Silence Me: Chronicles of the Enchanted, #1

By Arianna Courson

Crap. 

I can't believe he caught me staring again…  

He has that smile… The one that dared me to escape him…  

I should hate him. He's a liar, murderer…  

I don't trust him.  

Yet some part of me… wants to…  

And he knows. 

He's crazy. 

Completely insane.  

And I don't know how to rid myself of him… because every time I run… He catches me…  

 

I tried to fight him once, I did... but I lost... He only pressed me to him so I couldn't move. 

 

But that's when I felt his heat... his fire... and every time he touches me, my defenses fall…  

And he's well aware of it. 

And he'd do it over and over... until I'd let him lead me back. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arianna Courson
• Release date: Dec 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215900314

Arianna Courson

Arianna Courson is an author of young adult fiction, specializing in paranormal, fantasy, and romance. She lives in Colorado with her two cats and two dogs and divides her time between writing and enjoying the great outdoors.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Oh, God... today was the day...

All the girls were gossiping about how a cute, new boy was coming into their class, and now they were fighting over who got to sit with him.

And there he stood... in front of the class, smiling as all the popular girls swarmed around him like a monsoon.

Lily rolled her eyes, pulling out her notebook from her pack.

He sure liked the attention.

At least she could sit alone today.

Hello, Class. Sit down please. The sub in Lily Bron’s English class looked up from his desk, eyes glowing a deep purple.

The color was dark enough to look brown to the other students, she guessed. So that was probably why she didn’t hear any other kids talking about it.

Assuming they were contacts, Lily dropped the thought, looking away and pulling her spiral notebook out of her grey backpack.

The sub wore a light green polo shirt that darkened his skin, bright enough to glow in the corner of her eye. And the subtle brown khakis that flowed down to his ankles clearly did not match his color pallet.

I’m Mr. Matthews, he continued. I teach English Language Arts for sophomores and juniors. He set his elbows on the teacher’s desk in front of him, leaning on the wood.

It didn’t look anywhere close to how Mr. Collins—her real teacher—would act.

Maybe Mr. Matthews was younger, so he didn’t have that older, professional look.

We have a new student today, he said, making all the girls squeal, but Lily rested her head on the desk, wanting to smash the wood with her skull.

Then maybe—just maybe—she wouldn’t have to deal with all these horrible people.

Though, she noticed Mr. Matthews didn’t really look thrilled at the sight of the new student.

In fact... it looked like he was boiling inside.

The tall boy that stood in front of the room clearly seemed amused at all the popular girls, so Lily put her head down.

Can you start class now, please?

But she looked back up to the front of the class, her brows drawing together when she saw the new boy’s gaze was settled on her.

Only her.

His short brown hair curled at his forehead from sweat, and his bright green eyes glowed in the sunlight that blared through the window.

A blue t-shirt he wore said, "chick magnet" on it.

He sure had a wide ego.

But... something about him wasn’t normal... there was something dark behind those green eyes... burning like a black fire.

He tilted his head the side at her stare, smile angling to the right.

His curled lips sent her a mischievous look, and at the same time, his bright green irises held something dark in it.

He had a spark of recognition in his eyes... but Lily swore she had never seen him before.

He did look somewhat familiar, though, but she pushed the thought away.

Her heart pounded faster at the fire that lit in his gaze, and she quickly looked away, her cheeks burning with something she had never felt before.

Something was off about him... just... something...

He was probably one of those guys who liked to mess with her.

Or one of those guys who did terrible things... players... users...

Killers...

Lily gulped at the thought.

She didn’t want to admit it, but it was tempting to stare at him forever.

There was something smoldering deep within those green eyes... something dark and sinister... and she wanted to find out what.

Is it just me, or has that cute boy taken an interest in you? Elle—Lily’s best friend who sat behind her—whispered in her ear. I heard he’s a secretive man, she stated quietly. He lives in my neighborhood. Never leaves his house. It’s quite surprising he enrolled here, don’t you think?

