Page 48 of Devil's Property

“You’re threatening me. Again. You’re very good at that.”

I took a deep breath while scrubbing my jaw. Obviously, nothing I’d said had troubled her enough to place any trust in me. Some of that was my fault, yet I placed some of the blame in her lap as well.

Perhaps the uncertainty for both of us remained in the fascinating meet-cute we’d had. If I were to be honest with myself, I’d say it was the most enjoyable first meeting I’d experienced with a woman. The notion did highlight my crude, often barbaric way of handling the women I’d allowed into a slender portion of my life.

Namely, my bed.

I opened the door, allowing in the overhead light. She turned her head slowly, not only studying my face, but also allowing her gaze to sweep down my chest.

“Threats aren’t necessary between us, Fallon. Are they? I believe we have a better understanding of each other. If not now, we will within a day or two. The reason I left you alone in that austere room was to handle a problem that could have easily escalated. I’m in this country for a favor, protecting a man’s hard-earned merchandise.”

“You mean his drug collection,” she countered.

Every word out of her mouth caused a reaction within me. This time, it was a slight smirk. “You knew that already, Fallon. You’re highly intelligent and did a certain amount of homework. It came to my attention that there were enemies prepared to steal millions of dollars of product. It’s my responsibility to ensure any and all potential thieves are stopped.”

“By murdering them?”

I laughed. She wasn’t mincing any words. “Do you really want to know?”

“Yes,” she spouted off immediately. “No. Maybe.”

“You’re not a killer, Fallon. I’ll leave the details out of the conversation at this point. What I’m trying to tell you is that the enemy soldiers who broke into the warehouse held not only Eduardo’s guards hostage, killing three, but also terrorized the workers in the building. They weren’t there for the product, at least not the millions of dollars in cocaine.”

She darted her eyes back and forth. “Then what?”

I was taking an educated guess, which I hadn’t mentioned to Jago and wouldn’t until I flushed out my thoughts. “First of all, a scientist.”

Her breath was stilted. “For what?”

“That’s what I need to find out.”

“And second?”

I laughed bitterly. “They were there for me.”

“The same people that took my sister?”

“A good guess, but I think there’s something much bigger going on, something that started as long as twenty years ago.” I turned my head, looking her directly in her eyes. The instant flash was another indication she knew more than she was telling me.

My answer was something she hadn’t expected. Very slowly she lifted her arm, brushing her hand across my cheek. “That’s going to bruise.”

The touch of her fingers was delicate yet awakened another layer of deep hunger and need that I wasn’t prepared to handle.

An overt need to possess her.

With the stroke of her fingers and the deep breath she took, it was as if she was thinking of something else altogether.

I took her hand into mine, pulling her knuckles to my lips. Her audible shudder kept my balls tight. There were other words to be said. She needed to process what I’d already told her.

She pulled her hand away, curling her fingers before tugging on the handcuffs. I chuckled as soon as she did before exiting the SUV.

I scanned the perimeter before heading to the other side. Once Fassi learned his men weren’t coming back, he’d either retreat entirely or there would be an all-out war. Why I continued to believe this was a personal attack had more to do with the timing and the obvious framing attempt. What troubled me more than anything was the thought Fallon was being used as a lure.

There was so much more to the story than what she’d told me. I opened the door, showing her the small key to the handcuffs. “Just remember I have this tiny key. If you attempt anythingelse, I’ll have no trouble and no regrets tossing you in a cage. Understood?”

“I’d like to see you try.” As soon as I freed her wrist, she rubbed the skin and grabbed her purse. I took it from her hand.

“I’ll return this to you by morning.”