Game of Desire

Chapter 9 - Lia

Rafe shakes his head at my question and my curiosity peaks.

"Straight to the point, huh?" He laughs, "Next question."

"We had a deal!" I exclaim, getting irritated now. My wrists are starting to sting and I can imagine the rope burn I'm going to have to deal with after this.

"Like I said before, not me. Now next question." I catch him rolling his eyes in the review mirror.

"No, I want you to explain why you're doing the dirty work for someone else. That is," I drag on, "if you didn't kill him." My stubborn self doesn't want to let this go.

"The day I start feeling the need to explain myself to you, I'll be dead." he flatly states.

I mentally note to get to the bottom of it, but decide to drop it for now.

"You're frustrating... you know that?" I purse my lips and decide to take a jab at him, "I know what happened between you and Kiara."

He noticeably stiffens, then relaxes back into his seat, trying to hide his discomfort in the new topic.

"Your little summer fling." I snort, "I also know it cost Sarah and Kiara there friendship for a while, because you wouldn't allow Ki back at your place. Sarah didn't invite Ki to her birthday party one summer and I know it was your doing."

Kiara and I used to be closer. We talked about almost everything, but nowadays she's almost distracted. Like she has bigger things on her table. Everyone's still looking for her and her crew since they disappeared, but I know they're just fine. They always are. Aunt Anna will have her precious daughter back soon enough and won't have to spend her spare hours irritating me further than usual.

"You don't know what you're talking about. Kiara ended it with me, alright? Not the other way around." He huffs, "She then had the nerve... the actual nerve to get mad at me when I found a replacement. Imagine that. It was supposed to be no strings attached, so when she wanted nothing to do with me anymore, I simply obliged. She then goes and throws a fit when I move on. But I'm always the bad guy." he scoffs.

Lifting his gaze to meet mine through the mirror.

"Isn't that right Lia?" It's a rhetorical question and he doesn't wait for a response as he looks back at the road.

I shift uncomfortably in my seat. Is it just me or is it getting hot in this car?

"I should have known better. She's not a real Kook after all, she's just a dirty Pogue."

I clench my jaw, holding back spit balls I wish I could throw at him, but he would just win. I can't give him the reaction he wants now. I have to pick my fights wisely with him today. I don't want him riled up when our day has barely begun. Especially when my life is dependent on his, being my capturer and all.

I can tell he means it. It was years ago and the two have both grown to be repulsed by each other. There's nothing there except history of a summer fling. 

The silence is loud. None of us uttered another word after that. At least not until I started feeling car sick. I stare up at the cars ceiling and decide to break the ice.

"Where are you taking me? I feel nauseous back here." I whine.

"We're almost there." He seethes, " I thought we could spend a little more time together... alone."

I gulp in response.

He continues, "Hopefully make you understand what will happen if you ever decide to double cross me."

Chills run down my spine. We're not going anywhere public... I'm going to be completely trapped, all alone with Rafe Cameron. He has me in his clutches. I mentally slap myself for not fighting harder when I had the chance.