Lily felt her heart pound frost into her veins.

For some reason, knowing he just randomly enrolled in her school—and the fact that he was staring at her—made her stomach stir.

It added to the "something was off about him" feeling.

The young boy walked to the empty chair that rested right next to Lily, settling down gracefully, and resting an elbow on the desk while placing his cheek in his hand.

Lily could feel him staring at her with a tilted smile.

Mainly because his eyes were burning into the side of her head like fire.

She wanted to return his gaze—to study him—but she forced her eyes to focus on her desk.

He kept his gaze to her, eyes raking up and down her body.

Even though her face was burning with fear, she still couldn’t escape the feeling that something was off about this whole situation.

That a random boy... creepy boy... magically showed up and was so interested in her...

And that there were two new people in this class in one day...

Also that the sub somehow hated Jason...

Why would they have a new student and a sub in the same class... in the same day?

And how would a random teacher hate him when it was highly unlikely they even knew each other?

Okay, class, Mr. Matthews said, glancing up at the students.

He had a dim shine to his eyes, as if this job made him bored.

"As you know, your teacher ‘Mr. Collins’ is not in today. He looked directly at Lily, who just decided to glance up at the front of the room. That is because he got into an accident and was— He broke off, swallowing down the sentence and decided to rephrase. He’s taking some time off. So, I’m your new English teacher for the time being."

Lily’s brows drew together as she questioned what he was originally going to say.

The other students didn’t seem to care, just messing around with each other.

And Matthews didn’t give a crap.

What a good teacher.

But still... he didn’t mean... that Mr. Collins was dead... did he...?

Her insides grew hollow at the thought, but she shook her head, clearing her mind.

No... she was getting in that mindset again... she needed to stop thinking people she cared about would always die.

Hey, there, the boy said, tone dripping with amusement.

Lily turned to look at him, watching her expression harden a bit in the reflection of his eyes.

He still had a small smile, tilting his head to the side. You okay, Sweetheart?

She blinked.

Did he just call her... "Sweetheart"?

He chuckled as she stared at him, a slight uneasiness coiling her stomach.

I’m Jason, he said, offering a hand shake.

I’m.... Her voice trailed off when she decided not to tell this boy her name.

Lily, he said a little too softly. Lily Bron?

Something inside her stirred at his words.

Pulling her hand away from his reach, she demanded, How did you know my name?

He only smiled as a response.

"Answer me," she demanded.

I don’t feel like it, he said, leaning back against his chair. How do I know you’re not going to call the police?

"I will call them if you don’t tell me."

His lips tilted higher. "And what are you going to tell them? ‘There’s a boy in my class who knows my name, arrest him!’"

She blinked, looking away. I’m not talking to you anymore.

Good, he said, leaning a cheek on his hand, "‘cause I love talking."

She was silent.

Lillian Bron, he said, lost mother, missing father, no siblings, right?

Silence.

You still living with your Aunt Melody? he wondered curiously, making her insides coil.

Was he... stalking her...?

But she still remained silent, staring at the teacher ahead, ignoring him.

Naturally blonde hair, he said softly, light blue eyes, huh?

He watched her bite her lip to contain a snarky response.

Mmm, he said, making her eyes move slightly to him at the sound he made. You can try ignoring me, Lily. But I know you’re listening. He smiled. I also know that you want to respond, so go on. What’s stopping you?

"I’m trying to listen to the teacher," she stated, faking annoyance also while trying to hide the shakiness from her tone.

Am I preventing that? he wondered stupidly.

"Yeah, she snapped, hinting the word, duh."

Good, he smirked when her eyes slid to him again, "that means you are listening."

So what? she demanded. "You know where I live, too?"

I do, he stated.

She scoffed, pretending to write stuff down into her notebook as the teacher talked. Liar.

