Page 39 of Power & Punishment

“I know you like going to places where you don’t belong, but this might be crossing a line,” I sigh, walking past his shadow and straight toward my duffle bag.

When I turn to face him, he’s leaning up against one of the lockers with his arms crossed. I keep my eyes glued to his, even though I want to focus on every taut crease decorating his suit-clad body.

“I’m just trying to keep things interesting, Cara.”

My phone buzzes on the bench between us, but before I can reach for it, Leo beats me to it. Anger curdles up inside me when his lips twist into a smile as he stares at the screen. And then he goes to work, quickly typing something out.

“How do you know my passcode?” I ask, standing still. It’s useless to try and wrestle the phone out of his hands.

“I know everything,” he answers smoothly, setting the device down. “It was just your partner. I told him you were running late and that you’ll meet him at the precinct.”

I roll my eyes, but the feeling of annoyance doesn’t last long. I grip my towel tighter as his eyes rake over me and linger on my grip. “Don’t stop on my account, Emilia. I’d love to see the entirety of my investment.”

“Last I checked, you pay for an investment. You don’t blackmail for it.”

The corners of his mouth tick up. “Payment can be done in many different ways,” he says, his voice dropping low. “Just tell me what you want, and I’ll make it happen.”

My nipples pebble, scraping against the towel.

“You don’t get to look at me like that,” I reply, fighting back the dryness coating my mouth. “You don’t get to walk in here, throw around threats, and pretend like I’m your new plaything.”

Leo closes the distance between us in just a few short steps, and right when I think he’s going to grab me, he stops. My stomach twists. He’s still so close.

“I’m not pretending anything,” he hisses. “You’re the one that just lied to your partner.”

I lift my chin in defiance. “I protected him.”

“You can’t.”

“Watch me,” I challenge, my voice thick with malice and my chest rising and falling at a rapid pace.

His jaw tightens, and I see a glimpse of something I haven’t experienced from Leo yet.

Frustration.

“How the hell are you supposed to find Vince’s killer now? You just shut down your own case.”

“I can do it myself. It’ll be easier. Our precinct is crawling with Caruso informants, and I can stay under the radar this way.”

“That’s a stupid idea, Emilia. The Carusos are dangerous.”

I muster up a weak laugh. “You pointed me in their direction, and now you’re telling me to back off. What gives?”

Leo’s lips mash together like he’s trying to decide what to say next. At the same time, I can sense how restless he is and the way he’s holding himself in place with some invisible force.

That should be my sign to back away. Put as much distance between us as possible. But I don’t. I stay put.

“Why do you even care?” I ask when he remains silent.

“That’s the problem,” he snaps, taking a step forward. I panic and jump back, but it’s too late—I’m pressed against a row of cold, metal lockers with no place to go. “I shouldn’t care.”

“Then don’t,” I say, trying to reach for the venom that belongs there. “Leave me and my family alone and find someone else to play with.”

That brings a spark back to his eyes, and that evil, possessive darkness inside his pupils swirls to life.

“Why would I do that?” Leo says, leaning forward and placing a soft kiss on my neck, “when I haven’t even had a proper taste?”

I screw my eyes shut and pin my arms against my body. Need flares at the base of my stomach as he presses his hard groin into my bare thigh.