Taken

Chapter 18 (Part 5)

His hand rose to my jaw, forcing my eyes to meet his before lowering to the base of my neck. He softly squeezed over the choker he had placed around my neck. The one I couldn't remove.

The placement of his hand was deliberate, meant to remind me of my place, his words punching the message home.

"Never undermine my decision again. What I say, goes."

His warning and sharp eyes had my mouth drying. My tongue darted out to wet my lips as my eyes dropped to his mouth, unable to hold his gaze. "If you want me to trust you enough to listen, then tell me what our matching marks mean."

If we were going to have a humiliating argument about who was in charge, I wasn't going to walk away from it with nothing. The least I could do was try to get some answers. While steering the conversation clear of where Silas was taking it.

"Noth-"

I shook my head sharply, cutting off his lie. "Why do I feel it when I touch yours?"

The corner of his lips pulled down. "It's not polite to molest the unconscious," he chastised.

"It's also not polite to keep me in the dark about things that concern me."

"The dark..." he trailed off tilting his head as he looked down at me, leaning closer. "Did you know darkness makes it easier to imagine what's not there? Lights, sounds, whispers... and touch-"

"Don't," I snapped. "I'm not the fool that you're trying to make of me."

He let out a small derisive laugh. "You were foolish enough when it came to my mother. She didn't force the Stone down your throat."

Of course, a man his size wouldn't understand the force that intimidation could hold. Or maybe I was just more fucked up than I cared to face.

Or both.

"That only proved that I needed to be more careful with where I placed my trust." In no one, including men who couldn't decide if they hated the sight of me or wanted to pull me closer in their sleep.

His lips curled up in a cruel smile. "I don't need your trust to play my part. A gag and some rope would be all I need to deal with you if you grow too troublesome."

My eyes narrowed. "I don't see either of those around. Only the cave I was kind enough to drag you into."

"Kind? I would go with obligated." His eyes flashed as they lowered to my shoulder, eyeing my bra strap that was threatening to slip down my arm. "A gag may not be lying around in here, but it can easily be fashioned. Tell me, do you need one, little dryad?"

My cheeks heated as the greens of his eyes rose to look at me through his thick lashes.

"Yeah, I do," I said, my voice sounding hoarser than I wanted. I cleared my throat. "So I can shove it between your teeth, jackass," I ground out as I pushed against his chest.

The harsh action had Silas's eyes widened in surprise. As though he suddenly became aware of the dangerously teasing turn his tone had taken, he stiffened. His nose wrinkled in disgust as he pulled back, noting how he had been unconsciously leaning into me.

"You have a strong odor of blood and sweat," he commented, his voice hardening.

My eye twitched at the insult. When I pulled away this time, he didn't stop me.

"What else would I smell like? Posies?" I snapped. Despite my irritations, my shoulders loosened at the familiar hostility that returned to his gaze. I found comfort in it, knowing what it would bring.