Chapter 5: Curiosity and Stubborness

Samantha

Two days later, I'd given up on Angel talking to me. He lay in the same position, not even moving all night. Every time I woke up, I checked on him. The steady inhale and exhale of his breathing told me he was still asleep. Guess he got tired of faking it.

I examined the lock in the cell door. If I had the right tools, I could pick it. Maybe I should've studied lock picking instead of Krav Maga. All because a married man I'd dated - didn't know he'd had a wife at the time - started stalking me. Since I hated guns, self-defense had been the next best option. Peering into the lock, I stuck my finger inside the grooves.

"Why are you here?"

Angel's voice made me jump, and I jerked my finger out of the lock. "If you're not going to answer my questions," I said as I crossed my arms, "then it's not your business."

"Knox."

"Pardon?"

He sighed heavily, finally opening his eyes which were a bright blue now. "My name is Knox."

I gave him a shrug. "I'm Sam - "

"Samantha. I remember. This place hasn't addled my brain that much."

"Okay." I uncrossed my arms. "What do the Roulex want?"

He just stared at me and I felt super self-conscious. Was my hair in tangles all over the place? I smoothed it down but stopped at his smirk. Well, if he was going to be like that. "Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"You first." He arched an eyebrow that made his spiral horn rise on one side, giving him an off-kilter look.

Maybe he was more devil than angel. I mean, the guy - alien - was ripped. Muscles lined his chest and abs. His scars had almost healed already, and he looked absolutely sinful. "Um...I pissed off my boss and a rich client."

"By asking too many questions?" he said in a teasing tone.

I snorted. "Funny. I avoided allowing my student driver to kill a kid. We hit a pole instead and the family sued me for getting their son involved in a crash. My boss went alongside them and demanded payment on his broken car - then blamed me that he hadn't put the latest AI technology in the thing. Which I had told him to do numerous times."

Knox's brow furrowed and a confused look crossed his face.

I sank to the stone floor. "Sorry. I talk a lot when I'm nervous."

"Did you ended up here because you couldn't pay your debt?"

"I guess." I shrugged. "They said they had a way for me to pay off everything in about thirteen months. Never thought I'd be in a prison cell, though."

Knox swallowed, his skin turning pale.

"Are you going to be sick?" I hunted around the cramped cell for the bucket I'd seen earlier for him to use. "Please don't throw up, cause then I will too. I can't help it. Once I see, smell or hear vomit, I - "

His hand on my arm stilled me. I hadn't even heard or seen him move. His blue eyes were now almost black and my scream of alarm stuck in my throat. When I tried to yank my arm away, his fingers only dug in more.

"Ow, you're hurting me. Let go."

He jerked me to him. I collided into his chest. His arms were like steel bands around me. Before I could think, he inhaled my hair and shivers raced through me. If he hadn't been holding onto me, I'd have swooned from the intensity of his nearness, his touch.

"What is that smell?" His breath fanned across my neck and made my stomach flutter.

I licked my lips, my body reacting to his pressing so close to me. "I-I haven't showered since they brought me here. Do I stink?"

Then with a grunt like he was disgusted, he pushed me away from him. "I don't know what tricks you're trying to make, but it won't work."

I stumbled back. My heart raced. Was he like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? Angel and demon? "What the f*ck was that for?" I raised a shaky hand to my throat, my pulse jumping under my fingers.

"You need to get out of here. Now," he snarled.

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, I can't." I glanced over at the barred door. "We're both trapped in here and I don't like it any more than you do, but here we are."

He clenched and unclenched his hands. His face was a mask.

I backed up, hitting the stone wall behind me. "You're scaring me."

He turned those fully dilated eyes on me again. His nostrils flared. A muscle in his jaw twitched like he was fighting back something.

Damn, I had been right. He was going to kill me and eat my freaking liver. I started to tremble. He was bigger than me - there'd be no way I could fight him off. What if he gored me with his horns?

When he took a step toward me, I shrieked. "Don't come any closer." My voice was shaky and not brave at all like I'd hoped. "I know self-defense. It'll hurt. A lot."

"I'm tortured daily for my secrets. For my people's ability to heal. Yet they send in you to try and break me? It won't work."

"Wait, what?" I held up my hands. "No, I-I don't know what you're talking about. No one sent me. I told you what happened. I'm here to pay a debt."

"No, you're here to try and seduce me."

I balked. "What the hell are you talking about? You're freaking me out right now - why would I?"

"Thirteen months?" He sneered at me. "That's how long gestation is for my people."

"What does that..." The Roulex's words hit me and my knees gave out. I sank to the floor. This whole thing was a setup.

"Yes, female, they intend to have you pay back your loan by breeding with me."