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5
Torian
My men glare at the female intrusion, their hatred palpable, their shock evident. I can only assume they don’t understand why I’d willingly lead an FBI agent into our sanctuary without a warrant.
I’m not too clear on the tactic myself.
It’s part of the fun, I guess. Leading the prey behind enemy lines.
“What the fuck is she doing here?” Decker snarls.
Her chin hikes. That’s all she does. It’s her only sign of defense.
And it’s nowhere near enough to sate my thirst.
“Back off. She’s with me.” I walk around her, placing distance between us in the hope it will increase her apprehension. “We’ll finish our conversation later. I’ve got confidential things to discuss with my favorite special agent.”
“Are you kidding?” Luca asks. “You can’t be left alone with her.”
“He’s right.” Hunt questions my sanity with the tight pinch of his brows. “You need a witness. Who knows what shit she’ll try to pin on you.”
“Don’t worry. This is a friendly visit.” I tilt my chin toward the door, wordlessly telling him to get moving. “Isn’t it, Niss?”
She ignores me, her attention remaining on the men a few feet away.
One in particular.
Decker.
“Leave us,” I reiterate, adding steel to my tone.
Two of my trio know better than to push my patience, and reluctantly head toward the door. The third always has the opposite reaction, so it’s no fucking surprise when Decker remains in place.
“She can’t be trusted,” he seethes.
“Thanks for the concern. But I’ll take it from here.”
“This is bullshit.” He clenches his fists at his sides, Hunter and Luca waiting for him at the door. “She’ll throw you under a bus the first chance she gets.” A wealth of hatred ebbs from him, his hostility barely leashed.
She doesn’t react. Not in concern, anyway. If anything, she relaxes into the animosity, her shoulders losing their tight edge. “And here I was thinking you’ve been pining over me like I’ve been pining for you.”
His upper lip curls as he takes an aggressive step forward, and this time, I don’t warn him to back down.
I watch their interaction play out, transfixed, my gaze glued to every flicker in her expression.
She intrigues me, and I’m not entirely sure why. Maybe it’s the absence of self-preservation. Or how she lacks the fragility I’m used to from women. Either way, her oddly captivating personality has my attention.
I observe the gentle increase in her breathing. The twitch of her fingers against the hem of her suit jacket. Nothing goes by u
But still, there’s no fucking fear, and the famine is killing me.
She thrives on this—the fight, the aggression. Anger seems to be her favored emotion. Her happy place.
“Leave,” I repeat. “I can take care of myself.”
Decker’s upper lip continues to curl. “Watch her.” He backtracks, pointing a menacing finger in her direction. “This bitch has claws.”
“And I remember you enjoying them not too long ago,” she purrs.
They’ve slept together?
Of course they have.
Decker has the unca
“Out,” I snap. “Now.”
He swings around, storms for the door, and nudges past Hunter. They leave in a group, the latch clicking shut behind them.
For a few moments, the room is quiet. The air is filled with something thick and thrilling.
“Take a seat.” I continue toward my desk, my pace slow, before I turn to sit my ass against the polished wood.
“I’d prefer to stand.” She takes in her surroundings, her gaze trekking over the bookshelves and expensive artwork.
She’s more controlled than I thought. Or more stupid.
The jury’s still out on that one.
But her fearlessness is magnificent. I could watch her battle intimidation every day of the week and never grow tired.
“That’s an admirable group of men you’ve got there,” she murmurs. “Not only threatening an FBI agent, but a woman. Is that something they’re trained to do during the induction process?”
I snicker. I gather it’s the response she wanted because there’s no way she could make me angry. Not again.
“No, those skills are engrained. I doubt they’re teachable. But I should probably look into it for future recruitment, right?” I cross my legs at the ankles, exuding relaxation. “Especially when the level of bullying from your people is continuously increasing.”
“Your people.” She scoffs, her brows rising as she continues her examination of my private space. “I don’t think you can consider it bullying when you spend every waking minute breaking the law. Most people would refer to it as justice.”
“Good to know.”
She sucks in a deep breath, as if bored, and lets it out on a sigh. She’s playing the game, too. Trying to appear disinterested while in the lion’s den.
“Why are you here, Anissa?”
“Why?” Her tone drips with sarcasm. “I don’t know. I guess I thought it was a lovely day for a visit.” She turns to face me, her fake tranquility vanishing with the narrowing of her gaze. “Why don’t you save us both a lot of time and just tell me where Luther is?”
I grin, my expression having the opposite effect on hers.
Those eyes turn hostile. Her jaw tics.
“You’re such a tight ball of hostility, aren’t you?” I journey my gaze over her body, taking the liberty to let my attention linger on the parts I like most.
I wonder if she’d mind me hiring her a personal shopper. These suits of hers really are pathetic. Sexy, yet pathetic. What hot-blooded woman doesn’t want to show a bit of leg? Especially with the set of pins she has hiding under that stiff material.
“Tell me, little fox, do you drink to drown your sorrows?”
She doesn’t reply.
Silence reigns for long, drawn-out seconds.
I raise my gaze over the hips hugged in navy, along the white blouse showing the faintest outline of a lace bra beneath, past the tight line of her lips, to her cold, calculating squint.
“Did I hit a point of contention?” I smirk. “Have I already driven you to the bottle?”
Her mouth curves. “You couldn’t drive me to do anything. You don’t scare me, despite how hard you try.”
“Understood.” I nod. “So I assume you won’t mind me reporting this incident as harassment.”
“By all means.” Her chin hitches, the action a beaming tell. “Go ahead. I’m not going to stop you.”
“You don’t even want to try? I’m sure we could come to a mutually beneficial agreement to make up for you badgering my staff.”
Her eyes dance, and the renewed kick to her lips gives me the slightest glimpse of a dimple in her right cheek. “It’s already clear your obsession with power is an overcompensation for something you lack. And I’ve been dissatisfied too many times to struggle my way through a pity fuck. So by all means, report me. But I assure you, I can do whatever the hell I like. I haven’t broken any rules.”
She keeps throwing cheap insults at me, and I seriously think she expects me to react.
It’s disappointing.
Truly.
She needs to be aware of my control.
“Interesting.” I uncross my legs and grab the desk at my sides. “I thought there were strict rules within the Bureau. I didn’t know you could do whatever you liked. It sounds like the perfect job. Maybe I should become an agent.”
She releases a breathy laugh and heads toward the only window in the room, flicking the curtain aside to peer across the staff parking lot. “I’m sure you already have enough people inside those walls doing the dirty work for you.”