You think I’m lying? he wondered, amused.

She slid him a look. "Who doesn’t?"

1345 West Kidstripe Lane, Jason stated, making her freeze.

She looked at him then, brows drawing together. How did you—

"Miss Bron, Matthews interrupted, would you like to share with the class your comments?"

She looked up at him blankly, searching for a response through her tumbled thoughts. No, sir. I was just talking to myself.

"Smooth," Jason said silently, chuckling.

Mm-hmm, Matthews said sarcastically. Now, he continued to the class, who knows some synonyms for.... His voice trailed off in Lily’s ears.

She pretended to write notes in her notebook, scribbling Jason onto the paper over and over again without knowing it.

Because this knowledge that he had scared her, and this was the only thing on her mind.

She ignored the voice in her head that questioned how a brand-new teacher knew her name.

Tell me how you know my address, she demanded.

Aww, Jason said with fake sadness, but that ruins the fun.

She shot him a glare, accidentally raising her tone. "How the hell is this fun?"

Lily, Matthews said with warning in his tone.

Sorry, she muttered, focusing back onto her notes.

You sure do like my name, Jason said, gazing down at her paper, don’t you?

She glared at him, shutting her mouth before she got yelled at again.

Your favorite subject is English, Jason continued. "You love English, and you also love your teacher, Mr. Collins?"

She bit back a response, ignoring the voice in her head that screamed for answers.

You love to write, draw, read, am I right?

Just shut up, she muttered, still writing his name on her paper.

Wow, he said, raising his brows, rude.

Lily shot him a look, aiming her gaze down at her notebook seconds later.

Well, he said, yawning, I gotta bounce. I’ll see you later.

She caught his wrist before he could grab his backpack.

He looked at her hand and back at her a couple times, brows raised.

"You can’t just ditch class, she growled silently. You’ll get in trouble."

I won’t, he said, smiling.

Her brows drew together at his words.

Because you’ll back me up, he continued, making something inside her burn. I know you want answers, Lily, he said, making her stomach turn, and I’ll give them to you for a price.

"Price?" she echoed.

A nod, then leaned to whisper in her ear, "A date."

Her eyes rounded, and she said on impulse, No way in hell.

Then. He looked down at where she gripped onto his arm, back at her, indicating for her to let go.

And she did, glaring at him when he tossed his backpack over his shoulder and stepped out of the classroom.

I hate him, she told herself. I’ll never talk to him again.

Chapter

2

Walking home from school wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t pleasant.  

Apparently, it started raining while English class was going on, the sky covered with dark, menacing clouds.

They blocked the sun’s rays that usually shone on the streets.

Before Lily said goodbye to Elle, where the roads parted, she questioned her on what she heard Jason say, but Elle denied hearing anything. That she was just focusing on the teacher.

Elle waved to her and started walking south.

Lily parted in the opposite direction, a slight uneasiness casting over her at the thought that Jason knew where she lived...

She didn’t have an umbrella to block her from the icy rain. So she walked home, the cold water bleeding into her clothes.

It wasn’t terrible. Her aunt’s house was only half a mile from where she was.

Easier for Jason to find.

She pushed the thought away, walking down the streets and glancing behind her a couple times to make sure he wasn’t following.

After twenty minutes of walking, she made it to her aunt’s house, brows drawing together when she saw the door open.

That was odd... her aunt was home already? She usually worked until six... and it was around three...

But... that still didn’t explain how the front door was open... Lily’s aunt always enforced keeping it closed and locked, when they were in the house or out.

Did someone break in...? she asked herself.

Her stomach surged.

Just be careful, she thought. Make sure to check every crack and crevice... It could’ve been that she just forgot to lock it...

Lily started inching toward the front door, insides growing hollow as she got closer.

She was concerned and confused, butterflies rummaging through her stomach, threatening to rise up her throat and suffocate her.

Something was wrong, but she refused to admit it.

