17 Chapter 16 (2/2)

Dornan frowned. 'If you didn't wear this, what?'

I searched my mind for a suitable lie, something that didn't involve the knowledge of my son.

'He said he'd make me regret it,' I said, technically not lying.

'Huh,' he said. 'Well, now that I know he chose these, I'd like to rip them off you and burn them.'

My face burned, never mind my clothes. I had never in my life felt more exposed.

'Please don't,' I replied sharply.

'For now, you can keep 'em. Arms out, little lady.'

I rolled my eyes and held my arms straight out in front of me.

'Let the treasure hunting begin,' he said gleefully, taking one of my arms and wrapping his fingers around my wrist. I glanced at the scanner, lying silently on the table, but thought better of mentioning it.

As Dornan's fingers skated smoothly over my skin, I fought the urge to shudder violently. My flesh rose in gooseb.u.mps and I curled my toes to stop from squirming.

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His touch was feather-light. It wasn't a search — it was a caress. As he locked his gaze on me and continued to poke at the skin around my bandaged wrist, I realised he didn't really give a s.h.i.+t about any microchip.

And I didn't really give a s.h.i.+t that I was standing in front of the son of the man who owned me, in gaudy lace underwear, being felt up by him.

I should have cared, though. I should have been disgusted.

What was wrong with me? He shouldn't have been making me feel like this.

It was the loneliness, I decided. I was only feeling the way I was around him — flushed, unable to keep still, with an itch that wanted to be scratched by him — because I was so terribly lonely.

I rationalised things in my head. It was okay. I was confused. And him touching me didn't change the way I felt — because as soon as I got my chance, I would kill him.

I acted bored as his grip tightened on my forearm. He placed his thumb and forefinger over a thin, hard rod embedded under my skin.

'What's this?' he asked.

'Contraceptive implant,' I replied quickly, immediately regretting uttering those words.

His eyes lit up at that as his gaze travelled across my chest and wandered down to the most private of places. I was clothed and covered in the right places, but in front of him, I felt completely naked. The feeling was unnerving and delicious all at once, which only confused me further.

So he's s.e.xy as h.e.l.l. It doesn't matter. He's the enemy.

'It doesn't matter anyway,' I added hastily. 'I've got a nasty case of the clap. Better not **** me or your pico might fall off.' I thrust my chin out as I used the Spanish term for 'small d.i.c.k', smirking at the Gypsy Brother as his warm hands continued to roam every bit of bare flesh on my arms.

Dornan laughed at my admission, a throaty noise full of gravel and insolence that made me increasingly unsteady on my feet.

'I'm not going to **** you,' he replied, amus.e.m.e.nt dancing in his dark eyes. 'And you don't have the clap. So don't use that one on me.'

I rolled my eyes at him as he continued his probing of my flesh with his rough hands. I spied a gold wedding band on his finger, something that hadn't been there yesterday — I was certain, because I'd specifically looked for one. 'What does your wife think of what you're doing?' I asked sharply.

Dornan snickered. 'My wife is a c.u.n.t,' he replied, without missing a beat.

Dornan placed his fingers in the s.p.a.ce just below the crook of my elbow, then slowly walked his fingers down towards my wrist. He smiled smugly.

s.h.i.+t.

'Bingo,' he said, pressing the pad of his thumb against the tiny microchip all the Rodriguez children had been given several years ago. An ineffective insurance policy in case we were ever taken.

My eyes filled with salt.w.a.ter and anger as my heart sank. I didn't enjoy suffering, and I knew what was about to come next.

It was going to hurt.

Sucking on his bottom lip, Dornan seemed to enjoy my reaction to his discovery. He didn't tear his eyes from mine as he reached into his pocket and withdrew a slim, sheathed switchblade, flicking it open with a casual precision that suggested he had done it countless times before.

My eyes widened slightly as the blade snicked open. I didn't dare move as he balanced the knife in his open palm, hovering in the s.p.a.ce between us.

'You want to cut it out, or should I?' he asked.

And in that fraction of time, I saw my way out.

Before he could blink, I s.n.a.t.c.hed the knife out of his hand and, without hesitating, leapt forward, plunging the blade into the meaty section of his left shoulder.

He swore and staggered back. As he moved, I used every ounce of energy I still possessed to wrench the blade free. I wasn't about to give up the only weapon I'd managed to grab hold of during my captivity.

I took a step back and widened my stance, s.h.i.+fting my weight to the b.a.l.l.s of my feet and raising onto my tiptoes, ready to move swiftly.

'That was unnecessary,' Dornan growled, touching a finger to his bleeding shoulder before pressing it to his mouth, tasting his own blood.

I tried to fight the urge to lick my lips as I revelled in the satisfaction of spilling his blood. I couldn't help myself and my tongue darted out over my lips as I tasted the blood in the air between us.

Apparently unconcerned, Dornan held his palm out in front of me. 'Give me the knife,' he said, wiggling his fingers for effect. I just smiled at him, ready to lunge forward, waiting for the right moment to attack. As if I'd give it back.

Dornan shrugged and reached into the waistband of his jeans. Before I could blink, the cold, smooth barrel of a gun was wedged firmly underneath my chin, forcing my head back at an uncomfortable angle.

d.a.m.n it!

'Ever heard the expression, ”Don't bring a knife to a gun fight?”' Dornan asked, clearly happy to once again have the upper hand. I let the knife go, wincing as it clattered to the ground beside my bare feet. Dornan kept the gun trained on me as he knelt to pick up the knife, then stuffed the gun back into his waistband.

With rough fingers he seized my arm once more, hovering the bloodied blade over the spot where my useless microchip was implanted.

'Sweetheart,' he said, grinning widely. 'This is gonna hurt.'

He wasn't gentle as he brought the blade down across my flesh.

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