“Than your obligatory blow job?” Trees reared back. “No matter what I’ve said or done over the past few days, you’re still determined to cast me in the role of villain.”
What did he want from her? Everyone in Emilo’s compound who had ever claimed he intended to help her had merely wanted pleasure. Once they had tumbled her a few times, they had been far less motivated to improve her situation or help her escape—and that’s if Hector and Victor didn’t find out someone had poached their “property.” When they had, her “helper” hadn’t lived long.
“I do not understand you,” she said softly.
“It’s fucking simple, Laila. I was hired to protect you until we could find another safe house closer to the team. You’ve done your best to defy and undermine me at every turn. And trick me. Can’t forget that…”
She had responded to Trees with uncertainty and mistrust. But what else did she have to compare him to except criminals and rapists?
“Why did you have sex with me?” She turned the question on him. “You are angry with me for seducing you, but you could have said no. You did not because you wanted…what? Gratification? Easy pussy? The power of mounting and penetrating a woman smaller and weaker?”
Trees huffed out a bitter laugh. “No, I’m an idiot because I just wanted you. When I was inside you, I told you that I wanted you the moment I laid eyes on you. That wasn’t a lie. I’m not interested in easy lays or cheap thrills. If I wanted a booty call, I could pick up the phone and have multiple choices. But I don’t because I’m over sex that has zero meaning. And I’m the schmuck for hoping that what we did tonight meant anything to you except the means to an end.”
A wave of shame overcame her. Usually, she didn’t bother with guilt. It had no place in survival. When every breath, every morsel of food, and every bit of clothing was dependent on catering to monsters’ whims, she had done her best to reserve all emotions for her family.
But Trees had slipped under her defenses. “I am sorry. It seems you are not like Victor, Hector, and their ilk.”
And she meant that. More than once, she had apologized to one of Emilo’s men without meaning it. How did she make Trees believe her now? His hand was inches from her. Perhaps if she reached for it, wrapped her fingers in his, and squeezed… But too much anger poured off of him. She doubted he would welcome her touch.
Laila kept her hands to herself.
“You’re damned right I’m not.” He knelt in front of her. “You can’t fake orgasms like that.”
Women did that? “I did not.”
“You felt something with me,” he growled.
She had. Something she didn’t understand. Something that terrified her. Every other man lorded the power of violence and pain over her body. But Trees…he had the power of pleasure. He knew how to make her body melt, to make her thoughts float away like smoke, and how to make her entire being surrender to a blinding ecstasy she’d never thought possible. He had more power over her body than she did, and that terrified her.
Not for anything would she admit that.
“No reply, huh?” he challenged, then shook his head. “You know what? It doesn’t matter. You’re supposed to be a job, and I was wrong to take you up on your oral offer. For the rest of the trip, it will be strictly professional. And by tomorrow night, we’ll be in Louisiana, and I’ll do my best to make sure you’re someone else’s problem.”
He turned away, slamming the bathroom door when it blocked his path, and rummaged through his duffel. Moments later, he turned back to her, padded cuffs in hand. “Give me your wrists.”
She shrank back.
“I told you what would happen if you ran from me again.”
He had, and she had believed him. But she hadn’t had a choice. “Please…”
Laila hated the whine in her voice, the fear racing through her veins. It made her feel weak to beg for his mercy. After everything tonight, she didn’t expect him to have any.
“Fuck me…” With a sigh, he marched back to the front of the RV, flipped on every light, dragged out his tools, and in a handful of minutes installed the lock he’d bought to secure the door from the inside. “There. No cuffs. But you’re not going anywhere.”
“I will not try.”
“Trust is a two-way street, honey. So excuse me if I don’t believe you. Go to sleep.”
Trees turned away, utterly ignoring her as he doffed his boots, shirt, and jeans, then settled into the bed, turned out the lights, and rolled away.
Laila stayed awake, listening to his even, raspy breaths, drowning in regret and guilt. Sleep was a long time coming.
Trees couldn’t remember a shittier night of sleep. Or a more tense day as he drove a circuitous route through parts of Alabama and Mississippi, avoiding highways and cities, before finally approaching Lafayette. When he had stopped for gas earlier, he’d called Zy and asked if there was anywhere besides his place to drop Laila off.
Of course there wasn’t. He was stuck with a woman whose finger he’d mentally put a ring on, impregnated twice, and pledged his undying love to while she had merely fucked him to get away.
Good job reading the room, moron.
Worse, except when she was talking to Valeria about Jorge’s worsening condition, she was too quiet. Not sulky but withdrawn. Remorseful? He didn’t know. He didn’t exactly make the effort to strike up a conversation. The stupid-ass part of him wanted to hold her, talk to her, resolve their strife. But he’d been too angry to handle last night well, and she was too damaged to believe anything he said.
They were a recipe for disaster. He needed to stop obsessing about her and move on.
A few miles from his place, he sent a text to Zy. There in ten. Everything ready?
Yep, Zy wrote back.
Thank god. I need to be more than a foot away from this woman.
It was late when he finally steered the lumbering RV down the dirt road to his house outside of town. The gate was open, the lights on, and the security relaxed. Zy stepped onto the front porch with a wave just before he pulled around the back of the house so no one could see the RV from the road. Then he cut the engine and heaved a huge sigh.
One trial down, a whole new tribulation about to begin. Laila would be staying here indefinitely.
As Trees stood and pocketed the keys, Zy jogged around his brick ranch house. Trees opened the RV door. Despite the chilly breeze, he stepped out happily and stretched. “Hey. So fucking glad that’s over.”
“I’m glad for you, man. Good to have you back.”
It was good to be back, especially with his best friend, who would understand how rough it had been with Laila since he’d had problems of his own with Tessa. But when he looked at Zy, it was obvious something was wrong. “You look like shit.”
“Well, stress, lack of sleep, and your girlfriend looking for the politest way possible to tell you to fuck off will do that.”
Hadn’t they just recently—finally—gotten together? And everything had already gone to hell? Trees hated to keep thinking the worst, but Tessa didn’t seem like the kind of head case who would sabotage a new relationship with someone as awesome as Zy…unless she was guilty of something. Spying for the enemy, maybe? “No shit?”