Aunt Melody was fine. She was fine.

Lily crept silently up the concrete stairs, pushing the wood and slowly let the front door swing open. She peered through the entrance, glancing left and right to make sure no one was in the room.

The trash knocked over, rotten food spilled all over the floor, causing the house to smell like sulfur.

Books from the oak shelf on the wall were scattered all over the floor, torn-off pages blowing in the wind from the storm that was brimming outside.

Either there was a struggle or someone tried to rob them...

Bile rose in Lily’s throat. She pleaded that her aunt wouldn’t be home.

And that there wasn’t a struggle.

She went into the kitchen, and the stove was covered in dripping red stains.

They were wet, not dry.

Lily swallowed cold air. 

Blood.

She followed the red stains into the bedroom, breathing shallowly.

Her heart stopped when she reached the doorway, though she kept on walking despite the nausea swelling up her throat.

A pale leg lay across the bedroom floor, looking abnormally white...

When she got closer, she saw some blue clothing covered in blood, and more red stains spread across the floor.

Tears stung the back of Lily’s eyes.

Red hand prints, foot prints...

It was like the poor thing crawled over here to get away from someone...

Lily was tearing apart, little by little until she thought there’d be none of her left.

When she made it in the room, she covered her mouth with her hands, every part of her becoming still and cold.

Until nausea welled up in her throat, but she swallowed it down painfully, dropping to the ground and crawling to her.

Aunt Melody’s body. Lifeless... Her soul vanished from her corpse... and her shining blue eyes were now colorless and gray, staring at the ceiling in horror. The expression froze on her face from the moment she died.

And it would stay from now to an eternity.

Blood trickled down her eyes, mouth, nose, and ears. Almost like she was poisoned.

But it didn’t get rid of the fact that her hands were stained with red, legs as well, and arms... feet...

Oh, God... every part of her was covered in blood...

A cold hand grasped Lily’s stomach, threatening to suffocate her.

No! she cried, shaking her aunt despite knowing she was dead.

Did she think she could wake her up like she did every morning?

Aunt Melody! Aunt Melody! she told her before. Wake up! You said we could get ice cream today!

Tears boiled her eyes at the thought, spilling down her cheeks as little gasps escaped her throat.

"Wake up! she cried, shaking her aunt. You’re not dead! I know you’re not! You wouldn’t leave me! You said you wouldn’t! She shook her lifeless corpse harder. Wake up! WAKE UP!"

Her vision started spinning, throat constricting, and she was getting her aunt’s blood stained all over her hands... but she didn’t seem to care.

Black framed her vision—nausea welling up her throat—and she would’ve fallen to the side, her face hitting the bloody carpet—but someone caught her.

They held her up with their warm embrace, letting her lean against their chest as their hot skin heated her icy one.

Like fire and ice.

Shhh, Jason breathed, wiping some tears that escaped with his thumbs. Don’t look anymore, look away.

"Let me go! Lily cried, knowing that she was being irrational, but she couldn’t help it. I need to wake her up!"

She’s gone, Lily, he said sympathetically.  

"You don’t know that! she sobbed. She wouldn’t leave me! Tears burned her cheeks. She said she would protect me!"

Lily, Jason said softly, it’s time to let her go. She’s gone.

Her breaths came out shakily, staring at her aunt with wide, watery eyes. She wouldn’t, she said, struggling against his grip. "She wouldn’t leave me!"

Lily... he whispered.

Her skin start glowing, like her body was consumed by fireflies... and he held her tighter, hoping to calm her down enough so she wouldn’t explode into flames.

Fire stung Lily’s throat. She coughed and gagged as the heat burned her and spread throughout her entire body.

Jason! she cried, ignoring the pain while coughing. Let me wake her up!

He was silent, but held her tighter.

"Jason!"

She was gasping now, clutching her throat as fire burned her inside.

Preventing her from falling to the floor, he stroked her hair gently, hoping to calm her.

