the setting sun.
The suit jacket which had been covering me fell from my chest as I sat up on a sofa and swung my legs to the floor, placing a palm on the heavily upholstered cushion to steady myself.
I shifted my stare around the elegant conservatory till an amused chuckle caught my ear.
I jerked my head to the side. Greyson’s back was to me as he stood before a side bar. Visible through the thin linen of his dress shirt was a massive black shape which stretched over his right shoulder blade and down the center of his back.
Holy shit! The man had some serious ink!
I squinted but couldn’t make out what the image was.
He turned to face me, a drink in his hand.
I faced forward so fast it caused a crick in my neck.
Greyson’s deep voice penetrated the gloom. “So you’re finally awake.”
I lifted a hand to rub the sore muscles of my neck. “I’m not your little bird.”
He extended his arm, holding the tumbler filled with amber liquor a few inches from my face.
I ignored it.
He gave the tumbler a small shake, causing the ice to rattle. “Drink.”
I huffed and cast an incredulous look at him before turning my head away, cringing when my still-sore neck protested. “You’re crazy if you think I’m going to drink anything you give me.”
His hand slipped beneath my chin. He turned my head back toward him, then lifted it so my eyes met his hooded look. “It wasn’t a request, Hailey.”
I hugged myself, missing the warmth of his suit jacket. “I don’t want it.”
His hand shifted to stroke the edge of my jaw before drawing the tip of his finger over my bottom lip. “Later, it will be my great pleasure to satisfy your every want and need, but for now, I didn’t ask what you wanted. I told you to drink. Now do it.”
I resisted the urge to lick my lip where he’d touched it and reluctantly took the drink from his hand.
To appease him, I took a small sip. He placed the tips of his fingers under the glass and tilted it up, forcing more of the fiery liquid past my lips.
I choked before wiping the back of my hand over my mouth.
Glaring up at him, I asked, “Satisfied?”
He tugged on one of my curls. “Not yet, but I soon will be.”
This time, I willingly took an inelegant gulp of the liquor. My throat burned and my vision blurred as it warmed my stomach.
Greyson took the glass from my hand. “Easy now, that’s hundred-year-old Scotch.”
Despite his admonishment to me, he drained the glass and set it aside.
He sat on the glass-topped coffee table in front of me. His knees splayed open to rest on either side of my thighs, trapping me.
The room swayed. I pressed my palm harder into the cushion.
Unable to hold his stare, I focused on my fingers, fidgeting with the hem of my shirt. “Where am I?”
“My home.”
“So you’ve basically kidnapped me.”
“I wouldn’t call bringing a woman who fainted in my arms to my home kidnapping.”
“So I’m allowed to leave?”
“No.”
One word.
No.
That was it, no explanation or apology, just no.
“Is this some kind of hostage situation?” I bit out.
“Why? Would someone pay to get you back?” The way his eyebrow cocked made me want to slap him across the face.
“So wrongful imprisonment then?”
He tilted his head back and forth for a minute, like he was weighing his options. “Let’s call it being a captivated guest with no exit strategy.”
My stare clashed with his as my lips thinned. I tried to rise, but he stopped me mid-motion with his palms on the tops of my thighs.
It was a simple gesture, one I could have easily broken free of, and yet I instinctively knew escape was impossible. His hands were tanned and scarred around the knuckles—the kind of scars you only got from bare-knuckle fighting.
I inhaled deeply, trying to rally my courage. “You have to let me go. I have to help Madison.”
“You can’t help her.”
The air left my lungs. Tears blurred my vision. “She’s dead then?”
He stroked my cheek with the back of his hand. He was always touching me. Small caresses and grazes, as if I were a prized possession he was admiring. “No, she’s fine.”
“How do you know?”
He shrugged. “Pierce isn’t the only one with contacts inside the police force. There were no fatalities reported by the police or any of the nearby hospitals after the shootout in the parking lot.”
“She could still be injured. I have to go to her.”
“You’re not going anywhere.”
“She’s with that monster!”
“She’s safer with him.”
“How can you say that?”
“Because Pierce isn’t the one she needs to be afraid of.”
“He’s the one who started this nightmare! He’s the one who had her thrown in prison on bogus murder charges.”
Greyson rose and returned to the small bar off to the side of the conservatory.
The beating rain on the glass panels high above us was the only thing to break the silence. He poured himself another drink. He turned, took a sip, then set the glass down, keeping his dark eyes on me.
Finally he spoke. “Pierce was doing what was necessary to draw his brother out. He had to disrupt his plans.”
I stood and confronted him. “What are you talking about?”
Greyson nodded. “He had to appear to be angry and to seek revenge against Madison. He had to play his part.”
I shook my head then turned away from him, searching through the thick foliage for the door while tossing over my shoulder, “You’re fucking crazy. I’m leaving.”
Greyson caught my wrist and turned me around to face him, pulling my body flush with his.
My hands rested on his chest. The beat of his heart was strong and rapid beneath my palms. “You’re not going anywhere. After that stunt you pulled with Madison’s attorney in the middle of the courthouse, you’ll be on his radar now. It’s no longer safe for you either.”
My lip lifted in a sneer. “I can handle Pierce Worthington.”
His gaze dropped to my mouth. “It’s not Pierce you need to be worried about. It’s his brother.”
I stared at him. “You’re not making sense! Jameson is dead.”
Greyson slowly shook his head. “No, my little bird. He’s not, yet.”