Page 684 of One More Kiss

Chapter6

The growl scrapingmy throat begins as a low snarl and finishes with my teeth gnashing.

When I dart after him, he angles his upper half and grabs the firearm from behind his belt; the aim directed below my waist. “Stay fucking put.”

“No way! I’m not waiting here as tiger bait,” I yell, my fierce gaze settling on Tomás.

Shane continues to reverse while Tomás asks his first question. “What’s your full name?” he says with a deadly calmness like a peaceful graveyard under a sheet of bitter frost.

“I’ve already told you!” I throw my hands up, exasperated. “How many times do I have to repeat myself?”

Tomás drags his frames down the bridge of his nose and pockets them. “Even sweet little liars break into pretty pieces when they're under duress. A lack of consistency will help me decide if you're undercover. Now let’s start over again. And don’t forget, my father’s tigers are used to this time sensitive game.” His eyes never leave me. “What is your real name?”

“Carina Ferreira,” I reply, glaring up at him as the words snap out.

Catching Shane’s movements in the corner of my eye, I shoot him a hateful scowl, my fists balling with resentment as he retreats to safety.

Bastards.

Another question blasts into the humid air the second I respond. “Age?”

“Nineteen and three quarters.”

The next one comes at me like rapid gunfire. “Where do you live?”

“Manaus.”

“Is there a hit out on my father?”

I rub my temple, feeling woozy. My empty stomach aches and a surge of nausea has my pulse racing out of control until all I can see are black dots and blurry shapes.

“I’ve no idea. I’m not part of that world,” I pant, my voice now small and panicky.

“Did Carlos Blanco put you up to this?”

Sweat trickles from my hairline, rolling over the furrowed lines of confusion. “Who? I’ve never heard of him.”

“Were you sent here to kill Elias or to fuck him?”

I cross my arms over my chest, oddly aware of a drop in temperature. “Apparently, as inhumane as it is, I’m a gift.” My mouth dries. “Whatever that means to you people.”

“Are you a virgin?”

Sucking in sharply, my eyes bug at his audacity. That information is completely irrelevant to his cruel interrogation. “Are you serious?” I snarl, grappling with the flimsy collar around my neck in the hope of space to breathe. “What’s that got to do with this?”

I sense his dissatisfaction, noting how he takes two paces closer. “Answer the question, senorita.” He hisses, his entire posture forcing restraint, ready to slip from his refined throne.

“Fine.” I relent, praying this torture would end quicker if I play his game. “I’ve never been with a man before. Does that answer your damn question?”

A low grunt happens as he shakes his head scornfully. “Are you waiting for a Prince to ride in on a white steed and ask for your hand in marriage first?”

My limbs weaken, not from his snide tone, but from the surge of nausea, welcoming beads of salty sweat and unnerving lightheadedness.

“If we’re comparing fairy tales, how about Hansel and Gretel? When the nasty old witch gets burned to ashes after holding the young girl hostage.” I desperately try to sound plucky, my veins running hot, then cold. “Make believe witches or schoolyard bullies, they’re all the same. From the pretty girls at school who poked fun at the ugly outcast, to the popular boys who used me for a lost bet. ‘Tell her she’s pretty. Try to kiss her without throwing up in your mouth.’” I mock a young boy's voice. “So yeah, getting up close and personal with people isn’t something I want to do.” I rub my neck, heart hammering and chest heaving. “And from where I’m standing, you’re just as bad as them.”

A rustle from behind snares my attention. Glancing back to never ending treetops and swaying ferns, I spy lingering yellow eyes amidst feathery leaves the size of umbrellas. Still far enough away not to pose an immediate threat, but close enough to electrify my pulse. The hoots and hollers of vigilante wildlife dulls to a murmur as the fascinated carnivore stalks through thickset vegetation. I gasp for a breath, sucking in earthy air and muggy heat. If this man doesn’t believe me, I’ll die a horrific death.

“Please, Tomás. I’ve told you everything,” I plead, my cracked voice wobbly, frustrated tears welling, and my vision fuzzy with fear. “I’d rather Elias killed me with a single bullet than be mauled while I’m still alive.”

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