brushed against hers. She sucked in a breath at the contact just as the Knowledge whispered good to her. In that same moment, Jericho jerked his hand back, an obvious reaction to his own read-out from their touch. His wide eyes met hers in a panic.
She raised her brows. His reaction to her evil nature was beginning to bug her. He needed to get over it.
“I can’t do this,” he groaned, covering his face with both hands. Dahlia forced herself to contain her temper as his shoulders trembled. She needed to find out what the hell his orders were so she knew how to protect Gabriel.
Just as she opened her mouth to grill him, Jericho straightened and pinned her with a look so full of anguish that all thought fled. “It’s done. My mission is done. I found out what they wanted me to. I can’t stay here a minute longer, not around that — ” He shook his head miserably.
Gabriel. He was talking about Gabriel. Why was her son affecting this man so greatly? Of course. Gabriel was the same age as Jericho’s child would be if his mate hadn’t died in pregnancy.
Before she could ponder that further, determination crossed his eyes. “My orders were to find out your secret and then take you back. We’re leaving. Now,” he said as he rose to his feet.
Dahlia saw spots as Jericho reached into one of his cargo pockets and withdrew handcuffs. He unceremoniously reached down and hauled her to her feet, turning her to face the wall and wrestling her arms behind her back. Her shock dissipated and she started moving, fighting with all of her strength to get free. “No,” she whispered, panic mounting. He was so strong. He was going to take her away — away from her son — and she wouldn’t be able to stop him. “No, you have to stop,” she begged shamelessly, feeling tears rise up in her throat again. He didn’t stop, and she felt the cold iron of the cuffs slap around her right wrist. “I have another!” she screamed desperately. “I have another secret!”
Finally something made a dent. She felt Jericho still behind her. Heard her billowing breaths echo through the room. They bordered on hysterical sobs. His heat left her back as he stepped away, and she turned around, pausing for a moment to wipe her wet cheek on her shoulder before facing him. His face was an emotionless mask; his light blue eyes were dark and lifeless, the pinch around them the only indication that he felt anything.
“You have another secret,” he repeated without inflection.
Dahlia took a great, gulping breath and forced herself to portray a calm that was nothing close to how she felt. “Yes. I do. I’m willing to negotiate with information if you delay taking me back.” She needed time — she didn’t know how much — to prevent the worst thing that could ever happen to her. Jericho couldn’t take her back, not yet, and if that meant she had to incriminate herself further, so be it.
Jericho stepped back even farther, obviously trying to distance himself from her. Was her emotion affecting him? She could only hope. “Start talking,” he ground out.
Dahlia shook her head.
Jericho’s expression turned even blacker. “Then we leave now,” he said.
“No,” she said quickly. “I only meant I won’t tell you right now. Not before I have your word you won’t take me back.”
Jericho’s nostrils flared. “I’m taking you back. That’s non-negotiable.”
The panic nearly overtook her again. “Please,” she said breathlessly. “I just need time. I will tell you everything you want to know — I promise — only, give me some time.”
She watched as a muscle ticked in Jericho’s jaw, and she allowed the smallest patch of hope that he was softening. “Please,” she repeated.
He sighed, and she knew she had him. “A day,” he grumbled. “I can give you a day.”
Dahlia shook her head. “I need more. Five.”
Jericho laughed without humor. “No fucking way.” He examined her with a critical eye. “Three. I’ll meet
She raised her brows. His reaction to her evil nature was beginning to bug her. He needed to get over it.
“I can’t do this,” he groaned, covering his face with both hands. Dahlia forced herself to contain her temper as his shoulders trembled. She needed to find out what the hell his orders were so she knew how to protect Gabriel.
Just as she opened her mouth to grill him, Jericho straightened and pinned her with a look so full of anguish that all thought fled. “It’s done. My mission is done. I found out what they wanted me to. I can’t stay here a minute longer, not around that — ” He shook his head miserably.
Gabriel. He was talking about Gabriel. Why was her son affecting this man so greatly? Of course. Gabriel was the same age as Jericho’s child would be if his mate hadn’t died in pregnancy.
Before she could ponder that further, determination crossed his eyes. “My orders were to find out your secret and then take you back. We’re leaving. Now,” he said as he rose to his feet.
Dahlia saw spots as Jericho reached into one of his cargo pockets and withdrew handcuffs. He unceremoniously reached down and hauled her to her feet, turning her to face the wall and wrestling her arms behind her back. Her shock dissipated and she started moving, fighting with all of her strength to get free. “No,” she whispered, panic mounting. He was so strong. He was going to take her away — away from her son — and she wouldn’t be able to stop him. “No, you have to stop,” she begged shamelessly, feeling tears rise up in her throat again. He didn’t stop, and she felt the cold iron of the cuffs slap around her right wrist. “I have another!” she screamed desperately. “I have another secret!”
Finally something made a dent. She felt Jericho still behind her. Heard her billowing breaths echo through the room. They bordered on hysterical sobs. His heat left her back as he stepped away, and she turned around, pausing for a moment to wipe her wet cheek on her shoulder before facing him. His face was an emotionless mask; his light blue eyes were dark and lifeless, the pinch around them the only indication that he felt anything.
“You have another secret,” he repeated without inflection.
Dahlia took a great, gulping breath and forced herself to portray a calm that was nothing close to how she felt. “Yes. I do. I’m willing to negotiate with information if you delay taking me back.” She needed time — she didn’t know how much — to prevent the worst thing that could ever happen to her. Jericho couldn’t take her back, not yet, and if that meant she had to incriminate herself further, so be it.
Jericho stepped back even farther, obviously trying to distance himself from her. Was her emotion affecting him? She could only hope. “Start talking,” he ground out.
Dahlia shook her head.
Jericho’s expression turned even blacker. “Then we leave now,” he said.
“No,” she said quickly. “I only meant I won’t tell you right now. Not before I have your word you won’t take me back.”
Jericho’s nostrils flared. “I’m taking you back. That’s non-negotiable.”
The panic nearly overtook her again. “Please,” she said breathlessly. “I just need time. I will tell you everything you want to know — I promise — only, give me some time.”
She watched as a muscle ticked in Jericho’s jaw, and she allowed the smallest patch of hope that he was softening. “Please,” she repeated.
He sighed, and she knew she had him. “A day,” he grumbled. “I can give you a day.”
Dahlia shook her head. “I need more. Five.”
Jericho laughed without humor. “No fucking way.” He examined her with a critical eye. “Three. I’ll meet
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