Maverick (Elite Ops 2)

Abigail wasn’t the only one.

“Micah, please meet Oswald Heinrick,” Abigail introduced them. “Oswald, this is Risa’s gentleman friend I was telling you about, Micah Sloane.”

“Mr. Sloane.” Oswald lifted his hand. “It’s good to meet the man that finally broke through our Risa’s reserve. Her grandmother has been worried about her.”

Risa’s heart was racing in her chest as she stared at his hand. It was large. Broad. It would be rough on the back. She wanted to know about his palm. Was it soft?

She could feel her stomach trembling. Her hand reached out, her fingers shaking as she gripped his wrist.

“Risa?” Micah’s voice was at her ear. She heard him, the tone dark, warning.

She wouldn’t break down. She was to turn to him.

She turned Heinrick’s hand over.

“Risa?” Oswald questioned her.

His palm was soft. She stared at it. She couldn’t bring herself to touch it. It was pale and white, without so much as a callus.

Against her hand she could feel the back of his. She felt the fine, almost invisible scars.

“I’m fascinated with hands,” she said faintly as she released him.

“Really, dear. You’re being a bit odd tonight, even for you.”

She tilted her head. There it was. The derision. The mockery.

She stared into his eyes.

I know you. She spoke the words silently and watched his pupils flare.

Yes, she knew him.

Her nails were biting into Micah’s wrist.

“I need to leave,” she whispered. “I’m not feeling well, Micah.”

That simple. That was all it took. His arm went around her and they were moving for the doors. She looked behind her to see Oswald’s eyes narrowed on her. Hatred flamed in them before he could hide it.

It was him. She knew it was him.

She heard Micah talking, but she didn’t know who he was talking to. She was filled with the images from the past. Those hands holding her wrists to the floor of the plane, his voice at her ear, telling her how ugly she was. How it behooved him to rape her. How she should thank him for teaching her how to be a woman.

“Because I was born to be used,” she whispered as Micah rushed her back into the limo. “I was born to die.”

“Stop it, Risa.” The door slammed behind them as Micah pulled her against him, holding her against his warmer body. “It’s over. You don’t have to remember this.”

“I should thank him,” she said tonele

ssly, repeating the words Oswald had thrown at her the night he raped her. “I should thank him for lowering himself to settle for me. At least I was a virgin.” She flinched at the sensation of tearing, ripping pain.

She could feel the sickness gathering in her stomach. It boiled and threatened to gag her as she fought it back.

“Stop it.” Micah jerked her face up to meet his black, enraged gaze. “It’s over. Do you hear me? It’s over. He’ll pay for what he did to you, Risa.”

“Jansen paid him.” She smiled mirthlessly. “He had to pay someone to fuck me after all.”

And he wasn’t the only one. Micah had fucked her to gain his way to the man who would lead him to Orion. Even Micah had an agenda.