"Jason!" she gasped, coughing harder.

Black blurred her vision, followed by bright orange and yellow flames burning her retinas.

Sparks ignited her skin, and she started wheezing, looking up at Jason with her tear-filled eyes.

His eyes were dark, but with no menace this time.

It was sadness... recognition... as if he somehow knew what was going on...

"What’s happening to me? she sobbed, feeling him hold her tighter. I can’t breathe! I CAN’T BREATHE!"

She felt his hand gently stroke her hair. Close your eyes, he whispered.

I can’t! she responded shakily. I can’t!

Yes, you can, he said, brushing her bangs out of her face. I know you’re hurting, but I know you can still close your eyes.

When she refused to listen, Jason’s gentle hand pressed against her forehead.

Something cold emanated from his palm into her head, as if throwing frost into her burning body.

"What are you doing?" she cried, but he didn’t respond. Her eyes sealed shut then... and she couldn’t open them now...

Because exhaustion clouded her thoughts, and she felt herself drowning in the darkness of her mind...

She could barely hear Jason whisper, You’re going to be okay. I’ll protect you, Lily.

And she was lost in the darkness.

Chapter 3

Jason held sleeping Lily in his arms, carrying her across sidewalks and up roads.

Even though she was sleeping, she kept on snuggling into his grip instinctively... almost as if she found comfort with him holding her like this...

Her cheeks were stained with tears, arms and legs covered in burns, but she still hadn’t woken.

She murmured something while she slept, shifting in his grip as he carried her across a parking lot.

He let go of her legs, dropping them but held under her thighs, pressing her head to his chest as he walked up his apartment steps.

Hold onto my shirt, he whispered to her even though she was asleep.

But she listened anyway, grabbing a hold of his shirt while she slept.

There you go, he murmured. Hold onto me for a sec, okay?

No response.

He let go of her head and dug around in his pocket. After a moment, he pulled out his apartment keys and stuck them in the lock, shoving the door open moments later.

Pushing his keys back in his pocket, he went inside, kicking the door closed and locked the bolt.

You can let go of my shirt now, Honey, he said to her, and she listened.

He pressed her head to his chest moments later, carrying her to his bedroom.

After laying her down onto the white sheets, he brushed her hair out of her face, seeing her expression relax a bit.

You’re beautiful, you know, he said, continuing the previous gesture.

After a minute he pulled away, shuffling through his nightstand and pulled out some bandages, burn ointment, and gauze.

After rubbing some ointment on her arms and legs, she writhed a little, whimpering softly.

I know, he breathed, pressing his hand to her chest so she stayed still. I know it hurts, but I promise it’ll feel better after.

And he wrapped up her arms and legs with bandages, lifting her dress to her stomach to check for burns there, then pulled down her collar to see her chest.

There were none, so he threw the supplies back into the drawer, shutting it and cast a look down to Lily, who was breathing softly on his bed.

Drawing the covers up to her chin, Jason rose her hand... holding it tightly.

"I’m sorry, Lily. I’m so sorry this is happening to you... but I promise I’ll protect you from him... You’re safe now... and I’ll never hurt you... I might seem scary... a single tear escaped from his eye and dropped onto her wrist, but you don’t understand... I... I can’t let you go... Now that I know what he’s planning... I have to keep you safe... So please don’t be scared... I swear I mean you no harm...."

And he rested her hand back onto the bed, smiling softly at her relaxed expression and stood, wiping his eyes with a sleeve while leaving the room.

Chapter 4

Abright light burned Lily’s retinas as she finally woke up.

It must’ve been a dream, she thought, sitting up. The mysterious boy... the darkness...

Electric pains scorched through her arms and legs as if her nerves were wires. "Ow."

She lay on a bed, a bright white comforter drawn over her arms and legs, and they felt so soft and cool.

But... wait...

Wait a second...

She didn’t remember this being her room.

