Wicked and True (Wicked & Devoted 4)

“Maybe. I think what’s killing you now—besides the fact she ripped out your heart—is the not knowing. Exactly what she did. Why she did it. Why she dragged you into it.”

Trees wasn’t wrong. “There’s a part of me that keeps insisting this isn’t like her, that she would never hurt anyone—much less everyone—without a damn good reason.”

“You mean other than money?” Trees raised a cynical brow.

“I know that’s enough reason for most people, but…” Zy shook his head. “Or maybe she snowed me so fucking bad I was willing to believe everything, even her goodness.”

“You have an instinct about her, and they aren’t usually wrong. One of the things I’ve always admired about you is your people skills.”

Zy had to laugh. “You only think mine are good because yours suck ass.”

“Mine do. But yours are a cut above.”

“You saying you think my instincts are right and that she’s somehow innocent?”

“No. The black-and-white I see tells me otherwise. But straight up? You might know how to get to the bottom of her faster than anyone. I said before that I think she loves you. And I still think that’s true…at least in her way. Go use her own tools against her.”

“What do you mean?”

“Emotion. Appeal to her good side. Get under her skin. Hell, peel off her clothes and fuck her brains out if that works.”

That mere suggestion should not excite him, but Zy already knew he was a shameless, twisted chump when it came to Tessa. If fucking her one last time was even remotely on the table? It was twisted and wrong, but hell yes.

“You have to do whatever you can to worm the truth from her. I can give you hard evidence, but only she can fill in the gaps and explain why.”

Zy snorted. “If what we suspect is true, Tessa only has a passing relationship with the truth. Why should now be different?”

Trees was silent for a long moment. Finally, he grinned. “Did you ever stop to ask why I had handcuffs handy? You already asked once why I had rope in my nightstand drawer. You know I’m a control freak. Do the math.”

The obvious smacked him in the face, and Zy was almost embarrassed he’d been so stupid. “You’re a Dominant. Like the bosses.”

“See, I knew you’d eventually get smart.” Trees leaned closer. “Keeping it real, man. I think that’s your instinct, too. But if you’ve never partaken, it’s cool. Just…um, word of advice? When you want the truth from a sweet little thing like Tessa—”

“I think we’ve determined she’s not sweet.”

Trees shook his head. “Don’t confuse her acts with the woman herself. She’s gotten herself tangled up in this shit for reasons you and I may never fully understand. But your instincts are right. She’s naturally sweet. A pleaser.”

“Submissive?” Was that what Trees meant to infer?

His friend shrugged. “Maybe. Probably. But you don’t know if you don’t try. So here’s my advice: if you spank her and she comes up biting your head off, then probably not and you should stop immediately. But…if you try and she doesn’t? If she melts? It just might make her pliable enough to be honest. Worth a shot, anyway.”

If it broke her down and he got some real fucking answers? “Hell, at this point, I’m willing to try anything.”

Trees clapped him on the back. “You might just be surprised. And if I’m right, a bunch of my equipment is down there. You can thank me later.”

Zy should have figured out his buddy’s predilections sooner, but he’d never given much thought to Trees’s sex life. On the other hand, the big guy made some good points…

Admittedly, if he had ever been tempted to tie a woman down and have her submit to him, it was now. It was Tessa.

He didn’t have the strength to fight both her and his own needs.

Zy yanked his phone from his back pocket and settled it on the counter. “I know I’m running out of time. If the bosses call, stall them. But I don’t want to be disturbed. I’m not coming out of that fucking bunker until I have answers.”

Shivering from more than the cold, Tessa wrapped the blanket around herself tighter and paced the underground shelter, trying to process her horrifying new reality. But one thing was clear: somehow, Zy knew she’d betrayed EM Security Management.

Did he know why? He must by now. Could he simply not forgive her?

God, she had to get out of this mess, but how? He’d locked her underground without a way to contact anyone. Cold fear filled her. How long would he keep her here? And what if Hallie’s kidnappers called? What if they had new demands she wasn’t around to placate? What would happen to her baby?

Hot tears fell. She wiped them away. They were useless, but they wouldn’t stop, damn it. Nothing ripping her apart would.