Page 59 of The Diamond Thief

“Will you tell me what you mean by war?”

She shakes her head. “I need to make contact with my family. Can you at least tell me how long I’ve been gone?”

Her family? She’s worried about her parents? She stands near me now, her eyes almost level with me despite her standing and me sitting on the bed. I stare into her eyes. This could just be a way to get more information from me. All calculated.

“That will make a difference?” I ask. The perimeter light blinks faster. Someone has approached the shack that conceals the bunker.

I remove the panty trap. I figured it out while she was dressing. It’s been cute, but it’s time to be done with it.

As we look at each other, I ball the microfibers in my hand and keep my wrists connected so Jade isn’t aware that I’ve defeated them. Something is going on here. Jade needs to let me in on it.

“Yes,” she says. “I need to figure out how worried they are.”

I decide to lie. “Four hours.”

“That’s all?”

I shrug. “Give or take. I lost track of time since we ate.”

She glances around the room. Her eyes rest on the blinking light, but she does not find it important. “I tell you what. Get me out of here, and I will go straight to your swords. I’ll have them delivered to you. Then we don’t have to deal with each other anymore.”

Hell no. I’m not giving her up. Not when we have no idea what’s outside.

But I don’t say that. I just give her a curt nod.

I have to force aside my urge to toss aside these bonds, shove her back in the room, slam the door, and put a sleeping agent in there. If I really got my way, Jade would be my Goddamn sleeping beauty. I’d wake her up solely at my pleasure.

The storm inside me roils. I can’t just let her walk away.

I toss aside the bonds and grab her arm. She startles. It’s good to know I can take someone like her by surprise.

“You’re out,” she cries.

“Bondage is an expertise of mine. Yours was quite good. But not good enough.” I turn her to face me. “I don’t want you to leave.”

“What?”

“Stay.”

“Here? With you?”

“We can go anywhere.”

Our eyes lock. I see the surprise there, but also the idea taking hold. She wants it. But something is holding her back. Something she won’t say.

“Jade, decide.”

She opens her mouth, but then a wall-jarring crash rocks the room.

Damn. Whoever it is, they’re going to bring down the shack.

“What was that?” she asks.

“We have company.”

Her eyes widen. “Antony?”

“You have other ideas?” The room shakes again.