Page 40 of Reclaiming Izabel

“You’ve changed.” She lowered her eyes to the floor, lips quivering. “The Drake I knew would never do those things. He wouldn’t do anything that would hurt me.” She rubbed her forehead.

“And I never would,” I gritted. “You were going to hurt yourself fighting me.”

“Why didn’t you blindfold me instead?”

I glanced back at Tim, who’d moved to the far end of the room to give us privacy. I stepped closer to Izabel.

“Because that’s our thing,” I said, voice low. “I didn’t want to taint our memories of something beautiful.”

Her lips twisted into a sneer that made me bristle. “So you decided it was better to scare me than to ruin our silly sex games?”

Silly?I could be an ass and remind her how much she enjoyed being blindfolded, naked, with her hands gripping the brass frame of the bed while I spread her legs and devoured her pussy.

Dammit. I probably shouldn’t have thought of that memory either. Craving her taste was becoming unbearable.

“I didn’t think you’d react that way. I was with you, Iza. You knew I would never let anything hurt you.”

“Don’t you get it? You’re not the man I remember. How many times do I need to tell you? You’re a stranger.”

“Then it’s time to get to know your husband again.” I tried to caress her face, but she jerked away from my touch. I ground my molars, beating back the bitterness and defeat that was threatening to bury me. I nodded to the water and Advil. “Take that and let’s go.”

“Where’s Marcus?” It was as if a cloud lifted from her brain and she grew alert. “What have you done to him? Why did you hurt him?”

“He’s a SEAL. What we did to him was nothing.” At least, nothing compared to Marcus finding out his part in his family’s death.

“You might have gotten him fired.”

“Good!” I stalked out from the confines of the divider. She didn’t immediately follow me, but the slamming of the water glass indicated she’d taken the Advil. Her footsteps echoed behind me before she condemned me with her gaze once more.

“How can you say that? He’s your friend.”

“After this, I’m not so sure. And I mean, it would be good if he was fired because he could do better things.”

Her eyes widened. “You’re recruiting him? Was kidnapping us some kind of test?” Her eyes wandered around our command center, pursing her lips before returning her eyes to mine, waiting for an answer.

“That’s not how it works.” I stepped into the elevator and she hurried in beside me.

“My purse?”

“In my car.”

The sounds of the elevator echoed loudly in our silence. I pulled the scissor gates open just as Marcus, flanked by Viktor and Brick, emerged.

“Marcus!” Izabel cried as she ran toward our friend before I could stop her.

Jealousy stabbed my chest followed by the unexpected fury locking my muscles because if I could’ve moved, I would have yanked her back against me. Viktor recognized the volatility of the situation and inserted himself between Izabel and Harrelson, stopping my wife from reaching Marcus.

“Who the hell are you?” Izabel screeched.

“Your husband’s boss.”

“He’s not my husband.”

Viktor smirked. “I agree.”

Glaring at Viktor over the top of Izabel’s head, I gripped her shoulders and flattened her back against me.

“Are you okay?” She tried to look past the mountain that was Viktor.

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