But he’d noticed her. He’d taken over three days of lectures on the political situations in smaller, often overlooked countries. Levi had been an ass, but he’d noticed the woman with all the blonde hair and the smile like sunshine. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her and when he’d found out she frequented a bar in Foggy Bottom, he’d found himself hanging out there more and more. It had been before he’d gone into the field, when he’d been an analyst.
“See, he’s always wanted to get back at me for that,” he replied. “You don’t understand the male psyche. I wounded his pride that day.”
“And I wounded it when I wouldn’t love him back.”
He felt his spine straighten. He didn’t want to hear about what she’d done with Levi before she’d met him. Sometimes he thought half their fights had been about that fucker. If she needed to believe she was the center of the universe, then he was going to let her. “There’s no point in discussing ancient history.”
She sat back. “Of course there isn’t. I’m going to pull up the laptop. I’ll stay on the couch tonight.”
“I can handle the couch.”
She stood up and grabbed the sleek computer and brought it back to the table. “I’m going to check my messages. I want to see if he called.”
“By he, you mean Levi?” She wanted to know if he’d left her a damn message? “You so desperate to hear his voice?”
She didn’t look up at him, merely stared at the screen. “The door is that way, Beck. You should feel free to use it.” She sighed and looked up at him. “If you won’t talk about the past with me, could you at least not accuse me of things you don’t understand? That man has ruined my life in numerous ways. You don’t want to hear about it? I get it, but you can keep your mouth shut about things you don’t understand.”
But he did understand. Didn’t he? Levi had always been a touchy subject. “I told you he was trouble.”
“Of course you did. Look, you were always right about everything and I was always wrong. We have to be here for a couple of days and then you don’t have to see me ever again. I promise. I’ll go my way and you’ll go yours and I’ll respect your wishes and stay far, far away from anywhere you might be.”
He hated the fact that she wouldn’t look at him. “I didn’t say I was always right.”
“You don’t have to. It’s implied in pretty much everything you do.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
She shook her head. “Sorry, we weren’t supposed to talk about ancient history.”
He was about to reply that he really wanted to know what she meant, but a frown crossed her face. “What is it?”
“It’s a message from him. He didn’t even use a burner. He wanted his name to come up.”
“Play it.” He wanted to hear it. He needed to hear that fucker’s voice. His gut twisted because he’d accused her of the same thing, though he’d put an awful spin on it.
She touched a button and a beep came over the line.
“Hello, Solo.” Levi’s voice sounded smooth over the computer’s speakers. “I’m going to assume it was Ezra who saved you today. It won’t work. I’ll find you and then I’ll deal with him. If you want him to live, you’ll turn yourself in. Make no mistake, I’m in charge now. I have control of your case, and when I bring you in I’ll have complete control of you. The fact that you’ll be in my charge is a foregone conclusion. How I bring you in now is up to you. I played nice, Solo. I won’t next time. Next time we meet I’ll show you my other side. The truth is the dark side of me loves you every bit as much as the light side. The dark side simply wants to hurt you more. I look forward to unleashing that part of myself. And tell Beck that he might have saved you briefly, but you’ll be in my bed before the end of the week. Just like you were the first time.”
Rage rose inside him hard and fast, and before he knew what he was doing, the glass in his hand exploded.
He heard a gasp and looked up at Kim. There was a drop of blood on her cheek. That speck of red was the only color on her face because her skin had gone a pasty white. She looked down at his hand and stood.
“I’ll get the first aid kit. Don’t move. You’ll spread the glass around if you move.” Her every word was dull and rote.
He’d cut her. He hadn’t meant to, but wasn’t that what they did when they were together? They were volcanic, and even when they started with the best of intentions, one of them ended up hurt.
He looked down at the red wine he’d spilled all over the table and his clothes. It looked like blood.
How much would he spill before they got out of this situation?
How much would he give? How much of hers would he take?
When she came back into the room, he was silent and allowed her to clean up the mess he’d made. He wondered if there was any way they got out of this whole.
Chapter Four
There were no windows in this small space, but Ezra knew it was night outside. He didn’t need to look at a clock to know it was late. He stood in the bathroom, his hair still wet from the shower he’d taken, and wondered why he even cared about time. Somehow the realization that it was dark outside and they were alone in the building made his
