No longer.
The eyes of the man holding me were laced with venom and hatred, an anger so severe his face was flushed and every muscle in his body tense.
“What are you doing?” I managed.
He said nothing, his chest rising and falling as utter hatred kept his lips pursed.
“You betrayed me.” Even his voice was rippled with fury, his nostrils flared.
“What are you talking about?” I kicked my feet as I struggled in his hold, but he was too strong for me. I noticed several soldiers waiting as if he’d directed them to remain by his side. What in God’s name did he think I could do at this point? When he said nothing, I lowered my voice. “Let me down, Navarro. I have no clue what’s going on.”
His jaw was clenched to the point I could tell the man was grinding his teeth. When he finally lowered me to my feet, even freeing his hold, I quickly moved away from him. I held my arms, trying to catch my breath after the shock had all but destroyed the little trust I’d found during our last conversation.
“You are a liar.”
“How so?”
He threw his head back and as he did every time he was completely unnerved, he raked his hands through his hair. “Tell me your name.”
“You know my name.” My skin began to crawl.
His laugh was both seductive and as savage as the man. Whatever he’d seen or heard had changed everything between us.
“Your father is a chemist.”
He made the statement in a way that let me know he’d discovered my secret. “A scientist. Or so he told me. Told us. My sister and I, but he couldn’t get a job for a long time in his field. He was an accountant. At least for a little while. But yes, okay?”
“Who just happened to have a laboratory in his basement. Right?” His snarl brought a tremor of fear.
“Just some equipment, but I have no clue what he was doing. I didn’t. If it made him happy then why bother asking him anything? Why? What is going on?” I knew exactly what was going on and it terrified me to death.
There was no truth that would ease the pain. I just had no idea what any of it meant.
“What is your goddamn name, Fallon? Your real name.”
“You know my name.”
He lunged for me before I could think about running away. When he had me in his hold, he dragged me against his body. For all his hatred and rage, for all the wildness I witnessed in his eyes, he was even more aroused than he’d been before.
Maybe arguing was his aphrodisiac.
If so, then it was also mine, although I’d call my attraction to him my kryptonite. I pummeled his chest, quickly realizing we’d both come to a crossroads.
“Do you want your sister to live?”
“Why would you ask me that? Are you using her against me? You bastard.”
“Leave us,” he roared to the men surrounding us.
When they didn’t respond immediately, his anger took on an entirely different level.
“Get the fuck out and leave us. Now!”
They quickly left and with the interruption, I pushed hard against him, breaking his hold. I backed away, almost tripping over the leg of one chair. He remained where he was and the determination on his face reminded me of the young man who’d protected me, who’d comforted me, and who’d acted like my hero if only for thirty minutes of my childhood.
But I remembered the day as if it had been only weeks before, not over two decades.
He took a step closer and I threw out my hand, slowly shaking my head.
