“Ronin. What’s going on?”
No response.
Why wasn’t Ronin answering her?
Had he left her alone?
Panicked, she wiggled side to side to try and free herself, and the blindfold slipped. She squinted at the unfamiliar space.
Where was she? She’d been in every room in his penthouse except for the locked storage room down the hall from his bedroom. Why had he brought her here?
In the dim lighting Amery couldn’t see much beyond the wall directly in front of her. But what she saw on that wall froze her blood.
Coils of rope. Dozens of different kinds. Some colored, some plain, a variety of thicknesses and lengths. Why would he need so many ropes?
Her mouth dried when she saw the wall of swords. He’d flat-out told her he was an expert with knives. With his martial arts background, he could kill with his hands.
Fear hit her so hard she couldn’t breathe. Ever since the first time they were together, he’d used something to tie her up. He’d made it sexy and exciting and he’d never hurt her, so she hadn’t examined it too closely. But now, being in this room, a room he’d had to keep locked because it appeared to contain instruments of torture, she wanted to scream. Except that no one would hear her.
She’d really f**ked up this time.
Between the voices from the past, and her fear that she wouldn’t have a future, she thrashed so hard the bench started to move.
“Amery. Take a deep breath.”
She had a momentary sense of calm before she realized the soothing tone was part of his mind tricks to get her to relax her guard. “Why do you have me all tied up? What is this place? A secret torture room?” Amery felt the immediate change in his demeanor. Although it wouldn’t do any good to beg, she couldn’t stop the “Please don’t kill me.”
Ronin yanked off the blindfold completely. “Kill you? What are you talking about?”
But Amery was too busy craning her neck around to gawk at the room to answer.
Next to the wall of ropes was a wall of silk scarves. When she tilted her head back, she noticed eye hooks and pulley systems permanently embedded in the ceiling. Had he faced her this way so she couldn’t see what was on the wall behind her? Oh God. Was it really that bad? She craned her neck around and saw what looked like an altar. For sacrifices?
“Amery,” he said sharply. “Look at me.”
She shook her head.
“Why would you think I planned to kill you?”
“Because you blindfolded me. You’ve tied me up with actual ropes. You’re strong and you know I can’t fight you off. All those other times led up to this, didn’t they? You got me to trust you and—”
“Stop babbling.”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” She twisted her body against the bindings, trying to get away from him.
“Don’t. You’ll hurt yourself.”
“Why do you care? You’re going to hurt me anyway, aren’t you?”
He grabbed her chin, forcing her face up. But he couldn’t make her look at him. “I won’t hurt you. Ever.”
Tears leaked out the corners of her eyes because even now, when she was scared spitless, she wanted to believe him. “Let me go.”
“Talk to me.”
“Untie me.”
“If I untie you will you talk to me?”
No f**king way. I’ll run. But she didn’t voice her plan to flee, just nodded at him.
Ronin reached down and tugged, releasing the binding from her ankles. He undid the ties around her arms so quickly she almost fell forward off the bench.
As soon as she was free, she left the chamber of horrors, heading toward his bedroom. She opted not to make a break for the elevator, first because she was naked, second because Ronin might tackle her to keep her from leaving.
Don’t be ridiculous. If he wanted to kill you he wouldn’t have let you go.
Amery sensed him leaning in the doorway to his bedroom, watching her as she slipped on her thong and bra. After she got the dress on, her hands were shaking so hard she couldn’t get it zipped.
“Will you let me help you?”
“No!” she practically shouted. “Don’t touch me.”
But as usual, Ronin did as he liked. He clamped his hand around her hip and tersely said, “Hold. Still.”
Her traitorous skin broke out in goose bumps when his rough-tipped fingers connected with her flesh as he zipped her up.
“Now will you talk to me?” he asked softly.
She shook her head.
“Baby. Please. What is going on with you?”
That’s when she spun around and looked at him. “How did you expect me to react when you trussed me up and left me in a secret room full of ropes and God knows what else? What did you plan to do to me?” The fear returned and she started to cry.
“You said you trusted me.”
“How can I trust you when it’s obvious I don’t even know you!”
Ronin’s face showed no emotion.
“I want to leave.”
“It’s one o’clock in the goddamn morning.”
“I want to leave,” she repeated stubbornly.
“And you’re planning to do what? Walk home?” His gaze swept over her. “Dressed like that? I don’t think so.”
“I’ll call a cab. Just . . . let me go.”
“Jesus, Amery, don’t be ridiculous. I’ll take you home.”
Shaking her head, she slipped on her shoes and walked to the elevator. On her phone, she scrolled through the information for taxis and called the first one on the list. After rattling off the address, she learned it’d be a ten-minute wait.
After she hung up, Ronin said, “You’d rather get in a car with a stranger than trust me to take you home?”
Amery looked away.
“I’m not a killer. And it wounds me in ways you can’t even begin to imagine that you’d think that of me.”
You know he’s right.
“I thought you’d be okay with the binding, since I’ve used scarves and belts and ties on you before.”
“But not ropes.”
“Is it really the ropes that set you off?”
“Yes. And the swords. And . . . everything.”
“I’m sorry that scared you. I . . .” His jaw muscle flexed. “I should’ve told you.”
“About the secret locked room?” Even saying that sounded scary and surreal.
“That and other things. The ropes are for . . .” His face hardened. “Don’t look at me like that. The ropes aren’t for torture. I use them in kinbaku and shibari bondage.”