“I’m looking at all connections, but the most glaring one is you. The more you cooperate, the quicker this ends.” He ate another spoonful, twisting pain through her stomach.
“Who I’ve slept with has no bearing on this.”
“You have no family or friends. It seems the only people who come into your life are the ones who come between your legs.”
“That’s not true.” A hot ember flared at the base of her throat.
“Then tell me, Rylee.” He spooned more chili, eating it cruelly in front of her and talking with his mouth full. “Among your acquaintances, who hasn’t been in your pants?”
“God, you’re such a prick.”
He continued eating, watching her with callous indifference as the bowl slowly emptied before her eyes. She could almost taste the hearty beans as they disappeared in his mouth.
“My colleagues.” A prickly burn swarmed the edges of her eyes. “I don’t sleep with them, and they’re my friends.”
“Colleagues,” he echoed in an acidic tone and wiped the back of his hand across his lips. “Define your relationship with them.”
“What do you mean?”
“Have any of them been to your house? Or called you on the phone just to shoot the shit? Or invited you to hang out or grab a beer after work?”
“No.” Not once. “I don’t make friends like that easily. I’m shy. Reserved.”
“A shy woman doesn’t show up at a known criminal’s house by herself. But you’re not alone, are you? Whoever you’re working with sent Paul to check on you, and when he doesn’t return, they’ll send someone else.”
“Jesus, you’re all over the place with your theories. Which is it? Am I being tracked by an enemy, a lover, or some cohort who is helping me plot your demise?”
“You tell me.”
“None of the above. I’m so damn shy and guarded it took me ten years to work up the nerve to talk to you. Luring you here to meet you in person is so far out of my comfort zone. I told no one about you or where I was going. I just…I thought you were in danger with the cartel, and I panicked when you said goodbye in your last email. I don’t have friends like you do. I’m not good at letting people in.”
“You don’t have friends because you’re a lying, deceitful—”
“I’m afraid of being hurt again.” The confession blurted on a rush of anger.
He stared at her like she was the village idiot. Maybe she was. She’d made a terrible mistake coming here. Too late to take it back. But she was educated. Trained to listen to criminals and understand their motivations, views, thoughts, and actions.
If he didn’t view her as a person, he would continue to hurt her. She needed to remind him she was human.
“I pretend I don’t need anyone.” She swallowed, her vision blurring with tears. “I keep everyone at a distance. But deep down, I still dream of finding a life partner, someone who loves me enough to be loyal. Faithful.”
“Is that why you’re fucking Evan? You want him to love you?”
“No.” She wiped at her wet cheeks and looked away. “He’s charming and nice and…”
Too perfect. Too doting. Too much like Mason. That scared the crap out of her.
“Women love him,” she said. “I’m not his only lover. I mean, we don’t have that kind of relationship. We’re just neighbors.”
“With benefits.” His judgmental tone added insult to his narrowed glare.
“You’re not in a position to look at me like that. You fuck whomever you want and make those women hurt. Your words. Don’t you dare shame me for having a sex life.”
With a grunt, he turned his attention back to the chili and ate another spoonful.
There was only one bite left.
She balled her hands so tightly her nails dug into her palms. “You’re not going to let me eat?”
“Give me the names of your sexual partners, and I’ll feed you.”
“I don’t know their names.”
“You don’t know who you’re fucking? How did you meet them?”
Her hunger outweighed her pride, making it easy to answer. “Dating sites and hookup apps. Their usernames were probably not their real names, and I don’t remember any of them anyway.”
“Where’s your phone?”
He already knew her identity. There was nothing in that duffel bag worth hiding.
“Buried in the ruins of the Milton house,” she said. “Southwest corner.”
He shoved the bowl toward her.
She fell upon it like a rabid dog, sucking the last bite off the spoon until it gleamed. Heavenly flavors exploded on her tongue as she dropped the utensil and dragged her fingers along the bottom of the empty bowl, frantically scraping out every drop.
“Where are you?” He stood with his phone to his ear. “Okay. Swing by Caroline’s house on your way back.”
As he recapped the conversation about her duffel bag, she cleaned every speck of chili from the bowl with her fingers and tongue. It didn’t come close to putting a dent in her hunger.
He ended the call and turned toward her. “Are the dating apps still on your phone?”
“Yes, but I swear, Tommy, I never told anyone about you. Don’t hurt those guys. They were just one-night stands.”
“Let’s go.” He gripped her arm and wrenched her from the chair.
“Go where?” She tried and failed to escape his grip as he dragged her toward the bedroom. “Wait! I’m still hungry.”
“Not hungry enough.”
“What do you mean?” She dug in her feet and stumbled with the force of his forward motion. “I answered your questions.”
As he hauled her away from the kitchen, it became horribly apparent that one bite of chili was all he would give her.
Eating was imperative. But more than that, she felt the overpowering instinct to run.
She went wild, thrashing, punching, biting, kicking, and somehow, she broke free. Her thoughts spun into chaotic indecision, but her body took the reins, bolting through the house and toward the front door.
Blood pounded in her ears, her pulse spastic and breaths bursting.
Running into the desert would be suicide. She needed her keys and scoured every surface as she flew past the front room. Nothing. But she didn’t slow.
Outside, she slammed into a wall of hot air, the sky pitch black and her truck nowhere in sight.
Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck.
She darted around the side of the house, searching for anything that might help her escape this miserable wasteland. Where was her fucking truck?
If she sprinted in the direction of the Milton house, could she find her way in the dark? Did she have the strength to travel two miles on foot? Then what? She’d dig up her phone, but it didn’t have a signal. And she needed the map in her truck to find the closest town.
Fuck!
“You’ll die out there.” His chilling voice fell against her back, terrifyingly close.
She spun, backing away from his towering silhouette. “Where’s my truck?”
Only a few feet separated them, and he stayed with her, prowling forward as she reeled backward.
Twilight threw the hollows of his cheekbones into shadow and accentuated the handsome planes of his face. He was a vigilante criminal, a lawless punisher, with righteous murder pumping through his veins.