Is this a dream?

She touched the sheets again.

But it felt so... real...

She didn’t remember the feeling of random sheets like this in her dreams... Every part of her just seemed so... numb...

And she usually had nightmares... This didn’t seem like one...

She pulled her arms out of the covers, noticing that she was covered in layers of bandages.

Confusion burned through her previous questions, and she pulled her legs out, seeing bandages surrounding her calves and thighs, too.

What the hell was happening?

Lily remembered something bright and burning... an intense amount of pain... but nothing else.

There were no posters on the walls when she looked up. They were just painted a sea-shell white.

She slid her legs off the bed, dangling them off the mattress while wondering if she was able to walk.

Lightly, she touched her toes on the cold, wooden floor, whimpering when a shock ran up her legs like fire.

When she placed her entire foot on the floor, she had to bite back a scream.

Here, someone said.

A warm hand grasped Lily’s arm lightly and wrapped it around his neck, helping her off the bed.

She had never felt someone this warm... And how the heat from his neck deepened into her skin, running through her blood like she was covered in ice...

Only one person gave her this feeling... Even though she didn’t remember how he held her like this...

But for some reason... she recognized it...

Jason...

She was able to stand with support, letting him help her to the kitchen.

They were in a small apartment, the walls painted the same white color as the room she was in, and there were no paintings or posters.

Nothing that hinted Jason’s secrets.

She had never seen a guy’s apartment so... clean before...

He set her down on a stool at the counter and went to the kitchen that rested in front of her.

The scent of eggs and bacon filled the air, making her stomach grumble for some reason.

I’m cooking some breakfast. Jason looked up and smiled. It wasn’t necessarily a charming smile... but a mischievous one that that made Lily question whether or not she could trust him...

Rules for yourself, Lily, she thought. Don’t get too close... Something’s off about him...

She saw the corner of his lips tilt a little... as if he were fighting a smile.

Is this your apartment? she asked instead.

She took this moment to digest the sight of the place he lived in, ignoring the voice that questioned when and how he kidnapped her.

Judging by the fact that he had no TVs, she guessed he wasn’t much of a gamer or an anime watcher.

There were no posters, computers, or gaming devices anywhere.

What did he do in his spare time? And why did his place seem so... depressing?

She looked over at Jason, who had the ghost of a smile curling his lips...

What was going through his head?

Seconds later, he walked back to the counter and placed a plate full of bacon and eggs in front of her.

I'm not going to eat this.

Lily pushed the plate of food away, fighting the hunger.

Jason chuckled a little, making her look up at his bright, amused gaze. "You know, you don’t have to be afraid of my cooking. I’m not that bad."

I’m not hungry, she said, looking away.

You sure? he stated, chuckling. I heard your stomach grumble.

No, he didn’t. No one’s hearing could be that good.

I’m not hungry, she repeated.

Jason shook his head, leaning an elbow lazily on the counter as his eyes raked her head-to-toe. You’re a bad liar.

"I’m not lying," Lily bit.

But he only tilted his head to the side, smile angling to the right. You sure about that? ‘Cause your face is red and you won’t look at me. He shrugged. Typical signs.

How do you know where I live? she demanded.

He didn’t respond, and she looked up to him, glaring. "How?"

He was still gazing at her, smirking. Lucky guess?

She stood then, glaring at him. "Now I know you’re lying."

Jason didn’t respond, just gave her an amused once-over.

Lily looked down to see her wearing the same dress she wore to school the day before.

When she looked outside, she judged by the sun rising from the east that it was early morning.

Where are we? she said.

In California, Jason said.

"Duh, Lily snapped. I meant what street? What address?"

He only smirked. How do I know you’re not going to run off if I tell you?

Well... she was but she didn’t have to tell him that.

"You do realize you’re holding me against my will?"

Jason chuckled. Am I?

Lily narrowed her eyes. Yes.

