Oh, honey. You’re a goner.
If she could have gotten away with it, she would have stuck her tongue out at the apparition. It would have been childish, but she found it increasingly difficult to find her voice. Her gaze was locked on the toned muscles that were suddenly exposed to her like a buffet waiting to be devoured. As her mouth dried, she dug her fingers into the tight cotton of her pants, bunching the black material in her palm while her mind raced. She knew his lips were moving, but she couldn’t seem to make out a single word. Her storm colored eyes swept over each pec, each muscle, taking in every line, every blemish. He had to have done it on purpose. Somehow, he had found out that she had a weakness for extremely well-built men, and of course he just had to be one. The soft tinkling of tags was the only thing that seemed to break through to her, and instantly, her gaze shot up to his before focusing on the wall.
“Actually, that’s exactly what I’ve been calling him. He answers pretty well to ‘Hey, dog’ or ‘Hey, you!’” She shrugged as she settled back, forcing her fingers to relax and rest against her thighs as she rolled her neck, stretching the sore muscles out. She knew he was right, though. It wasn’t right to let the poor thing go without a name, and so with a sigh, she turned to study him. A thousand different names rushed through her mind at once, but only one seemed to speak above all the rest. With a slow smile, she waved her hand towards the dog in a dramatic flourish, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Fine. You think he needs a name, then I present to you Setesh, God of Desert, Storms and Violence. We can call him Seth for short.” Her laughter was unrestrained, the first real laugh she’d shared in months as she watched the pup jump up and give a shrill bark of acceptance at his newly given name. “The gods actual name is Set, but he has many different faces. He was said to have killed his brother, Osiris, and dismembered him. Despite all of that, though, he was still known to be the protector of Ra. I’ve always liked him. He was strong, dangerous, but he was still a mystery, because he had a soft side. He just made some poor choices.”
As if realizing that she had gotten lost in her thoughts, she shook her head and turned her attention back to him, shoulders lifting into another sheepish shrug. “Sorry, I’m sure you didn’t want a history lesson. I tend to get caught up in mythology. It’s the only subject that I actually liked.” Running her fingers through her hair, the slender blonde stretched out, trying to ignore the way her muscles tensed beneath his hold. She tried to ignore the flare of heat that shot through her body as he began to massage her calf. He’s dangerous. I can’t give in, I shouldn’t even be here. Her thoughts raced as she raised her hand, teeth once more finding the abused flesh of her thumb. The nervous habit wasn’t one that she hid well, and it had proven only to be disastrous in the past, but she couldn’t stop. It only seemed to increase when he was around, and her eyes snapped up to his. He was doing things to her she had never wanted done again, making her feel things she never wanted to feel.
You’re not one to run from a challenge, mija. Why are you growing soft now? He is but another mountain to climb, and I do believe he would be quite the fun climb. Her eyes widened, and despite her efforts to ignore the spirit in the past, this time her head snapped to where she stood, her spectral form flickering in and out of existence. Her eyes narrowed as the coy smile formed on her friend’s face, before she disappeared entirely. If you weren’t already dead, Megan, I would kill you. With a soft sound, she bit down harder onto her thumb, the strength enough to cause her fang to pierce the flesh. “****,” she snapped, her hand falling back as she shook it out, sending drops of blood splattering. “Yeah, I wouldn’t say that’s exactly accurate. You hardly know me. You think me some guardian angel, but I just admitted to you that I am a hardened criminal. My temper isn’t gone. If anything, it’s worse. You just haven’t given me a reason to fight you.” The words came out with a harsher intensity than she had meant, but she hated when people saw her for anything else than what she was. They constantly tried to believe her something good, something worth saving, and she had never been. She never would be. Her choices had been hers to make, and she had made the wrong ones. Writing them off as anything but was only opening them up for a world of pain and suffering, and she had hurt more than her fair share.
She had managed to keep her gaze anywhere but on him, even when she knew his muscles were stretching and tensing, but when he moved to lay on the bed, she couldn’t help it. Her eyes snapped to his body, and her hands began to shake with need. Quickly, she moved to slide them beneath her thigh, as if sitting on them would stop her from reaching out to touch him. Goddamnit, baby. What are you doing to me? I could tear you apart. The thoughts entered her mind unbidden, and she had to sink her teeth into her lower lip to stop from saying them out-loud. She couldn’t give him anymore ammo for his arsenal. He already seemed to think he had her where he wanted her, if she let him know he did, she would never be able to escape. He would shatter every wall she had ever built. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. I mean, look at that body, one night… No. –No-. She wouldn’t. She couldn’t.
