14. Veronica

Chapter 14

Veronica

I wasn’t supposed to be here.

The rational part of me screamed to leave. Victor had been dangerous, and just because I couldn’t find any traces of him didn’t mean this was a great idea. But the pull of getting some information was stronger than my fear. I couldn’t leave it alone.

The warehouse loomed in the dark, a cavernous space that seemed more empty than anything else. There were some boxes against the edges of the space, but I could hardly see in the darkness. Back here, there weren’t many windows.

I stepped further inside, heart pounding in my chest, my palms slick with sweat as I adjusted my grip on my bag. The feeling of being watched had intensified .

Swallowing hard, I willed myself not to freak out. I knew that feeling—the burn of unseen eyes prickling my skin. What I hadn’t admitted was that I recognized the feeling. I knew who it was and I wasn’t so sure that I didn’t like it. I shook it off, determined to focus. The feeling made me angry, not because I was sure that Eli was here watching me, but because I liked it.

There had to be a light switch somewhere. I fumbled with my phone, trying to find the flashlight, when I heard the unmistakable sound of footfalls in the darkness. Turning to return to the door, a low chuckle rumbled in the dark, sending goosebumps over my skin. Pausing on my heel, I tried again to see through the inky shadows, but it wasn’t possible with the weak light that I had. The space must be really big.

“Looking for something?”

Every nerve ending stood at attention, and instead of being nervous, I was angry.

“This isn’t funny, asshole!”

“Isn’t it?” A voice whispered, then hands ghosted up my arms, startling me so much that I dropped my phone.

Screaming, I tried to jolt away as my pulse skyrocketed. “Worried, Veronica?” Even as I struggled, he pulled me against his stronger frame. I wasn’t worried because I knew who it was as soon as he touched me, but I wouldn’t admit that out loud. His scent gave him away. That smoky bergamot and cedar lingered around the edges of my patio sometimes after I had opened the door. I knew that smell.

“No,” I ground out. Let me go.” The sensation of being unable to see heightened everything else: his calloused fingers on my skin, his heat against me, and the danger of something unknown. Slickness pooled between my thighs, and I had to bite my lip to hold back a groan. The struggle was a joke, and I knew that we both knew it.

“Are you sure that’s what you want?” Clamping my body to his, he leaned into me, and my knees went weak. “I could touch you anyway I wanted right now, Ronnie. I could touch you all over — make you feel good.” One hand edged up to cup my breast.

My breath hitched, and my legs wobbled beneath me as Eli’s presence suffocated the air around me. I fumbled, desperate for something, anything to put between us. I couldn’t seriously be aching for this. That was twisted, right? Fucked up. It was like he knew what I dreamt of in the dark when I slid my fingers into my pussy.

“Would you like that, Veronica?” He twisted my nipple, the edge of pain so sharp that I almost cried out, but there was a delicious naughtiness to the way he soothed his fingers over it, sliding under the fabric and around the nipple again. “You would, wouldn’t you? Secretly, you like playing these games with me.” Again, his low chuckle sounded, and his hand moved lower down my abdomen.

I ached for him to touch me, all the while knowing I should move away. Shaking my head, I forced the word out. “No. I don’t like games.” The words were a lie. I liked this game very much, but I pushed off him, expecting him to restrain me. I was surprised when I ended up stumbling away to the floor as he let me go completely.

My fingers scrambled over the dirty floor, brushing past broken glass, nails, and something rough. My heart lurched when I felt the cold, jagged metal edge beneath my hand. I wasn’t sure if I grabbed it to protect myself because I was afraid or because I was angry because of what he had made me feel, but it was in my hand.

My hand shook as I turned and lifted the scrap toward him like a shield. “Stay back,” I warned, the words barely audible over the blood rushing in my ears.

“Veronica.” His voice slid through the air like velvet, smooth and dark. “Don’t be silly.”

He was taller than I expected, bulky and muscled like a god. Eli was one of those genetically beautiful men, freakishly so. I’d seen him yesterday up close, but he’d not been standing, and he’d had the bandana on. Now, he was unmasked. His cold and unreadable eyes were fixed on me, watching me with a strange intensity that made me want to shrink under his gaze. There was no mistaking that this man was a predator of the most dangerous kind, but he was beautiful with dark hair and tempting tattoos.

“You’ve been looking for me.” The words were a flat fact. No more messing around. “And here I am.” He held his hand out in supplication, but I knew it was an empty gesture. It was hard to forget those hands had just been on my breasts. I wouldn’t admit that I wished they still were.

