CHAPTER TWENTY
At some point, the thunder receded, and the rain mixed with the sound of sleeping bodies. And a strange rattling sound. When it happened again, Tessa fought the layers of sleepiness until her room came back into focus. Somehow, Gage had shifted to his side, giving her his back and Locke was nowhere to be seen. Still naked, Tessa shivered slightly before realizing the rattling sounded again. Wondering where Locke was, she pushed herself off the bed and walked around until the next buzzing helped her locate a cell phone on the ground. Probably Locke’s. It must have fallen from his pants. His clothes were gone too. Picking up the phone, a message lit the screen and she recognized Tyrone’s number.
It’s done. Luther in custody. Tessa is safe. More details to come.
It took her a moment to realize the implications of the message. It was a relief to know her life wasn’t in danger anymore and it was the sign that she could leave Locke’s apartment.
Growing cold, she dressed, leaving Gage sleeping on her bed, and went to find Locke.
The apartment was still in darkness, but the storm had passed. Despite the low light, Locke was nowhere to be seen. Worried, Tessa was about to head back and ask Gage where his friend might be when she heard a door close in the master bedroom.
Letting her hand glide against the wall, it was strange to see the bedroom door open and Locke not there. Tessa stepped inside and checked his bathroom as the door was closed but still no one. As she left the bathroom, she felt a small draft coming from the window. After closer inspection, she realized it was a sliding door and it was unlocked. Was Locke out in this weather?
The rain was lighter now, humidity warming the temperature as she stepped on the small metal balcony. To her left was a staircase leading to the rooftop. She was glad it was dark, it prevented her from seeing how high they were. The wind picked up a little as she reached the top and saw Locke with his back to her. He stood still, as if admiring the view.
She walked to him, worried. “Locke?”
His tall frame shivered before tensing as he turned to her. “How did you get here? Are you all right?”
“I was looking for you. And I should be the one asking if you are all right.”
His dark t-shirt was damp, sticking to his muscled body. The more time passed, the colder he became, which twisted her stomach. “Why are you here? I thought that after being fucked senseless, you would be passed out for at least a couple more hours. If you’re after some more, ask Gage.”
The air left her body at the insult. “Are you serious? What’s wrong with you?”
The way he approached her was so menacing, Tessa involuntarily took a step back, but he didn’t stop until he gripped her arm.
“I changed my mind. I’m in the mood to fuck you now.” He yanked her forward against his body, before his hands went to grab her ass. Normally, she would gladly listen to her body and yield, but there was something wrong about this. Locke bit her neck hard, making her shudder, but Tessa pushed against his unyielding body. Instead of stepping away, Locke tightened his hold, scrapping his teeth alongside the column of her neck.
“Let me go!”
His dark laughter was her only answer. As she fought back, he spun her around, one arm banded around her to prevent her from moving, the other sliding inside the front of her pants.
“I know you want to come again. I feel how wet you are. Fight me all you want, Doctor, I know what you want.”
The rain intensified and finished cooling her off. Yanking his hand from her pants, she twisted, stumbling away from him.
“You don’t have a fucking clue what I want from you. And now you’re acting like a complete dumbass. If you want to fuck, go to your friend Gage. I’m through with this.”
She turned, but again, Locke caught her. “You know the deal, until all this is over, you owe me.”
“And I did everything you asked for, even had sex with your best friend, like you wanted me to.”
“I never asked you to fuck Gage!”
“Oh, my bad. You told your friend he could fuck me, and I was stupid enough to think it was part of the deal. Don’t worry, you don’t need to bother about me anymore. I’m leaving.”
Turning she tried to leave, but again, he caught her and turned her around. “You can’t leave until we know for sure you’re safe.”
Again, she shrugged away from his touch. “I’m safe. That’s why I was searching for you. You left your phone in the room and it started buzzing. Tyrone left a message saying it was over. Good news for you. No need to babysit me anymore. You can return to fucking anybody you like, including Gage. Because lo and behold, you may have licked and fingered me, but you never fucked me. I know for a fact I’ve overstayed my welcome and you yearn to get back to your carefully controlled universe. You already resent me, and there’s no need for you to start hating me as well.”
The rain beating against her skin started to hurt and she felt colder by the minute. Desperation seeped it, and she wanted to end this misery now.
“I don’t hate you.”
Tessa was tempted to laugh at how he said those words with such vehemence. “You sound anything but convincing. You don’t need to lie, Locke. You don’t like having me here. Apart from the sex, but even there, you’re so in control, so detached, it’s as if I’m only a hole. Even when we’re intimate, you’ve never opened yourself up.”
“You wouldn’t want me to lose control.”