Then by all means, he gestured to the door with a wave of a hand, leave.

She started toward the door, ignoring the stabbing pains from the burns but then Jason caught her elbow—one of the few parts of her that wasn’t hurt—pulling her to him and almost making her collapse onto him.

First, he whispered into her ear, eat.

Lily shook her head, attempting to get out of his grasp but he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her against him.

She stopped struggling for a moment, taking a break to gain her strength back. "You realize this is kidnapping?"

Do I care? he retorted.

"Are you going to kill me?" she demanded, feeling her body tremble as the words left her mouth.

Jason scoffed, though she saw his eyes darken in sadness. No.

She shot him a look. "No?"

He only gave her a smile, but a sad one.

But she fought again, only to stop after he tightened his arm around her waist. Let me go!

Eat, Lily.

Why should I trust you? she questioned, fighting down tears.

"Why shouldn’t you?"

"Because you’re a stalker?" she snapped.

I don’t really like that word, he said thoughtfully. I’d prefer—

"I don’t care! she interrupted, fighting harder. Let me go!"

Don’t do this, he warned as if he knew what she was planning.

But she slammed the heel of her foot into his shin, making him cry out as she broke free of his hold.

Darting straight toward the door, she almost made it when Jason blocked the exit.

She slid along the floor, letting herself fall before he caught her, and stared up at him with wide eyes when she sat below him.

She glanced left, then right, panic coursing through her veins.

How did he...?

Did he just... teleport...?

Lily, he said softly, a slight crack from pain in his tone, come here.

She scurried away from him as he stepped toward her, opening his arms as if he were offering an embrace, but she managed to stand, and stepped backwards toward the hallway that led to the bedroom.

Come here, he said softly. Come on. It’s okay.

She was panting now, fear burning every part of her like fire... until her back met the wall.

And Jason backed her against it, making her stare up at him wide-eyed as he lightly scooped her up and almost made her scream.

Shhh... he soothed. I know you’re scared but I promise I won’t hurt you. I need you to trust me.

She stared back, a slight shine of tears burning her eyes. "l don’t trust you."

Jason shook his head, but didn’t respond.

She stared back, attempting to erase her terrified expression but Jason could still see the hardness in her gaze.

Put me down, Lily ordered.

Or what?

Or I’ll make you.

He laughed softly as if what she said amused him.

Jason.

He gave her an amused glance, but didn’t set her down, just carried her over to the barstool and set her on the cold leather.

She almost got up again but he put his hand out. Try it again and you’ll sit on my lap. And I’ll hold you there for as long as I want.

Her cheeks heated at his words but she looked down to her plate, listening.

For some reason... Jason was faster than anyone could actually be... It was concerning... frightening...

But also fascinating...

She pushed that thought away, deciding then to ask him questions. How do you know where I live?

I have my resources, was his vague response.

How do you know so much about me?

Here’s the deal, he leaned his hand on the counter, tipping his weight toward her, but she didn’t move her gaze away from the plate, eat, and I’ll answer your questions.

I’m not hungry.

Lie, Jason stated, brows raised.

How do I know it’s not poisoned? she questioned.

Or drugged?

He laughed softly. Why would I want to poison you?

She was silent.

He sighed. "Lily, I didn’t poison your Goddamn food."

She shot him another look at his tone, then stared down at her plate, picking the egg with her fork to see if something was off.

Yes, he said sarcastically, it’s yellow eggs. Good job.

She was quiet.

Lily, he said sternly, eat. I know you haven’t eaten in days.

And how would you know that? she demanded.

You said I was a stalker, he stated.

She was quiet after that.

He let out a long, exasperated sigh. Do I have to force-feed you?

Assault in the first degree, she stated. Added to the abduction charge.

He couldn’t help but laugh. "So you’re an attorney now?"

Once I get a phone, she stated angrily, I’m calling 9-1-1.

Hmm... he said, tilting his head to the