“I wasn’t—” My voice wavered. “I wasn’t looking for you — exactly.” I tried to deny it, but he didn’t seem to buy what I was trying to sell.

“No? Seems like you were.” He stepped closer, just enough that I could see the edge of his smile, a smirk that didn’t reach his eyes. “Victor’s dead. Why are you bothering little goddess? You shouldn’t be digging around.” Goddess? Was that a compliment?

The way he said it, so final, like a warning cloaked in indifference, sent a spike of fear through me. I swallowed, stepping back, pressing against the cold metal of a support beam. He didn’t follow, but his eyes tracked every movement.

“I’m not afraid of you,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

He tilted his head slightly, that small smile lingering on his lips as though amused by my defiance. “You should be.” The phrase echoed in the air for a moment, hanging there.

My heart pounded in my chest, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. He was right. I should be terrified of him. Everything I’d uncovered told me Eli was dangerous and unpredictable, but instead, I found myself embarrassingly aroused.

“I came here to find out more about Victor,” I said, forcing the words out. “I don’t care about you.”

He let out a low and mocking laugh as he stepped closer. “That’s a lie, Veronica. You’ve been hooked on my little visits. Haven’t you? You’re more interested in me than you’ll admit. Even now, you’re wet for me, my little liar.”

Eli paused, his eyes falling to the pathetic piece of metal I clutched between us. A soft, amused exhale escaped him, more of a hum than a laugh, as his gaze flicked back to my face. “You think that would stop me? ”

I swallowed, gripping the shard tighter, feeling the sharp edges cut into my palm. I wanted to say yes, that it would stop him, that I wasn’t scared, but the truth was lodged in my throat. Even if my body was confused, fear was part of it. I forced myself to calm down and took a breath. His eyes narrowed at me, and it felt like he was turning me inside out.

He was right there, standing so close I could feel the subtle heat of his body, yet he didn’t even flinch. The jagged metal felt like a flimsy defense against the weight of his presence. It wasn’t like I was actually going to stab him.

“I’ll use it,” I said, my voice barely steady. It was a lie—he could see it in my eyes and how my hand trembled as I tried to keep the shard between us. The bigger lie was how my heart thudded and my panties dampened.

Eli’s expression darkened, his amusement flickering into something else—something cold, dangerous. He stepped even closer, the tip of the metal shard almost touching his chest. I thought he might press into it for a second to see what I’d do.

“You’re brave. I’ll give you that.” His voice was a low murmur, almost intimate in how it wrapped around me, threatening to pull me under .

I gasped as he reached out, his fingers curling lightly around my wrist. “You’re damaging yourself.” He clucked his tongue lightly. “That’s not allowed.” He squeezed just hard enough for my hand to release the piece of metal so it clattered to the ground.

“What do you want?” I asked, my voice dropping to a whisper.

“That’s simple, isn’t it? You. I want you.” His hand reached forward and grasped mine, dwarfing it completely. “Look what you did, Veronica,” he chastised. Bending his head over my palm seriously, he examined the torn skin, clucking his tongue. “This needs to be cleaned. You could get an infection.”

I was speechless as he dragged me to the front office, into the light, and sat me on the desk, lifting me like I weighed nothing. His heavy palms went around my waist, burning into my skin like a brand.

I’d been moved around like a doll many times in my life. Doctors, nurses, my sister, and my mother while I lay limp and sick, but nothing had felt like this. His heavy palms on my waist as he placed me on the desk didn’t feel clinical or familial; they felt possessive .

“Stay,” he ordered. “I mean it.” He stared hard at me for a moment as if to impart the seriousness of his words, but I believed he meant it. The problem was that I should have had a witty comeback, but I didn’t. There wasn’t anything in my brain but white noise. Should I try to run? I didn’t really want to.

Eli disappeared into the office’s attached bathroom and reappeared, holding a medical kit you get at a big box store. Dragging the office chair around, he sat himself in front of me, making me feel suddenly self-conscious as he loomed so close to me. He dug around in the kit until he had the supplies he wanted.

The whole time, the thought kept rolling around in my brain as I looked at his bent head that I was crazy to be sitting here like this with him. I didn’t know him. Even Pike was suspicious, and he was related to him. All of that only made my heart softer for him. That dark and tragic past that he had only drew me closer. If my sister or Maxim knew, they’d lock me up for good.

I could never let them find out. It’d be my secret.

What harm could it do? I wanted to be reckless just once.