Page 19 of The Sinners Gambit

IhopeNaomiwasableto sleep with the tea I left for her. That was the only thing that helped after my parents died. It didn’t work every night, but did help me rest at least some of the nights. The only thing that truly worked was my uncle Andres helping to find the bastards that murdered them. That was my longest torture session to date.

When I arrive back at the house, I go to the study and notice she moved the note. A smile spreads across my lips. Part of me hoped she would’ve snooped a bit more and found the bead. I want her to realize how much she means to me despite my unconventional courting method. But it’ll come with time.

Walking to my desk, I move my mouse to power on my computer. I type in my password, which is NaiKill1219, and my thumbprint. It’s our names and the date I laid eyes on my beautifulfirecracker.

I was also able to get her thumbprint into the system using her phone data, so she can open up the laptop too. She has unadulterated access to everything within the walls of the mansion and on this property.

Naomi just needs the courage to explore it. She’s holding back though. I see the war in her eyes as she fights her inevitable feelings for me. But there’s something else there opposing that love—something deeper. I can’t quite put my finger on it.

First, I look at the camera in her bedroom to see that she’s fast asleep in bed. Zooming in, I notice that she drank the tea. I start rewinding to replay the scene—being so used to watching her life that I don’t like to miss anything.

That’s how I know her sister likes to sit and watch her sleep whenever she has a nightmare. I can see why they’re so close. There’s a lot of love and protectiveness there. I want to fill part of that role now. I pause when I notice something strange. She started pacing at some point before drinking the tea. I pull up the different camera angles so I can see the different viewpoints, and sync them before playing.

On the video Naomi entered the bedroom with a small smile on her face and looked around the room, then she noticed the nightstand. She carefully walked over and read the note. While initially her smile started to grow, she started to frown and look visibly angry. She froze as her eyes looked like they wanted to bore holes into the paper. Throwing the note across the room, she went to get ready in the bathroom—the only spot where I don't have cameras.

I fast forward through the few minutes that she was getting ready for bed. My hands grow clammy with anticipation.

What has you so angry, firecracker?

Finally she came back into the bedroom and went for the tea again, picking it up. She put it back down, shaking her head. Walking away to put some distance between herself and the tea—that was apparently offending her—she started playing with her heart chain she wears every day. She paused a few feet away from where she started and turned to stare at the bed. Then she walked back to the teacup and picked it up again. This song and dance repeated at least three more times before she drank the whole tea in one swallow and slammed it down. It seems like she wanted it done as quickly as possible due to whatever was bothering her.

My eyebrows furrow as my lips purse. What the fuck happened? I go back to her time in the library, and she had a similar change from a smile to a bit of a frown. The shift wasn’t as dramatic as the one in the bedroom. I wonder what was going through her head.

Maybe it’s time to give her an even deeper view into mine. A little “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.” I want her to feel comfortable here, but that means she needs to get to know me better.

Naomi sleeps later than usual, it’s almost 11 AM. I’m glad the tea seemed to work. She doesn’t sleep a ton with her nightmares keeping her awake. Those were the hardest nights to watch her, all I wanted to do was reach through the monitor and hold her—give her some sort of comfort.

“Naomi?” I call as I knock on the door. There’s no answer. “Naomi?” I call out again before opening the door.

I can hear the bath running once the door isn’t a barrier. She’s listening to music from the library I curated for her based on her vibes. Naomi’s always so busy with work and her crazy schedule that she tries to get in as much TLC time as she can through books. So, that meant zero experience with music. If she has an opportunity to listen to something, she would choose an audiobook. I never would’ve thought that we’d have similar taste in music. She’s gone through two albums already, and she only stops to listen to the same ones I would have.

Moving backwards out the door, I decide to let her have her morning of peace. I can’t help but smile that that peace includes something I gave her. I’ll let her come to me.

“Someone’s had an energy boost hidden in their breakfast this morning,” Axel jokes as he spars with Naomi. I wanted to take a step back so I could fully see her fighting style, to help cater the training sessions.

She rolls her eyes and tries to roundhouse kick Axel hard, but he’s able to block. “You two would know, since you love drugging people so much,” Naomi spits out. “Besides, you know I didn’t make it to breakfast. Fucking stupid.” Naomi didn’t come downstairs until almost 1 PM, she grabbed an apple that she has yet to touch and came straight to the training room. Axel and I silently decided to follow her lead, but I wasn’t expecting this much pent-up anger. I thought the bath would’ve taken care of that.Or maybe what I was hoping she’d do in the bath.

“Belle? I-I thought last ni—” His voice softens.

I see the split-second that it does affect her, but she's quick to go back on offense. “Last night was nothing more than me having dinner with one of the two men who thought it would be fun to drug and kidnap a woman for a sick experiment to help one of them find love.”

“Naomi!” I yell. While Axel plays tough through his dark-humored jokes, he’s sensitive, and those who he deems worthy of care are the ones who can cut him down the fastest. And I know he already cares deeply for Naomi.

“And neither of you deserve love!” There’s so much venom in her voice. Axel's face darkens as he does a maneuver I taught him years ago to get Naomi facedown on the floor, ending the match. But he doesn't stay long after that, stomping out of the training room.

Looking at her, I see her scrunch her face to avoid seeing him walk out of the room, upset at her words. It’s working . . . her being here is working. But the thoughts spinning around in her head are stopping her from committing. She’s a dark soul who loves all of this shit. I don’t care how she tries to present to the world.

“You and me, let's go,” I command.

Her eyes open, showing me the depth of emotions swirling in those dark blues. She gets up using her two hands and goes into a fighting stance. “You want to go too?”

I scoff. “Axel’s an extension of me. So when he beat you, I beat you. You didn’t earn your release.” What I didn’t mention is how badly I want to help her with herrelease.Just the thought makes my dick twitch.

Now it’s her turn to scoff. “So, where the fuck do you want me to go?”

“My dungeon,” I say simply as I start walking. “Now.”

Chapter 11

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