“I don’t know where they are,” she said automatically, before realizing that she was answering questions she’d rather not be discussing. However, it was better than where her thoughts were leading, and so she latched onto the curiosity like it was her lifeline. “I know where they could be. I know how he thinks, how his mind works. I know the plans he had, but he could be anywhere. We went all over the world. France, Russia, Africa… everywhere. I plan to lure him out. Like I said, I know how he thinks, and I know he can’t resist a challenge. I’ve managed to make myself one of the bade—“ She quickly went quiet as she realized she had come so close to revealing her secrets. It was one thing to tell him that she was planning to lure her ex-boyfriend out of hiding, but it was another to tell him how she planned to do it. He wouldn’t understand… and maybe that was exactly what she needed. He seemed to be the genuine, pure kind. Swallowing the lump in her throat and trying to ignore the sudden pain of what she was about to do, she gave him a slow smile. “I’ve made myself something he can’t resist. I’ve taken over half of the Black Market’s weapons trade. It’s what he always wanted. He always wanted to be top. Imagine his surprise when he shows up to see me at the wheel.”
She knew he was smart enough to connect the dots, to realize exactly what it was she was doing, the danger she was putting herself in. Not only with her life, but with her freedom. If she was caught, there would be no turning back, no freedom. Granted, she didn’t anticipate being captured. She would go down before she would step foot back into a prison cell. “So don’t apologize for what I’ve been through, Jacques. I know the choices I made, and I wasn’t innocent. I’m not innocent. I don’t want your pity, nor your understanding. I might have been some doe-eyed little rich girl when it started, but I’ve overcome all of that. You think you know me and that you can handle me, but I don’t think you can. It’s not about the opportunity I’m missing out on, but what you would be giving up just to spend a little time with me. I’m not one of the good ones, Jacques. I’m not a saint. I’m nothing but a sinner.” She kept her voice even as she spoke, despite the fact that her gaze had moved back to him, sweeping over his body once again. Mora would be ecstatic. She wanted him, she couldn’t fight it anymore, but she knew she couldn’t have him. She couldn’t give in to him, but she only had a certain amount of fight left in her. She just prayed that the silence that fell between them was him mulling over what she said and that he would get up, grab his vest and walk out of life. I’m just trying to protect you. I’m always trying to protect you, I hope you can see that…
If she could have gotten away with it, she would have stuck her tongue out at the apparition. It would have been childish, but she found it increasingly difficult to find her voice. Her gaze was locked on the toned muscles that were suddenly exposed to her like a buffet waiting to be devoured. As her mouth dried, she dug her fingers into the tight cotton of her pants, bunching the black material in her palm while her mind raced. She knew his lips were moving, but she couldn’t seem to make out a single word. Her storm colored eyes swept over each pec, each muscle, taking in every line, every blemish. He had to have done it on purpose. Somehow, he had found out that she had a weakness for extremely well-built men, and of course he just had to be one. The soft tinkling of tags was the only thing that seemed to break through to her, and instantly, her gaze shot up to his before focusing on the wall.
“Actually, that’s exactly what I’ve been calling him. He answers pretty well to ‘Hey, dog’ or ‘Hey, you!’” She shrugged as she settled back, forcing her fingers to relax and rest against her thighs as she rolled her neck, stretching the sore muscles out. She knew he was right, though. It wasn’t right to let the poor thing go without a name, and so with a sigh, she turned to study him. A thousand different names rushed through her mind at once, but only one seemed to speak above all the rest. With a slow smile, she waved her hand towards the dog in a dramatic flourish, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Fine. You think he needs a name, then I present to you Setesh, God of Desert, Storms and Violence. We can call him Seth for short.” Her laughter was unrestrained, the first real laugh she’d shared in months as she watched the pup jump up and give a shrill bark of acceptance at his newly given name. “The gods actual name is Set, but he has many different faces. He was said to have killed his brother, Osiris, and dismembered him. Despite all of that, though, he was still known to be the protector of Ra. I’ve always liked him. He was strong, dangerous, but he was still a mystery, because he had a soft side. He just made some poor choices.”
As if realizing that she had gotten lost in her thoughts, she shook her head and turned her attention back to him, shoulders lifting into another sheepish shrug. “Sorry, I’m sure you didn’t want a history lesson. I tend to get caught up in mythology. It’s the only subject that I actually liked.” Running her fingers through her hair, the slender blonde stretched out, trying to ignore the way her muscles tensed beneath his hold. She tried to ignore the flare of heat that shot through her body as he began to massage her calf. He’s dangerous. I can’t give in, I shouldn’t even be here. Her thoughts raced as she raised her hand, teeth once more finding the abused flesh of her thumb. The nervous habit wasn’t one that she hid well, and it had proven only to be disastrous in the past, but she couldn’t stop. It only seemed to increase when he was around, and her eyes snapped up to his. He was doing things to her she had never wanted done again, making her feel things she never wanted to feel.
