Parker opened his eyes. He grunted when he tried to move and realized that he was bound.
She ripped the duct tape off his mouth.
“OW!” he yelled.
“So? What do you think?”
“I want to know what the hell is going on? What did you do to me? Why?”
“Me?You’rethe one who set me up. All you’ve been doing since we were together is lie to me.”
“I, um, I didn’t lie.”
“You’re name isn’t even Parker,” she stood up. “I must be the most stupidest person alive.”
“Let me explain.”
“Why? So, you canlieto me?”
“No. My nameisParker.”
“No, I saw the FBI file.”
“I switched photos and descriptions before I went undercover. Sam, please, let me out of here.”
“No way,” she said, as he looked down at his chest.
“What thehellis that?”
“Ikilledyou,” she said.
“What?”
“To the world, you aredead.”
“What are you going to do with me?”
“Keep you here until I decide what toreallydo with you.”
“You have to let me out of here. We both have a job to do. Remember?”
“No.Ihave a job to do. You aredead. Your job is tostaydead or you will be dead forreal.”
“Sam, please, sit down and talk to me. What happened between us? You’re sleeping with this friend of yours? What happened to us?”
“I know that you wereusingme. I just don’t know why. You’re not FBI, your some hired gun for Jack. Nice trick, having him shoot you.”
“Let me tell you the truth, please,” he said. “Sam, I love you.”
“Don’t youdaresay that. My heart broke because of you. I have a job to do and until it’s done, you are myprisoner.”
“Who is your lover? Come on, I thought we had something special. I meant what I said, I do love you.”
She slapped him across the face. “You’re a bastard and aliar!”
“I’mnotlying. Idolove you,” he cried.
She angrily wiped the tears that streamed down her face. “You’re such a liar. How I wish you were telling the truth, but you’renot. You just want me to release you, well,too bad.”
“All right. Iwilltell you. I promise, justuntieme.”
“No,” she leaned in closer and kissed him hard on the mouth. “You know, I loved you and you broke my heart. Youneverloved me. Once you had me in your bed, your plans were set in stone. You knew I’d fall in love with you if you said and did the right things. You stalked me for months. You know what I like and what I don’t.”
“Please, kiss me again. I do love you. I was out of my mind when I came home and you weren’t there.”
Sam leaned in and kissed him. “I can’t … take the chance…”
“What chance? I love you so much.”
“I just hate what you did. I want the truth and I want itnow.”
“All right, when I first approached you and took you, I had orders from Morrison. He wanted to get Kyle’s sister under control. I do work for the FBI, but under deep cover. My superiors changed identities with Peter Barker. He’s an agent who died last year. When I got the order from Morrison, I figured it’d be an easy way to get you into the loop. I wasn’t lying about anything I told you about him.”
“Why didn’t you tell me the truth from the beginning?”
“I didn’t think it mattered. I know it was wrong. The other thing, all the passes he made at you, he wanted you as one of his trophies. He got rid of Alyssa so that he could haveyou.”
“Oh, I think I could use that,” she said.
“What are you planning?”
“My plan is already in motion. I don’t knowwhoyou are. You hurt me. Youbetrayedmy trust.”
“Me? You’re the one who’s sleeping with thisnewguy!”
“The truth is, and now listen closely, because this is what the truthsounds like,” she said. “Luke and I have been best friends since we were kids. Yeah,sometimeswesleeptogether. We’re friends and that’s it. Yes, today, I used him to see if you’d get jealous. He knew it.”
“I thought you loved me. How could you cheat on me?”
“I don’t even know who you are anymore. I don’t think I ever did. Now, I don’t know if you love me. Ireallydon’t. I needed a shoulder and much more and Luke was there for me. I never slept with him if I was involved with someone else. PK, you have no idea how hurt I am because of you.”
“What can I do? Please, I don’t want to lose you. Sam, in the beginning, I didn’t plan on loving you. I didn’t plan on us making love night after night, but I don’t regret any moment we spent together.”
“At this moment, Ido.”
“Don’t say that. We have something special.”
“Not anymore. PK, I don’t know what to do about you.”
“Untie me.”
“I can’t. I can’t trust you right now.”
“What can I do to prove to you that I love you? That you can trust me?”
“I just don’t know. I don’t know anything, anymore. All I do know is that I’m going to finish what we started. If Jack wants me, then I’ll play that card.”
“You’re going to sleep with him?” Parker wept.
“If I have to. I slept withyou, didn’t I? Usually, I only sleep with men Ilove.”
“Youlovethis Luke person?”
“Yeah, but not like you think,” she cried, as she lovingly touched his face. “I love you. I wish I didn’t. I wish my heart were as cold as I pretend it is, but it’s not.”
“Please, what can I do to prove it to you? Let me love you. Let me prove to you that I love you,” he said.
She sat on top of him. “If you really love me, you’ll let me do thismyway.”
“Whatever you want. Do I have to be tied?”
“For now,yes. You are still my prisoner.”
“Sam, please, let me make love to you.”
“Not now. I can’t. I can’t allow my heart to be hurt anymore,” she kissed him gently and he kissed her back. She knew … something about him … she knew he loved her, but that didn’t excuse the lying. It didn’t even make her want to untie him. She climbed off him. “Enjoy your stay,” she said, as she closed the door. She stared at the door and knew that there had to be more to this than what he explained. She always knew he was hiding something … she felt it was something big … but it was like all the feelings she was hiding inside herself. Her past was catching up to her head and she had to block it out and focus on hernewplan.
She walked into the living room and sat down on the sofa. Luke walked out of the kitchen. “I thought you left.”
“I’m not going to leave you right now. I know you need me.”
“Did you hear?”
“Yeah, I think maybe he does love you,” he said.
“I feel it, too. I just don’t know if it’s enough to trust him.”
“You have a plan?”
“Yeah, and right now, he needs to remain tied to that bed. Just remember what I told you.”
Luke wrapped his arm around her and held her closely. “I guess I won’t be getting somelovin’from you.”
“Oh, I think we both need it,” she smiled.
“Even with your lover in the next room?”
“He’s not anything to me right now. I don’t know what will or won’t happen, but he’s notmylover … I don’t know if he ever will be again,” she said. “And, if he is again, it’ll only be for show. I can’t ever trust that man again.”
Luke pulled her into a strong kiss and laid her down on the sofa. “I love you and you canalwaystrust me,” he whispered, as she leaned into his breath.
“Now, Luke,” she smiled.