Page 56 of Harmless
I opened the door only far enough to stick my head in. She was sitting sideways in an armchair next to the window, the pane opened and her white dove sitting outside on the sill.
“Hey. Just wanted to see how you were doing.”
Rori angled her head in my direction, a smile pulling at her lips. “I’m okay, I think. Just working through some shit in my head. You want to sit with me?”
Did I ever.
I closed the door behind me and crossed the room to her. Rori stood from the armchair, allowing me to sit, then resumed her sideways position with her legs across my lap. Her dove flew away as I circled my arms around her waist, tugging her closer.
“Did I interrupt something?” I asked with a brush of my lips across her forehead.
“No.” She chuckled, scratching lightly along the back of my neck. “It seems you and I are the ones who keep getting interrupted.”
I smiled against her cheek. “Should I barricade the door?”
“No, stay right where you are.” The gentle command created a warming sensation in my chest, and I tightened my hold on her. “If anyone knocks on that door, I’ll yell at them to fuck off.”
The warmth in my chest grew and spread, reaching my belly and my throat. It felt amazing to know she wanted me as much as I wanted her.
“So what is this shit you’re working through in your head?” I ran one hand up her back, lightly scratching, circling, massaging, as I studied her face.
Rori inhaled deeply and sighed it all out, looking exhausted. “Ethical issues concerning the interrogation of prisoners, I guess.”
“Sounds like a very difficult university class,” I said, just to make her laugh. “What’s bothering you, though?”
She blew out another breath, and I stayed quiet, ready and eager to listen. “My fathers were tortured. You know, back in the day. They didn’t give us details, but they were honest about it happening.” Rori’s eyes went from focusing on me to staring at a blank spot on the wall. “All of them said the worst part about it wasn’t the pain. Not starvation or the solitude. What almost broke them was realizing their worst fears were on the brink of coming true. The idea that everything they fought for would go up in flames. That they’d never see each other or my mother again.” Rori’s focus returned to me again. “I used that with Nella today. I deduced what her worst fear would be and used that fear to break her.”
“Okay,” I said. “And that was?”
“Being raped by a group of men.”
“Ah.” I frowned at her. “Did you—”
“No! It never went that far, and I never would have let it. I just planned it really carefully to make herbelieveit would happen. I chose guys that I trusted and had them pop pills to get hard. Because, you know, they’re not the type that would naturally be turned on by that situation.”
My eyebrows shot up. Damn, that was crafty. “Oh, wow.”
“I had them give me money, told them what they could do to her. It was all an act. They never actually touched her, but fuck, Santos, it gotreallyclose. And she was terrified. I’ve never seen a woman so scared. Not even when Paige was under that table in the shootout.”
“I see.” My palm smoothed up her back. “And you feel bad about doing that to a fellow woman?”
Rori’s head tilted back with a groan, leaning into my hand cupping the nape of her neck. “Honestly, not really. But I feel bad that I don’t feel bad, you know?”
“Sure, I get it. I’ve had kills that have made me feel no remorse or anything. And that’s a weird feeling in itself.”
Rori’s features relaxed with relief, her head lifting to face me again. “Exactly. Youdoget it. But it’s got me wondering if I’m a sociopath or something.”
“The fact that you’re feeling conflicted and weird about this is proof that you’re not.” I rubbed my fingers into the taut muscles of her neck. “You saw Nella for the person she is—someone who has ordered the death and abuse of dozens of people. You were too smart to fall for her sob story of being trampled on by men her whole life.”
“Yeah, but the thing is, she’s not wrong about that. She and this Sisterhood she’s part of, their way of dealing with that is so unhinged.” Rori shook her head as if clearing the thoughts from her mind. “It doesn’t matter how they justify it. Their fucked up business of gladiator fights and sex slaves needs to end. Nothing justifies treating people like that.”
“Seems you already knew that all along.” I smiled and rubbed her back again. “See? What do you need me for?”
“Oh, stop.” She wrapped both arms around my shoulders and kissed me deeply, a long, passionate press of her lips and tongue that left me breathless. “Thank you for listening,” she whispered, then kissed me again. “And for coming to check on me.”
“Rori…” I was all heat and coiled up need underneath her. “Can we—”
“Finish what we started in the kitchen? Yes, please.” She slid over my lap until she straddled me, grinding down over my zipper. “You remember everything I told you?”
