Page 169 of Merciless
“He still wants your secrets. Told me that I wasn’t allowed to let you out of here, no matter how much I might want to. But…” he trails off.
“But what?”
“I dunno. Something was different. He was different.”
I focus on the wall ahead of me and sigh.
“It’s because of what you said in the shower, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, probably,” I confess. His curious stare burns the side of my face, but I refuse to give him the answers he’s desperate for.
How can I? It’ll change everything between us. He won’t look at me with the barely-restrained heat burning bright in his eyes.
“I think I’m done,” I say, pushing his next forkful away.
“Shit, Dove. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. You should eat this. You need it.”
“I’m full. Honestly. Maybe I’ll have some more later.”
Thankfully, he believes me and lifts the plate from my lap.
“Something tells me that you’re not going to turn this down,” he says, lifting the wine glass and passing it over.
“Absolutely not.” I take a sip and moan the second it hits my tongue.
It has to be a fluke, but I’m pretty sure it’s my favorite.
My eyes shoot to his, and I quickly discover it’s no fluke.
“How did you know?”
“Dove,” he teases. “A man never reveals his secrets.”
“I hope you know that this is going to go straight to my head.”
His smile is sheer wickedness. “Oh, I know. I’m banking on it.”
“What’s he doing now? Is he watching us?” I ask, curious as to what the miserable fucker does in his spare time when he’s not torturing people.
“He’s gone out. Doesn’t mean he isn’t watching, though.”
“That’s really creepy, you know that, right?”
“We don’t usually have anyone we want to watch. It’s more to see if they’re still alive.”
“Right.”
“You sure have made things more entertaining for us.”
“I would say you’re welcome, but I’m not sure I’d mean it.”
“What are you talking about? You seem more than happy down here.”
I shrug. “I like my own company.”
“Is that your way of telling me to leave now that I’ve fed you?”
“Never. I’m hoping you can provide me with some entertainment.”