Page 78 of Sigma

He drops his eyes from mine and tears at a chunk of bread, ripping it free with his teeth, with a shake of his head, looking more than ever like a wolf in a poor approximation of mere man.

“The truth, then,” he murmurs, pouring himself beer and taking a long draught of it. “What is the truth, since you know so much about me?”

I laugh. “I know only what you’ve told me, Apollo. Don’t confuse truth with information—with facts. But the truth is easy to see. It’s plain as the nose on your face.” I search him, but he’s not looking at me. “I told you the truth. You’re lonely, and this whole kidnapping plot is all a big game to you. Maybe you don’t see it that way, because you don’t see yourself. But it’s just a game.” I forestall his protest. “A very dangerous game, and one that’s turned deadly. And if you’re not careful in how the next phase of it goes, I guarantee you, the next death will be yours. I’m not threatening you. Honestly, I don’t want to see you dead, Apollo.”

I let out a long, tight sigh.

“Fucking awful truth of it is, I’m fascinated by you. Intrigued. I’m attracted to you.” I point at the wicker couch, a few feet away. “I knew exactly what I was doing, there, Apollo. I went into it eyes open. Once the heat of the moment took over, I admit I couldn’t have stopped it if I wanted to, but the point is, Ididn’twant to.” I lean over the table. “I see you, Apollo. You’re not good. But who is? You’re also not bad. You’re not evil. I don’t think you wanted anyone to get killed. You just didn’t factor in the kind of people my parents are. You’ve got a tiger by the tail, and you’re finding out exactly how big, how angry, and how vicious the tiger on the other end of the tail is.”

“The tiger I’ve got by the tail is you.” He manages a wry, small smirk.

I sit back, smear honey on a cracker and add a chunk of cheese. “My original point is that you thought I was a plaything. You thought you could take me hostage and that I’d just…go along. You thought I was the rich, spoiled brat and that my parents are nothing but vapid, self-centered, easily manipulated billionaires with more money than sense. You thought what happened to your mother was their fault. That your mother was misunderstood, maybe. What about your grandfather? I’ve heard bits and pieces of the story about him, too. And the story I’m hearing isn’t a good one.” I’ve got his full attention now, no more pretense of eating for either of us. “You thought you could kidnap me. You thought you could turn me inside out with your fucking smoldering looks and your…your stupid fucking perfect body. You thought I’d be too scared of you to fight back. Or if I did fight back, it’d be with my fists. You thought if my parents fought back, it’d be with their money.”

He frowns at me. “I don’t smolder.”

I cackle. “Oh, but you do. You smolder.” I wave at him. “Not the point, right now. You thought it would be easy. Take their daughter, play a little game of damsel in distress. Threaten and posture. Like playing chess. Get them where you want them, and get your petty, childish revenge. Make my father sell off the companies he’s worked his whole life building. Make him donate all his money. Whatever. Make my mom think she has to sacrifice herself for me. Playing on their emotions. Playing on mine.”

“Petty, childish revenge?” He pushes his chair back and stands up. “That’s how you see it?”

“That’s how itis, Apollo. Your mother died before I was born. This has nothing to do with me.” I stand up and move to face him, but I keep a couple feet between us; the tinder is easily sparked, and I dare not light the match of touching him. “How closely have you looked at your past, Apollo? Your history, your family’s history?”

“Close enough.”

“Bullshit.” I shake my head, turn away. “You are such a liar. You lie to yourself as smoothly and easily as you lie to everyone around you.”

“I’m honest about who I am. I do not pretend to be anyone but who and what I am.”

“I know that.” I turn back. “The lie you tell iswhy. Why did you get involved in the drugs and the guns, Apollo? You find violence…distasteful. Right? Killing people puts you off your appetite.” I soak the words in sarcasm. “But yet, you’ve embroiled yourself in an industry that is inherently violent. And you’ve tried to change it. Maybe you’ve succeeded, to some extent. And good, great. Admirable even, in a twisted, fucked up sort of way. But have you ever asked yourself why you’re even running drugs and guns in the first place? Is it for the money? The thrill of doing something illegal when all your other enterprises are aboveboard?”

He doesn’t answer.

“Why, Apollo? Are you self-aware enough to answer me that? Why did you get involved in the family business when you didn’t have to?”

His eyes crackle, spit fire and lightning. “I don’t answer toyou.”

I hold my ground. “No, you don’t. You answer to no one.” I dare closer, but the anger and danger he’s exuding makes it feel like I’m edging too close to a blazing fire. “Do you answer to yourself, though? That’s the question.”

“What would be the purpose in this game, Corinna? Tell me that, since you have me all figured out.”

“I think you hoped you’d get your revengeandthe damsel in distress.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning, get your revenge on my parents and have me fall for you.”

He stares me down. “I had you naked and begging for me, only moments ago, Corinna.” His turn to dare closer. “So it seems I was not wrong.”

“You seem to think I’m going to be ashamed of it.” I shake my head. Put my hands on his chest. “I’m not. I saw what was happening. I saw how you make me feel, physically. I’m not ashamed of that.”

“Such a bold young thing.” He’s unmoving—I can feel him trying frantically to rebuild the island fortress walls around himself that I’ve systematically dismantled. “You are such a responsive creature, Corinna. You are a glory of sinful, delicious sexuality. “

I pivot back to face him, still a few paces apart. “The moment you took that fucking hood off me and I saw you, something in my…in my gut, my soul maybe…something inside me resonated, and I knew it was because of you. I didn’t want it to be you. God,anyonebut you. Anyone but a man who would kidnap a girl out of her bed. I mean, shit, what does that say about me? Why the hell do you think I was able to stand there, naked, letting you stare at me like someboylet loose in a girls’ locker room? Why do you think I’ve been so calm through all this? Because I fuckingseeyou, Apollo. And it’s fucked up, and I’m scared of it, and I don’t know what happens next, but I fucking see you.”

“And what is it you see, Corinna?” His voice is razor-thin, razor-sharp, diamond-hard.

“I see a lonely little boy who has never known affection.” I take a step toward him. “I see that lonely, unloved little boy who grew into an angry, isolated man with all the money in the world, all the power, all the influence anyone could ever want. But it didn’t mean shit to him. Because he’salone.”

Another step—and I see him tensing tighter with each step closer I take, with each word I say.