TRAPPED BY THE BAD COP

y's

t sleep. N

ow never stayed cool for long. The world outside was quiet, too quiet, and the weight of bein

her weight, reminded her that she was a guest no, a prisoner in a house ful

re about him. She grew up with having men take one look at her and want to own her. Her mother's boyfriends had tried, she had managed to escape them so many times, the shelters when she was a teen on the

s messy world of hers. He's dangling the one thing she'd always want

unt. She has to find out more about this proposal of his.

nd the faint scent of expensive cologne that she couldn't escape no matter how much s

g? When is he coming back? Her

the night before. He didn't want her in there. She'd crossed a line by even stepping

reach him. Know the real h

sn't stupid enough to test him like that. Not yet. Instead, she wande

h twisted. Below, the world moved on without herwithout even a glance. No on

below. Her pulse steadied, breath evened out, and for just a second, sh

hout thinking. The tension in her chest settled, and she moved through

llway snapped her o

eps ri

moved toward the nearest door. The kitchen. The cool metal of the fri

in her own ears, the doo

o

relaxed but his eyes sharp. "I thought I told

n't back down. She didn't have

re abou

g. But Cady didn't step back. She didn't let the weight

she said, her voice quieter

sed through Ford's eyes am

and deliberate. The space between them felt like it had grown smaller, tight

idn't

of her, but he didn'

voice dropped to a murmur, low and dange

d his gaze. "Then what are

zzle he didn't want to solve, but couldn't

The words didn't si

oice cutting through the air

ere close enough for her to smell the faint edge of cologne that

darkened. "does a seven

. With that much she could pay off her debt, and move somewher

x months." he said, his tone a low growl, "Just in case you change your mind, it will

And she sucks in a

about her. She didn't know whether to step back or to lean in. So, she stayed where she was. A