You’re not one to run from a challenge, mija. Why are you growing soft now? He is but another mountain to climb, and I do believe he would be quite the fun climb. Her eyes widened, and despite her efforts to ignore the spirit in the past, this time her head snapped to where she stood, her spectral form flickering in and out of existence. Her eyes narrowed as the coy smile formed on her friend’s face, before she disappeared entirely. If you weren’t already dead, Megan, I would kill you. With a soft sound, she bit down harder onto her thumb, the strength enough to cause her fang to pierce the flesh. “****,” she snapped, her hand falling back as she shook it out, sending drops of blood splattering. “Yeah, I wouldn’t say that’s exactly accurate. You hardly know me. You think me some guardian angel, but I just admitted to you that I am a hardened criminal. My temper isn’t gone. If anything, it’s worse. You just haven’t given me a reason to fight you.” The words came out with a harsher intensity than she had meant, but she hated when people saw her for anything else than what she was. They constantly tried to believe her something good, something worth saving, and she had never been. She never would be. Her choices had been hers to make, and she had made the wrong ones. Writing them off as anything but was only opening them up for a world of pain and suffering, and she had hurt more than her fair share.
She had managed to keep her gaze anywhere but on him, even when she knew his muscles were stretching and tensing, but when he moved to lay on the bed, she couldn’t help it. Her eyes snapped to his body, and her hands began to shake with need. Quickly, she moved to slide them beneath her thigh, as if sitting on them would stop her from reaching out to touch him. Goddamnit, baby. What are you doing to me? I could tear you apart. The thoughts entered her mind unbidden, and she had to sink her teeth into her lower lip to stop from saying them out-loud. She couldn’t give him anymore ammo for his arsenal. He already seemed to think he had her where he wanted her, if she let him know he did, she would never be able to escape. He would shatter every wall she had ever built. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. I mean, look at that body, one night… No. –No-. She wouldn’t. She couldn’t.
“I don’t know where they are,” she said automatically, before realizing that she was answering questions she’d rather not be discussing. However, it was better than where her thoughts were leading, and so she latched onto the curiosity like it was her lifeline. “I know where they could be. I know how he thinks, how his mind works. I know the plans he had, but he could be anywhere. We went all over the world. France, Russia, Africa… everywhere. I plan to lure him out. Like I said, I know how he thinks, and I know he can’t resist a challenge. I’ve managed to make myself one of the bade—“ She quickly went quiet as she realized she had come so close to revealing her secrets. It was one thing to tell him that she was planning to lure her ex-boyfriend out of hiding, but it was another to tell him how she planned to do it. He wouldn’t understand… and maybe that was exactly what she needed. He seemed to be the genuine, pure kind. Swallowing the lump in her throat and trying to ignore the sudden pain of what she was about to do, she gave him a slow smile. “I’ve made myself something he can’t resist. I’ve taken over half of the Black Market’s weapons trade. It’s what he always wanted. He always wanted to be top. Imagine his surprise when he shows up to see me at the wheel.”
She knew he was smart enough to connect the dots, to realize exactly what it was she was doing, the danger she was putting herself in. Not only with her life, but with her freedom. If she was caught, there would be no turning back, no freedom. Granted, she didn’t anticipate being captured. She would go down before she would step foot back into a prison cell. “So don’t apologize for what I’ve been through, Jacques. I know the choices I made, and I wasn’t innocent. I’m not innocent. I don’t want your pity, nor your understanding. I might have been some doe-eyed little rich girl when it started, but I’ve overcome all of that. You think you know me and that you can handle me, but I don’t think you can. It’s not about the opportunity I’m missing out on, but what you would be giving up just to spend a little time with me. I’m not one of the good ones, Jacques. I’m not a saint. I’m nothing but a sinner.” She kept her voice even as she spoke, despite the fact that her gaze had moved back to him, sweeping over his body once again. Mora would be ecstatic. She wanted him, she couldn’t fight it anymore, but she knew she couldn’t have him. She couldn’t give in to him, but she only had a certain amount of fight left in her. She just prayed that the silence that fell between them was him mulling over what she said and that he would get up, grab his vest and walk out of life. I’m just trying to protect you. I’m always trying to protect you, I hope you can see that…
