7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

IZEL

I’m sitting in the living room, twiddling my thumbs, doing absolutely nothing. I mean, seriously, nothing. It’s driving me insane, and Detective Lucas Brown is really starting to piss me off. He’s got me stuck in this place, and I’ve circled this house at least four goddamn times already.

Mr. FBI turned out to be a straight-up liar. He said he wouldn’t throw me in prison, but guess what? His house might as well be one.

So, Lucas and I are having a little chat. Well, he's talking, and I'm... listening—or at least pretending to. He’s going on about the case, asking a ton of questions, like I’ve got all the answers.

“So, Izel, how’s it going?” he asks, like he’s my best friend or something.

I roll my eyes so hard I’m surprised they don’t pop out. “It’s going,” I mutter, but he doesn’t seem to get the hint.

He leans in a bit closer, that annoying friendly tone still in play. “You know, we’re just trying to get to the bottom of things. Once we figure this out, you’ll be free to go.”

I snort. “Yeah, right. That’s what they all say.” But deep down, I’m seriously itching to be out of this house. I want to breathe in the real world, not this suffocating bubble.

He’s undeterred, though, and now he’s leaning in like he’s sharing some super-secret info. “You can help us solve this. You’re the key.”

I’m tempted to call him a manipulative fuck, but I hold my tongue. I know he’s right, but I’m not in the mood for it. I’ve got bigger concerns, like the fact that I can’t leave this godforsaken place. It’s not like I have much choice, though.

I turn my gaze toward the window, watching the world outside, so close yet unreachable. A slice of freedom taunting me from beyond the glass. I can almost taste it, but not quite.

Lucas keeps on talking, but it’s just a distant buzz in my ears. I’m too focused on planning my next escape attempt. I’ll play nice for now, but trust me, it won’t be long before I find my way out of this place.

My phone suddenly rings, and I scramble to pick it up. Lucas stares at the caller ID like he’s got x-ray vision, which pisses me off big time. I mean, talk about indecency, right? I frown at him and call him out on it, “Hey, Detective, you mind not eyeballing my phone like that?”

He raises an eyebrow like he’s all high and mighty, then mumbles, “Could be important. Maybe it’s from the killer.”

I snort so hard that I think I’ve snorted up half the universe. “Yeah, ‘cause a motherfucker planning to murder me would totally call me first. You’re a real detective, aren’t you?”

It’s hard not to notice how incompetent this guy is. That’s probably why he’s still stuck in homicide. But right now, I’m not in the mood for a pissing contest with him. I glance at the screen, and it’s my cousin. Ha, so much for the killer theory.

Lucas’s face turns an interesting shade of sour grape, and I can’t resist taunting him a bit. “Oh, look at that, Detective. A call from my cousin. Guess that’s a little slice of my precious privacy.”

He grumbles something under his breath, clearly not thrilled that the killer isn’t calling me for a friendly chat. But right now, I couldn’t care less.

I stare at my phone for a moment before answering Martin’s call. He sounds worried as hell, and I can’t blame him. I haven’t been the most communicative lately, and I owe him an explanation.

“Hey, Martin,” I say, striving to sound as calm as possible.

“Izzie, where the hell have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you since last night.”

“Yeah, about that, I lost my phone. Found it this morning and put it to charge,” I sigh.

He lets out an exasperated chuckle. “Typical. Do you need me to come get you?”

I consider it for a moment. Martin’s a good guy, and I’d love to see a familiar face right now. But I know better than to put him in this mess.

“No, Martin. It’s not safe right now. The FBI is here, and they’ve got this place locked down. I don’t want them caging you too.”

He’s quiet for a moment, and I can almost hear the wheels turning in his head. “I saw the news, Izzie,” he finally says. “About Cassie… I’m so sorry. She didn’t deserve this. I can’t imagine what you’re going through.”

“Yeah. She didn’t. But you know how things go in our world, right? No one ever really gets what they deserve.”

There’s a pause, and I can tell he’s wrestling with himself, struggling to figure out what to do. “Izel, if you’re in trouble, you need to tell me. I can’t just stand by and do nothing.”

“I know you want to help,” I say, “but you can’t. Not this time. Just... just trust me, okay? I’ll figure something out.”

“Dammit,” he sighs. “You’ve always been stubborn as hell.”

“Comes with the territory,” I say, forcing a small smile he can’t see. “I’ll be okay. Just keep your head down and stay out of sight.”

“Fine,” he finally concedes, though I can hear the reluctance in his voice. “But promise me you’ll call if you need anything. Anything at all.”

“I promise,” I say, even though we both know it’s a promise I might not be able to keep.

We exchange a few more words before hanging up.

As I walk back into the living room, I’m not expecting to see a fuming Richard standing at the doorway. He’s pissed, and it’s written all over his face.

“Lucas, call it a night,” Richard orders in a tone that doesn’t brook any argument.

Lucas, looking slightly perturbed, nods and makes his exit. He clicks the front door shut behind him.

I meet Richard’s furious gaze and realize I’m in for some serious trouble, and I have a feeling things are about to get a whole lot more complicated. He doesn’t waste any time, stepping right into my personal space.

“Why did you lie?”

I’m in no mood to answer so I start walking away, hoping to escape this confrontation, but before I can make it to the safety of my room, Richard grabs my arm. He pulls me close, and I can feel his anger radiating from every pore.

I try to wriggle free, but he’s got a grip on me like a bear trap. “Let go of me, Richard,” I snap, but he’s not budging.

“Not until you tell me the truth. Why did you say it was consensual?”

“Maybe I like it when I’m forced,” I retort with a teasing smile. It’s not true, but I want to get under his skin, to see if I can push him over the edge.

Richard lets go of my arm, and for a moment, I think I’m in the clear. I take a step back, ready to walk away.

But in a heartbeat, he pushes me against the wall, and it’s not just fear I’m feeling.

His touch is forceful, yet nothing like Liam’s. Richard’s hands are feather-soft despite his grip on my neck. His fingers roam over my breasts, causing a tremor through me when he playfully pinches my nipple through my camisole. I close my eyes and lick my lips.

“Feel this,” Richard murmurs, his lips brushing against my earlobe. “There’s a fine line between desire and fear. We train our agents with recordings to understand that line. It’s dark, but it’s necessary.”

His hand slides down, cupping my breast firmly, his thumb flicking over my nipple. “Assault is about power, about taking without permission. But kink...” His voice trails off as his other hand that was on my neck, travels lower, pressing against my pussy through my shorts. “Kink is about giving in, about exploring boundaries together. Do you feel the difference?”

My head’s spinning with all of it. Is it really consent if I’m drawn to this? Is this my own desire or just my way of coping?

“Answer me,” he growls softly, his fingers pressing harder. But I stay silent, caught in the haze of what I want and what I fear.

“I can make you talk. The real question is, how much will you enjoy it?” he murmurs, his mouth grazing my earlobe again before he gives it a teasing bite. A soft moan escapes my lips before I can stop it.

His fingers press more insistently against my pussy, the fabric of my panties doing little to dull the sensation. I gasp as my hips instinctively arch towards his hand.

Seriously, what the hell’s going on with me?

Richard bends down even further, and just as I feel his lips approaching mine, the front door opens. A Victoria’s Secret model, looking like she just stepped out of a sultry ad, saunters in. The sight of her is like a bucket of ice water dumped on me.

What the actual fuck just happened?