Forbidden (Blood Ties #7)

He straightened. “By all means.”

I didn’t care anymore, scooting my ass forward to push past and made for the toilet. It’d been hours since he’d left me and right now my bladder was screaming. Movement came from the corner of my eye. The moment I stepped into the bathroom, he followed, causing me to spin around. “I’m just peeing, for Christ’s sake.”

He glanced at the toilet. “Then pee.”

I sopped, glaring at him, then thought about the logistics and looked down to the sheer fabric of the bodysuit. I’d never worn something like this, never had to worry about how thishappened.

“Pull it aside,” he murmured.

The heat of his stare was like a brand on my skin. Still, I had no other choice as my bladder sent out a spear of agony. I winced, reached down, and yanked the fabric of the crotch aside before I sat. Heat flooded from me and the bastard never moved. I kept the fabric out of the way and turned for the toilet paper…but I only had one damn hand.

Fuck.

“Here.” He stepped closer and folded the tissue before tugging it free. “Let me.”

“What?” I jerked my gaze upward.

But he was already kneeling to reach between my body and the seat to wipe along my crease. Those sickening fucking fingers were so firm and tender, making my body clench and heat. I looked away as humiliation crawled into my cheeks.

“There.” He rose carefully and moved to the sink to hit the faucet, then the soap. “I’ll meet you out in the kitchen.”

I eased the fabric back and slowly rose as he walked out. So that was it? Not that he didn’t trust me. He just wanted to…humiliate me.

A nerve twitched at the corner of my cheek as I turned and pressed the button to flush the toilet, then moved to the sink. That was it. I met my gaze. He not only liked to control, he liked to humiliate, as well, make me uncomfortable, make me beg.

I swallowed hard as a surge of excitement hummed deep inside me when I lowered my gaze to the bodysuit he’d made me wear. Rose gold…it looked almost nice against my naturally tanned skin, until I turned and the ugly silver scars were revealed. I turned back and grabbed his hairbrush, dragging it through my hair.

I’d been through an accident, a drugging, a chase, murders…and him.

I looked like a damn mess.

The more I brushed, the softer my hair became, until it shone, letting me make my way out of the bedroom, deciding to obey him and head to the kitchen.

Is Nutella vegan?

The words rose in my mind as the clatter of a pan came through the air. I stopped at the end of the hallway, watching him as he swirled hot butter in the frying pan. I glanced at the freshly open tub of vegan butter. I didn’t like this. Not that he’d made room in his fucking closet for the clothes he’d bought me or the fact he was standing there, cooking me…oat-flour pancakes?

I said nothing, just watched him while my mind raced. I needed to push this along, find out what he knows about Hale, find out what he knows about everything. I took a step closer, nearing the other side of the breakfast bar. “Seeing as how we’re getting comfortable, Riven, you never told me what you actually do for a living.”

He stilled for a second, then kept going, ladling the oat batter into the pan. “You could say I’m in acquisitions.”

“For a bank?”

He didn’t answer, just focused on making sure the heat was even as the mixture sizzled, filling the house with the most delicious smell.

“Well, it certainly looks like you’ve done well for yourself.”

He turned, carrying the pan over to slide a delicious looking golden pancake onto a plate in front of me. “Better than an elementary school teacher.”

I flinched at the words. He’d threatened to kill someone, someone that didn’t really exist. I didn’t know if he’d used it to manipulate me or if he’d really killed a complete stranger. I tried to find the answer in his stare. A shiver tore through me. Icy and honed. My pulse sped in response.

I was never scared. Not when the repercussions were only mine. But here, standing in front of him…meeting that unfathomable stare, I was fucking terrified. He was a monster. Iknewthat. A predator in every sense of the word.

I might’ve been the one who’d stepped out in front of his car. But every action and every consequence that came after that moment had been under his controlling hand. Riven Cruz wasn’t just a monster, he was a predator, and to catch someone like that, you couldn’t remain prey. You had to be his equal.

“You’re lying.”

He stilled, then turned.