as he meant the part about allowing her to leave. She was still half convinced he had some ominous plan of silencing her permanently. While she had to fear that, her chief thoughts were on beating a hasty escape as soon as possible. To that end, she headed for the door.
Anticipating her action, he moved to block her exit.
“You said I was free. You said I could go.” Teagan didn’t care if she babbled or if there was a panicky note to her protests. “I’ve told you I won’t speak to a soul about—”
“Ah, but you see that’s where we both know you’re lying,” he interrupted. “With an imagination and a curiosity like yours, you’re not capable of keeping a secret for the space of an hour out of my sight. Not for anything as paltry as a mere promise anyway.” His tone sharpened. “That’s why I’ve devised a much better way of keeping you quiet.”
Teagan’s eyes widened as he stepped nearer.
“Money,” he said softly. “That’s the one thing that will keep your greedy little heart satisfied. It’s the one thing that could buy your silence. I don’t mean to take you up on your exact offer, of course. That would be more than you deserve, and besides, such an easy flow of cash would only make you greedier. You’d be returning to me again and again as long as I kept opening my wallet for you and the day I stopped doing that, you’d betray me.” His expression grew dark. “If there’s one thing I despise it’s a blackmailer.”
Teagan shivered at his tone. “Then what are you suggesting?” Some inner part of her was shocked at the question—shocked she could care about money at a frightening time like this. But another deeper part of her was pricking up its ears with interest. He had been right in his assessment of her. The hint of money was probably the only thing that could have stirred her from her fearful state just now.
His expression said he had noted this. “My plan is to give you a chance to earn your money,” he said. “I think you already know how.”
Teagan bit her lip. “The rituals?” she asked uneasily.
He smiled humorlessly. “If you want to call them that, yes. It’s a chore I’ll need performed again from time to time and you’ve proven you’re capable of carrying it off well enough. Learn to obey my instructions more thoroughly the next time around and I don’t think we’ll have any more unpleasant incidents like the last. What do you say?”
Teagan swallowed. “Will you be here on those occasions?”
He asked, “Would you come if I were?”
“No.”
“Then I won’t be.”
She was astonished at herself for even considering the idea. Twice before need had forced her to voluntarily step into this man’s lair and both times she had regretted it. Only a few minutes ago she had been thinking she’d do anything just to escape this place. Apparently experience hadn’t made her any wiser. The suggestion of money was about to draw her again into the very trap she dreaded.
She voiced none of these thoughts aloud however. When she opened her mouth it was to say, “I’ll take the job—but only on the condition I am never to see you in person. I’ll come here at the times you designate. You can leave me my money and any instructions in a note. But I don’t ever want to bump into you while I’m here. You—you kind of creep me out a little.”
She didn’t care whether he found that last admission amusing or not. The whole deal would hinge on his response. She’d had enough of his weird moods and the scenes he created with them. No price was worth putting herself through any more of these unnerving experiences.
Luckily, he seemed undisturbed by her insistence. “I think we have ourselves an understanding,” he said.
“Not so fast. We haven’t discussed some details yet. Just how often am I supposed to come here?”
“As often as I ask it,” he said simply. His tone made it clear she wasn’t going to get any further answer on that.
“All
Anticipating her action, he moved to block her exit.
“You said I was free. You said I could go.” Teagan didn’t care if she babbled or if there was a panicky note to her protests. “I’ve told you I won’t speak to a soul about—”
“Ah, but you see that’s where we both know you’re lying,” he interrupted. “With an imagination and a curiosity like yours, you’re not capable of keeping a secret for the space of an hour out of my sight. Not for anything as paltry as a mere promise anyway.” His tone sharpened. “That’s why I’ve devised a much better way of keeping you quiet.”
Teagan’s eyes widened as he stepped nearer.
“Money,” he said softly. “That’s the one thing that will keep your greedy little heart satisfied. It’s the one thing that could buy your silence. I don’t mean to take you up on your exact offer, of course. That would be more than you deserve, and besides, such an easy flow of cash would only make you greedier. You’d be returning to me again and again as long as I kept opening my wallet for you and the day I stopped doing that, you’d betray me.” His expression grew dark. “If there’s one thing I despise it’s a blackmailer.”
Teagan shivered at his tone. “Then what are you suggesting?” Some inner part of her was shocked at the question—shocked she could care about money at a frightening time like this. But another deeper part of her was pricking up its ears with interest. He had been right in his assessment of her. The hint of money was probably the only thing that could have stirred her from her fearful state just now.
His expression said he had noted this. “My plan is to give you a chance to earn your money,” he said. “I think you already know how.”
Teagan bit her lip. “The rituals?” she asked uneasily.
He smiled humorlessly. “If you want to call them that, yes. It’s a chore I’ll need performed again from time to time and you’ve proven you’re capable of carrying it off well enough. Learn to obey my instructions more thoroughly the next time around and I don’t think we’ll have any more unpleasant incidents like the last. What do you say?”
Teagan swallowed. “Will you be here on those occasions?”
He asked, “Would you come if I were?”
“No.”
“Then I won’t be.”
She was astonished at herself for even considering the idea. Twice before need had forced her to voluntarily step into this man’s lair and both times she had regretted it. Only a few minutes ago she had been thinking she’d do anything just to escape this place. Apparently experience hadn’t made her any wiser. The suggestion of money was about to draw her again into the very trap she dreaded.
She voiced none of these thoughts aloud however. When she opened her mouth it was to say, “I’ll take the job—but only on the condition I am never to see you in person. I’ll come here at the times you designate. You can leave me my money and any instructions in a note. But I don’t ever want to bump into you while I’m here. You—you kind of creep me out a little.”
She didn’t care whether he found that last admission amusing or not. The whole deal would hinge on his response. She’d had enough of his weird moods and the scenes he created with them. No price was worth putting herself through any more of these unnerving experiences.
Luckily, he seemed undisturbed by her insistence. “I think we have ourselves an understanding,” he said.
“Not so fast. We haven’t discussed some details yet. Just how often am I supposed to come here?”
“As often as I ask it,” he said simply. His tone made it clear she wasn’t going to get any further answer on that.
“All
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