a firm hand against her chest.
He watched her in the dim lighting. She lay still, her breathing coming in quick gasps. His gaze trailed her body, moving along the ripe curves of her breasts, down her flat abdomen to the tight and very suggestive molding of her pants. He found himself wondering what sort of undergarments, if any at all, could be worn beneath the skintight attire. A low groan escaped him and he was abruptly reminded of how long it had been since he’d last had a woman; nearly two days now. He was ravenous.
Daniela fought to catch her breath as she gazed up at the tall figure towering above her. Two days after the heist of the Rune of Moloch, she’d received word from Mai that the same buyer wanted an artifact that was identical to the first. He had only the assumption that the rune was hidden within Drakon Castle, which meant she was left with the daunting task of trying to locate it. But he was paying double; a fair enough arrangement in her books. She’d immediately left for Romania, leaving her sister Elaina, who was now fifteen, under Mai’s supervision.
She’d been waiting outside the castle for hours. She’d deduced that only one person was at the residence, and when all the lights had dimmed, she’d made her move. She hadn’t expected to find one of the Drakon brothers waiting for her in the darkness—and with a sword.
She’d played it off well and kept her cool, but even now her heart, along with her mind, raced. She’d never been caught before, and at this point the possibility of an escape seemed nonexistent. Time and time again she’d promised herself to give up stealing, but it was the only way of life she knew. Now it was too late. It seemed her rope had just come to an abrupt end.
The man responsible stood above her for what seemed an eternity, his transfixing green eyes piercing into her. Finally, he spoke.
“Where is the Rune of Moloch?” It was an unmistakable command.
Daniela, however, was determined not to convey exactly what she was feeling. “Sold by now, I would imagine.” She was also making a valiant effort to keep her eyes from flitting along the broad expanse of his well-muscled torso.
“Sold to whom?” he asked, his gaze unrelenting.
Daniela stared back. Did he honestly think she would just tell him what he wanted to know? She was already going to be imprisoned for her crimes. The last thing she needed was to have her name out on the street as the one who spilled her guts. She didn’t know the identity of the buyer, but the men who’d collected the item weren’t exactly prize citizens. They were the scourge of the criminal world, and she didn’t want to find out just how dirty they could get. If he wanted answers he was going to have to find them himself.
It seemed he read her stubborn resolve, for in a swift movement he sheathed his sword and reached down, pulling her to her feet.
“You will tell me what I wish to know and you will do so now,” he said as he spun her to face the wall.
With her hands pressed against the cool stone, Daniela steeled herself to remain still as he begun stripping her of her weapons and gadgets. “Why should I waste my time? The way I see it, I’ve got nothing left to lose.”
She could feel the intense heat of his powerful form as he reached around her to slip her phone from her waistband.
“Nay, girl,” his deep voice vibrated throughout her body and his warm breath invaded her ear. “There is much you have yet to lose.”
A large hand moved slowly up along the ripe curve of her hip as he felt the pockets there. Daniela clenched her teeth. She knew that it was more than obvious that she carried nothing there. The material was, after all, like a second skin.
His hand glided higher, up her slender waist and to her chest. She struck the offending member away. “I have nothing hidden there,” she gritted out.
Something resembling a snicker reverberated within his chest. “One can never tell with you women.” He braced an arm above her head and leaned over her. “You may begin your recount,” he told her.
Daniela cast him a brief look over her shoulder. She didn’t know what was worse, his pompous attitude or the scorching heat that was passing through the entire length of her back. She was determined to appear impassive. Her effort might’ve worked too, had he not turned on her cell phone.
The device chimed softly as the light flickered on. His attention was drawn to the image on the screen and she found that she was suddenly embarrassed. She’d uploaded the image a few days ago; it was of her and her sister at the orphanage’s Easter party.
He hovered above her, quiet and contemplative. Daniela lowered her forehead against the cool wall. She certainly wasn’t proud of the life she’d chosen to continue, especially when so many looked up to her. She didn’t know how she would ever face them all if she went to jail for burglary.
He snapped her phone off and slipped it into his pocket. “You can take your chances with me or with the authorities,” he told her, his tone incomprehensible.
Daniela knew within herself that there was nothing to consider. If she continued to resist he would call the police and have her arrested. But if she went along with him she could gain enough time to execute an escape.
“Fine,” she agreed. “What do you want to know?”
His free hand moved to the exposed skin between her fitted shirt and low-rise pants. Calloused fingers traced slowly along her skin. “Who are you employed under?”
Fighting the tingling sensation that was fast spreading from the spot where his fingers played, Daniela rationed the air within her lungs. “I work for no one.”
His fingers paused on her hip. “Then what compels you to steal?”
“Money, what else? I have responsibilities.”
His fingers began to move again, this time outlining the edge of her leather pants. “That is hardly an excuse.”
Her eyes narrowed and she bit down hard on her retort. What did he know of responsibilities? Born into such a wealthy family he’d no doubt had everything given to him. She despised his kind.
“Who have you sold the Rune to? And did he hire you to steal the second?” His finger encountered her slinky thong and he looped a finger into one of the straps, pulling it further to the surface.
She inhaled slowly. She wondered how he’d managed to assume that she’d taken the missing rune stone. She’d been careful to cover her tracks. Her heart began to race again. She wasn’t sure if it was due to the uncanny fact that this man knew far too much about her activities or to the warm sensations he was stirring within her.
When she provided no response, he looped his finger within the strap of her thong a second time, tightening the undergarment. “Answer me, girl.”
“I don’t know him,” she managed. “But yes, he wants the second rune.”
His deep groan echoed within his chest as he acknowledged her admission. “Now I will ask you again, who is this buyer? You steal upon his request. You must know something of him.”
“I’ve never seen him,” she breathed. “I only steal the items and they tell me where to make the drop-offs,” she blurted.
“Where?”
“About
