Page 49 of Burn for Her
Like an obedient submissive, she inhaled and an inexplainable physical response to his scent made her so confused, she shoved away from him. He put his hands up in surrender. “I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to protect you.”
Lena stiffened. “Protect me from what?” Now she didn’t trust anything including herself or the one who told her about this place to begin with. “Does this have to do with Bane?”
Reaper remained frozen where he stood. He didn’t even look like he was breathing anymore.
“Are you in it, too?” That was all the clue she could give without breaking code.
Reaper still didn’t move. Nor did he speak.
“Hello.” She waved her hands in his face. What the hell, had he gone catatonic? “Hey!” She snapped her fingers in his face.
He caught her hand and firmly, slowly, gracefully brought it back down to her side. Then he captured her other arm and pinned that one too. “Listen to me very carefully,” his voice was deep and rubbed along the inside of her skull. “I’m never going to lie to you.”
“Aww sweet.” She tried wriggling out of his grip, but it was a no go. “Get off me,” she warned.
“I will once I say this.” He rubbed the pulse points on the inside of her wrists. “I’m your mate.”
Lena tipped her head back and laughed so hard, she almost pissed herself. “Oh, come on. That is…” She sucked in a deep breath and kept laughing before she finished with, “That’s the worst line I’ve ever heard in my life. Did you pluck that out of a cheesy paranormal romance novel?”
Reaper looked like she slugged him right in the gut. “It’s the truth.”
“Okay. Sure. Why not.”
“There are people who will hunt you because of this. They’ll kill you, Lena. Do you understand me?” His grip tightened but didn’t hurt her.
“I’m pretty sure I didn’t have ravish fantasy, nor did I have kidnapping/rescue role play in my file for tonight. You can stop this bullshit now.” She wanted to leave and never come back. What she thought was a chance of a lifetime now seemed like a huge mistake. “I’m leaving.”
“You’re not hearing what I’m saying to you, Lena.” Reaper shook her. His face contorted and the veins in his neck stuck out. He let go of her wrists, only to cradle her face and press his forehead to hers, “I can’t leave you unprotected. Ever. You’re my mate.”
“Buddy, you gotta get a grip.” Why was it always the pretty, sexy ones who were delusional?
And why was she such a sucker for it now?
Probably because she was off her rocker too.
Reaper hissed in frustration and backed off. Lena took the window of opportunity and dashed towards the door.
He beat her to it.
Holy. Shit. “H-h-how did you do that so fast?”
Reaper remained between her and the only exit. His chest heaved with each ragged breath. His pupils blew wide, swallowing his sage green eyes in darkness. The guy looked like a terrifying serial killer.
“Look,” she said, backing away nice and slow. “I have money. Tons of it. Just… just let me go and you can have it all. Swear it. I won’t call the cops. I won’t tell anyone about this place. I’ll do whatever you want, just…”
“You aren’t hearing what I’m saying, Lena.” Reaper ran a hand through his curly hair and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, his eyes were back to their beautiful sage green and just a little red around the rims. That small detail made his lashes stand out, which downright mesmerized her.
She… completely forgot… what she was doing…
Reaper turned around and slammed his fists against the door. “Stop it!” he roared.
“Just trying to help, asshole!” said a woman’s voice from the other side.
“Who’s that?” Lena pointed at the door. “And what’s she doing?”
“That’s Victoria. She thrives in making a bad situation worse.”
Lena didn’t care anymore. She just wanted out of this madhouse. If she couldn’t bribe him, maybe she could sweet talk herself out of here. “I want to go, Reaper. Please.” She approached him with little aggression and lots of doe-eyed innocence. Pressing her hand on his chest, she ignored how her body warmed with the contact, and instead let her eyes fill with tears. “Please, let me go…” she cry-whispered.