her. She heard his half-mocking suggestion that if she wanted control, she was welcome to tie him up.
“Isn’t there anything you can tell me about what’s going on? Anything at all?” Dustin considered the question, and Gabrielle wished that she could read him. If she could, she’d get the information she wanted without him having to oblige her; she could ask the question and have the answer when it floated up into his mind. Maybe, she thought, if she seduced him, she could get better answers; she could only read him dimly when they were in physical contact, but it was better than nothing. She realized that the idea had a selfish bent in more than one way—she wanted to seduce him not only to see if she could get more information, but because she wanted to have sex with him again. Down, girl! She felt herself blushing and attempted to suppress it.
“I can tell you that in spite of my … what was it you called them? My high-handed ways, the people I work for are good people. They are genuinely interested in you—but they won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do. I can’t say the same for the group that hired the thugs to grab you.”
Gabrielle thought about that for a moment; the fact that they had hired thugs with stun guns, big burly men that would have easily defeated her if not for Dustin’s assistance, seemed to speak to his assertion. “I know you’re suspicious, and I would be too.”
“I just want my normal life back.” Gabrielle shrugged.
Dustin looked at her with pity, and Gabrielle checked, wondering what new difficulty she was about to face. He shook his head, looking away from her for a moment.
“You’re not likely to get that. Not entirely, anyway. Now that you’re an object of interest, I mean. Until we can put that … that group out of business for good, you’re going to continue to be vulnerable.”
“You said it would be a few days, and then I could go back home,” she said, hearing the startlement in her own voice. “How long is it going to take for you to take care of this group? You obviously know who they are. Is it going to be weeks? Months?” Gabrielle’s eyes widened.
“You’re important to their plans. We know who they are, but they move around. You’d … you would probably continue to be vulnerable for months.” Dustin shook his head again.
Gabrielle stood up without even being fully aware of her intention. She stared down at Dustin, whose bright eyes were clouded with regret.
“And you didn’t think to tell me this when you abducted me in the first damned place? What the hell am I supposed to do? How am I going to live?” She clenched her hands into fists, wanting nothing more than to launch herself at Dustin. All feelings of affection toward him evaporated; he had lied to her. She had never taken kindly to being lied to, but it hurt more when she didn’t know it was happening. When people had lied to her in the past, she had always known the truth in their minds. It had been insulting, but not as much of a betrayal as this.
“I didn’t know for sure until this morning, Gabrielle. I got a report from one of our other personnel. They really want you. I don’t know why you’re specific to their plans, but you have to believe that I’m committed to protecting you. I wouldn’t have brought you here if I wasn’t.”
Gabrielle turned away from him, walking away as fast as she could. She needed space again—not because of lust, this time, but because of the depths of her anger and hurt. She stepped off of the porch and towards the trees, uncaring of if Dustin tried to stop her. She couldn’t stand to be that close to him. If he came near her, she’d do whatever she had to do to hurt him.
She heard him calling her name and ignored it, moving through the clearing in front of the house and towards the trees, wanting nothing more than to keep walking until she reached something like society once more. Boredom had been bad, and it would be
“Isn’t there anything you can tell me about what’s going on? Anything at all?” Dustin considered the question, and Gabrielle wished that she could read him. If she could, she’d get the information she wanted without him having to oblige her; she could ask the question and have the answer when it floated up into his mind. Maybe, she thought, if she seduced him, she could get better answers; she could only read him dimly when they were in physical contact, but it was better than nothing. She realized that the idea had a selfish bent in more than one way—she wanted to seduce him not only to see if she could get more information, but because she wanted to have sex with him again. Down, girl! She felt herself blushing and attempted to suppress it.
“I can tell you that in spite of my … what was it you called them? My high-handed ways, the people I work for are good people. They are genuinely interested in you—but they won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do. I can’t say the same for the group that hired the thugs to grab you.”
Gabrielle thought about that for a moment; the fact that they had hired thugs with stun guns, big burly men that would have easily defeated her if not for Dustin’s assistance, seemed to speak to his assertion. “I know you’re suspicious, and I would be too.”
“I just want my normal life back.” Gabrielle shrugged.
Dustin looked at her with pity, and Gabrielle checked, wondering what new difficulty she was about to face. He shook his head, looking away from her for a moment.
“You’re not likely to get that. Not entirely, anyway. Now that you’re an object of interest, I mean. Until we can put that … that group out of business for good, you’re going to continue to be vulnerable.”
“You said it would be a few days, and then I could go back home,” she said, hearing the startlement in her own voice. “How long is it going to take for you to take care of this group? You obviously know who they are. Is it going to be weeks? Months?” Gabrielle’s eyes widened.
“You’re important to their plans. We know who they are, but they move around. You’d … you would probably continue to be vulnerable for months.” Dustin shook his head again.
Gabrielle stood up without even being fully aware of her intention. She stared down at Dustin, whose bright eyes were clouded with regret.
“And you didn’t think to tell me this when you abducted me in the first damned place? What the hell am I supposed to do? How am I going to live?” She clenched her hands into fists, wanting nothing more than to launch herself at Dustin. All feelings of affection toward him evaporated; he had lied to her. She had never taken kindly to being lied to, but it hurt more when she didn’t know it was happening. When people had lied to her in the past, she had always known the truth in their minds. It had been insulting, but not as much of a betrayal as this.
“I didn’t know for sure until this morning, Gabrielle. I got a report from one of our other personnel. They really want you. I don’t know why you’re specific to their plans, but you have to believe that I’m committed to protecting you. I wouldn’t have brought you here if I wasn’t.”
Gabrielle turned away from him, walking away as fast as she could. She needed space again—not because of lust, this time, but because of the depths of her anger and hurt. She stepped off of the porch and towards the trees, uncaring of if Dustin tried to stop her. She couldn’t stand to be that close to him. If he came near her, she’d do whatever she had to do to hurt him.
She heard him calling her name and ignored it, moving through the clearing in front of the house and towards the trees, wanting nothing more than to keep walking until she reached something like society once more. Boredom had been bad, and it would be
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