Locke seemed to consider her words as he took another sip of his coffee. “The more you talk, the better I understand why you helped Allison.”
And there they were again. This time, with a clear mind and a full belly, she felt in fighting form. “Why are you so interested in Allison? In saving her? Is she a family member?”
Locke shook his head. “No. What she is, is an innocent victim of very terrible people. Monsters that need to be stopped.”
“Why you? Who are you?”
That was a crucial question for her. Her body may trust him up to a point, but the man known only as Locke was anything but an open book.
“Is it really important?”
For an instant, Tessa thought he was joking, but soon found out it wasn’t the case.
Biting her lip to stop a sarcastic reply, she took a deep breath. “Well, I tend to want to know the name of the man who ends up with his hand down my panties. And who wants to protect me in their expensive penthouse by offering to repay my kidnapper and cut my debt through sex. Don’t you think, Mr.Locke? If that’s your real name.”
The man facing her was the epitome of intensity. She could feel his energy from where she was sitting and that alone was revealing. There was so much more to him than met the eye.
Always thinking, and probably deciding how much he could tell her.
“What made you become a doctor? Selflessness? Wanting to save the world? Money? Prestige?”
It wasn’t the first time she had heard that tone of voice, people were quick to assume, and it didn’t bother her anymore.
“My father brought me up as a single dad with the help of my grandma, because my mother died in a car accident when I was ten. She bled to death as they tried to pull her out of the wreckage and get her to the hospital. So, you can say my reasons are not very glamorous. Sorry to burst your preconceived bubble, Mr.Locke. My guess is I need a few years with a psychiatrist to get to the bottom of my initial motivation. And I don’t have time for that.”
It was always a little painful to talk about her mother, but she wanted to focus on the positive more than dwell on what couldn’t be changed. No way was she going to fall in a bundle of tears and snot in front of Mr. Cold and Detached. After all, they were trying to establish some sort of trust between them to conclude a deal, settle her debt.
Another sip, more silence. Tessa almost gritted her teeth at how long it took the man to make a move or say a thing.
“I’m sorry.” At least there was a hint of compassion in his voice. Maybe more than just a hint. She had to be fair with the guy, he’d treated her right so far, and the way he’d helped his injured friend said a lot.
“And you? You’ll probably not answer my questions about what you do for a living, although I suspect you make a lot of money because owning a building this posh in this side of town is anything but cheap. But I don’t care about money. What I really want to know, in fact, the only thing I want to know is, why you want to save Allison. And how you found out about her.”
Locke put his mug down. “You’re asking a lot from me. I don’t trust people that easily as I’ve always found that very few of them could be trusted. How would you be different, Doctor?”
Another dead-end. The man was always playing that game although Tessa believed that he trusted her more than he revealed, especially since he brought her here.
“How many girls have you saved? And don’t tell me you don’t remember. With your OCD, you’ve probably memorized their names as well as their social security numbers.”
From the look in his eyes he was insulted. “I don’t have OCD…”
“One problem at a time, Mr.Locke. So? Answer me.”
The man shrugged, clearly not willing to answer, so she supposed the number was important.
“Out of all the people you’ve saved, how many have you brought here?”
“None. I don’t bring anybody here. I send them to safe-houses where they are taken care of and protected.”
Tessa nodded, taking a sip from her mug. “See?”
And now he was thrown off. “What?”
“You trust me. Admit it. If you didn’t, you would never have hidden me in your sanctuary.”
He arched an eyebrow before shaking his head. “And I just remembered why I never bring women here. You want a summary? I’ll give it to you, but I warn you, my patience is wearing thin. I work as a trader, which allows me to have this sanctuary as you say. I’m good with numbers. I told you I took part in more shady activities years ago. I don’t anymore, but I still have ties, and use them to help the best I can. I’m bringing Luther down, it’s only a question of time. You walked into the line of fire at the worst possible time, but that won’t change my objective. It only complicates it, as I need to keep you safe from him, and negotiate like hell so you don’t become another one of the broken dolls I’ve saved from his cellar.”
Tessa licked her lips, as she felt him growing restless and angry.
