Conceited (Crimson Elite 3)

“Pleeease.” It’s weak and comes out muffled, but it’s all I’ve got left to give knowing whoever it is isn’t going to let me go just because I asked. The breathing in the room becomes heavier, and just as I’m about to start screaming, a door slams open and loud footsteps echo through the room.

To say he would be my knight in shining armor would be a lie, he isn’t. I have a feeling the reason I’m here is based on him. He walks past me, only briefly looking at me before I hear a loud whack. Then hands are freeing my wrists, and the minute they are I pull them to my chest and rub them. Falcon bends down in front of me and looks at me like he is a god—a god of fucking disaster—with steely eyes that will fuck me up more than I ever want to be.

“You.” He shakes his head and reaches down to grab me. I hit at him and attempt to stand when my legs are free, but the minute I do I land back on the seat that I woke up tied to.

“I’ll need to carry you, you can’t walk.”

A sob rips through me. What is this life? What is happening? I was just a writer trying to go places and here I am, where? I still don’t know, being carried out by a man I thought I was falling in love with.

Falcon lifts me and I don’t fight him. I look over my shoulder to see a large man lying on the floor with his eyes closed. I flinch when he moves, but he doesn’t open his eyes.

“Who is that?”

“He works for us… a bodyguard,” Falcon says, finally telling me something that’s true.

“I don’t want you touching me. Put me down,” I say looking up at him. My hands are on his shoulder as he holds me to him like a child. We reach a set of stairs and he puts my feet down first. I’m unsteady, and I don’t know why.

“They gave you a sedative, you’ll feel drowsy. Let me take you home.” I shake my head and step back, my legs wanting to give out as I do, but somehow I manage to stand.

“I don’t want you to touch me, Falcon.” He’s so devastating beautiful it hurts to look. Why? Why? It’s not fair.

He almost looks hurt by my words, like he was the one that was taken to a place without his consent and drugged. Fuck, no, I was the one who was drugged. My body bends over almost falling to the floor as I start throwing up whatever was in my belly. It hurts and stings. Hands touch my back and rub in circular motions. I push them away as I stand up, wiping my face.

“What didn’t you understand about the fact that I don’t want to be touched by you?” It’s coming again, I can feel it, but this time my legs don’t hold me and I fall to my knees as my body starts to dry retch. My stomach and throat burn but I have nothing else to give.

“Let me help you.”

I swat at him and I hear him huff next to me. Wiping my mouth, I sit back and look around—we’re in the suburbs outside a house.

“Where are we?”

He looks around then back to me. “I need to get you to my car. I’ll take you wherever you want to go. But please, we need to move.” He attempts to touch me again and I shake my head.

“I can do it. Don’t touch me,” I seethe at him. He shakes his head and walks to his car, opening the door and holding it for me. The minute I’m in, he shuts the door behind me.

“You need to not publish that story of what you know, Ariel. Don’t, please.”

He’s never said please, ever.

“Did you do this to me?”

Falcon shakes his head and I see him grip the steering wheel hard, his knuckles turning white.

“Do you know who did?” He nods. “I want you to tell me everything. Not for the story but because I want to know.”

Leverage.

He looks to me, not watching the road as he drives. “That’s not smart.”

“It would keep me safer if I knew.”

He shakes his head. “It won’t.”

My teeth bite together, everything hurts, I want a bath and to never leave my bed again. “Tell me, Falcon.”

He sighs loudly. Pulling the car over to the side of the road, he turns to look at me, his hands on the steering wheel not moving.

“I fucking deserve to know considering this.” My hands go up in the air and land back on my legs. My wrists are going to be bruised, this much I know, I haven’t even looked at my feet.

“The place you’re trying to discover is an elite club. It stays elite because we make it that way, and we work very hard to keep it that way,” he says like it’s a matter of fact.