Page 73 of Caging Liberty
“No.” My tone is deadpan, and I hope my expression matches it. “Now let me the fuck go.”
His eyes widen with surprise, but he corrects the expression as quickly as I did, his face relaxing. “Feisty one, aren’t you?” He laughs salaciously as he runs his hand up my arm. “I like that.”
“Yeah, you’ll like it even more when my thumbs are in your eye sockets. Let me the fuck go.Now.”
His grip on me tightens to the point of pain, and I bite my tongue to keep from yelping.
He leans in close, nuzzling his nose in my hair before inhaling. His own smell, a foresty cologne, floods my senses, and although it might be pleasant on another man, my nose crinkles with disgust.
“The person I’m supposed to be meeting is very powerful and very impatient,” I say as I wrench my arm from his grasp. “I’m already late, and I promise, if I tell him you’re what held me up, he’ll be pissed.”
“Oh, really?” he pulls back, wearing a simpering smile. “And how will he know how to find me? You don’t even know my name, sweetheart.”
I keep my face stoic, but I can clearly see his point. I was bluffing anyway. Considering Angel is cool with me dancing naked in a cage for an audience of horny men, I’m guessing he wouldn’t be too concerned about one of them stopping to talk to me.
“Here, I’ll help.” His dark eyes shift to my breasts, and I feel equally exposed as I did when I was shirtless. “My name is Jasper Flynn. You can tell your friend I made you late if it keeps you out of trouble.”
His leer intensifies when he sees me affected by my failed attempt to intimidate him. “And you’re right. Angel is an impatient asshole.”
He knows Angel?
He knew he’s who I was going to see?
How?
“Tell him I say hello.” Jasper winks. I expect him to leave, but he continues to tower over me, just an inch away.
I blink a few times then hurry around him toward the back door.
“See you tomorrow, Ivy,” he calls to my back. I cringe but keep walking. I don’t turn back, and even though I know he isn’t following, I feel his presence like a ghost that’s clinging to me.
I find Cooper hanging around outside, probably waiting for me, and he escorts me to Angel’s house without either of us saying a word. Sometimes, I can’t tell if Cooper is so reserved because of his personality, or if Angel just scares him speechless.
I walk through the back door and eagerly dart my eyes around for Angel. “Hello?” No response. “Angel?”
I walk into the living room and hear a faint voice coming from the hallway. I follow the voice, stopping when I reach the door that’s been locked every other time I’ve been here.
Angel’s voice is louder now, and I recognize his tone from when he’s irritated. I glance down the hall, debating on hanging out in the living room instead of letting him know I’m here, but then I turn back to the door and raise my fist.
I knock lightly, then put my hand on the knob, opening the door slowly before peeking my head inside. Angel’s sitting at his desk, a phone pressed to his ear. Not his cell phone this time, an office phone.
He fucking has an office phone. The mental image of smacking myself in the head flows into my mind.
“Hold on a sec,” he tells whoever he’s on the phone with. He stabs a button and spins in his chair to fully face me.
“Hey, beautiful,” he says, a tiny smile tugging his lips.
“Hey.”
“Give me a few minutes to finish this up, okay?”
I lift my chin. “Sure.” I pull back and close the door before walking toward the living room. My lips sag as I realize how reminiscent that exchange was to past exchanges with Robert. Only Robert would’ve been pissed at me for opening the door to his office. Judging by the way Angel always keeps his office locked, I’d venture to guess he’s just as secretive.
I grab the horror book I’ve been reading off the shelf in the living room and flop down on the couch before flipping it open. I’m typically a romance reader, but I haven’t been in the mood for happy endings—gee, I wonder why—so Stephan King is my go-to guy right now.
I find where I left off and try to concentrate on the words, but I can’t get Jasper Flynn’s depraved eyes out of my mind. Or the fact that he knew I was going to see Angel.
Just how much does he know about me?