Page 40 of Stolen Temptation

“I’ll answer your questions.” Curling my toes softly inside my shoes, I measure my words carefully. “Ifyou answer mine.”

“This isn’t a negotiation.”

“I think it is,” I challenge. “For all I know, after I answer your questions, you’re going to put a bullet in my head and drop my body in a ditch somewhere.”

“Guess you’re just going to have to trust me.”

I almost choke. The things terrible men can say with a straight face.

“Is that so difficult?” Rory’s back straightens. “You didn’t have such a problem with it last night.”

My mouth snaps shut as blood rushes to my cheeks.

Is he really bringing up our kiss? Really? As if that’s going to do his cause any favors. “You mean before you drugged me and brought me here against my will?”

He should be ashamed of himself, but he just shrugs.

“So, answer my questions, and you might get to go home.”

I recoil in horror.

Rory thinks I want to go home? The idea, while deplorable, sparks an explosion of understanding. This man has no idea who I am.

He doesn’t know I live at the De Luca estate. He doesn’t know whose child I am. He probably has no idea how I’m connected to Leo. Of course he doesn’t. He just asked me a few moments ago what I was doing there last night.

This whole time, I’ve been thinkingI don’t know what the Kings are going to do with me.But the truth is, they don’t know what they’re going to do with me either. How could they, if they have no idea who I am?

“Ah, she’s tongue-tied at last.” Rory casts a smirk at one of the art pieces on the walls. All I can do is stare at his stupidly handsome profile and then trail my gaze down his stupidly well-toned body.

Heart hammering because of this new information andnotbecause of how Rory looks, I spin away from him to face the window. My gaze settles on the world outside.

When I peek over my shoulder to find Rory watching me, I rise from my seat and begin pacing.

So far so good, I tell myself. I’ve succeeded in answering none of his questions while gleaning a little about him and this situation we’re in. Still, formulating a plan and calculating the odds of survival require data, which means I need to string him along.

I clear my throat. A floorboard creaks as he stands too. He shoves his hands in his pockets and tracks the random patterns I create on the floor as I circle the room.

When Rory speaks next, his tone reverts to velvet. The voice he uses to lure young, impressionable women into trusting him. “Where is home for you, by the way?”

I shake my head. Nice try. “Still missing the proper motivation to answer your questions.”

He chuckles. “Keeping your life isn’t motivation enough?”

I stumble and grab one of the bedposts. “You’ll kill me if I don’t answer?”

“That’s not what I said.”

“You promised that no harm would come to me. That was less than an hour ago.” I whirl and find him closer than I expected. I flinch but don’t give any ground. “Isn’t it a little early to start breaking your promises?”

“Who are you, Kiara?” His hazel eyes drill into mine, causing my heart to rattle my ribs. “Really.”

“Good luck figuring that out. Even I don’t know the answer to that one.” Breathless and trapped by the intensity of his full attention, I can’t believe I told him even that much truth.

“These clever answers of yours are cute.” Rory leans into my personal space. “But I guarantee you don’t want to meet any of my more persuasive methods.”

Anger sparks inside me, alongside a flash of fear.

I hate it when men try to intimidate me.