Page 34 of Keeping Kasey (Love and Blood #3)

“I’m talking about the software to recover that list you deleted,” I tell her.

“Why would you think I have something like that?”

“None of your concern. Now, is it true?”

She stares at me with blank eyes, visibly weighing her options.

She doesn’t have many.

She can either give me this software before accepting death or admit she’s useless to me and die now.

I’m generous enough to let her choose how this goes.

After nearly a minute of deliberation, she gives a single nod.

“Smart girl,” I praise. “Show it to me.”

“It’s not ready.”

“How convenient.” I almost laugh. “Show it to me, now .”

“Why should I?” she asks, head held high. “You’re going to kill me either way. After what you’ve put me through, did you really think I’d just give it to you?”

Now I do laugh. It’s a delighted sound, and I watch as it chips at Kasey’s bravado.

“I’m not sure what’s more amusing,” I say. “The fact that you think you were wronged, or that you think killing you is my only option.”

In one smooth motion, I open my pocketknife and slowly approach her. The color drains from her face as she retreats until her back hits the wall.

I don’t stop until we’re chest-to-chest, and her scent suffocates me—that damn floral perfume that used to cling to the pillow beside mine.

I force the reminder of mornings wrapped up in that scent to the back of my mind to rot, along with every other memory that tries to convince me the woman before me doesn’t deserve to die for what she did.

I gently caress her face with the blade. “I’ll make you wish you were dead long before I put a bullet in this pretty head.”

I drag the knife over her skin and stop when the point rests under her chin. Then, I slowly push it up, forcing her head back.

She loves to lift her chin in defiance.

I love the fear swimming in her eyes.

“It’s not ready,” she repeats in a whisper.

“How long until it is?”

She swallows, wincing as the knife digs in deeper.

“I don’t know,” she says. “A week, maybe longer.”

I nod, nonchalantly dragging the blade up Kasey’s cheek. I don’t apply enough pressure to break the skin, but it’s close.

She’s frozen in place, barely breathing.

There was a time I fed off her body, her smile, her laugh.

Now, I’ll feast on her fear.

“You’re in luck,” I say with a tight grin. “I’ve got a lovely little cell with your name on it. I trust it’ll be an adequate accommodation until you give me what I need.”

Kasey shivers, and I press my body into hers, needing to feel the effect I have on her.

“I won’t help you.”

Somehow, there’s still a spark of flame in her gaze.

I’m going to smother it.

“You may be a conniving traitor, but you aren’t stupid. Either you help me and go out with a bullet, or you fight me, and I’ll show you all the ways I’ve imagined making you suffer over the last four months. Both end with me getting the list and you dead.”

“Why would I make this software?” she asks.

I narrow my eyes but indulge her. “To buy your freedom from me.”

The steely resolve in her gaze grows. “Then why would I have deleted the list in the first place?”

“What kind of question is that?”

“The kind I want an answer to,” she snaps.

I dig the blade into her throat, effectively draining her confidence, even as I answer, “To fulfill another deal. To get dirt on my family. To undermine me. I can think of a million reasons.”

Her eyes search mine. “Do you really believe that?”

“I believe you’re a cold-hearted traitor.”

Despite everything—the knife at her throat and her life on the line—she squares her shoulders. “You always knew I was cold-hearted, but I never betrayed you.”

I move swiftly, slashing the blade across her left arm. It’s a shallow cut, thanks to her jacket, but she cries out, and I muffle the sound with my hand.

I return the knife to her throat as I release her mouth. “Now is not a good time to lie to me.”

“You never gave me the chance to explain,” she croaks, blinking away the tears that threaten to fall.

“Explain what? That you worked for my brother? That you lied about Brandon? That you took the job to delete the names I hired you to find? We’re past explanations, liar. I’m out for revenge.”

“I didn’t…”

Her words trail off as I gently run the tip of the blade back and forth across her lips.

I’ve had dreams about these lips—what I used to do to them, and what it would be like to taste them again. I’m tempted to take them now, but I don’t. I’m barely hanging on by a thread as it is, and if I taste her again, there is no telling what I’ll do next.

And I need to have control over this situation.

Over her.

“What was that, liar?” I ask, using the blade to tuck a loose curl behind her ear.

“I’m not—”

A voice comes through my earpiece, and I dig the blade into her throat again to shut her up.

“Sir, there’s a man approaching from the apartment next door, and he has flowers. Should we interfere or let him come?”

I narrow my eyes at Kasey, whose breaths are ragged as she blinks back tears.

Flowers?

Why would her neighbor be bringing her flowers? Is he another victim of her manipulation?

Or is it more?

My plan to drag Kasey out of here suddenly takes a back seat to the need to satisfy my curiosity.

I step back from her and lift a hand to press the button on the earpiece. “Let him come.”

Kasey’s eyes go wide, and a deeper fear than I’ve seen yet floods her gaze. She can’t hear the soldier’s words, but my response is enough for her to put the pieces together.

So she was expecting him.

Interesting.

“Logan, wait! He has nothing to do with this,” she pleads.

I like the sound of her pleas.

It’s not as satisfying as her moans, but I’ll take it.

A knock on the door makes her go rigid.

“Open the door,” I order.

She doesn’t move. She just stares up at me with wide, desperate eyes.

I cock my head to the side and cup her cheek with one hand. It’s a gentle touch, but she sees it for the threat that it is.

“Either you open that door”—I take her gun from my holster—“or I will.”

“He has nothing to do with this,” she repeats, unshed tears filling her eyes.

“Last chance, liar.”

She closes her eyes in resignation as he knocks again.

With a shuddering breath, Kasey walks to the door.