Read Blacklisted: Blacklist Operations Book #1 for Free Online

bones from their sockets and the next he was staring at the ocean with a wistful tone, almost like he regretted it.
    But he wasn’t the kind of man to regret things. Sophie already knew that.
    His cold treatment of her in the few minutes after she’d woken up was telling. Aidan had no qualms about his actions. Men who worried about regrets didn’t sneak into hotel rooms or beat helpless women. They wore suits to work, paid their taxes on time, and vacationed in Santa Monica or Miami. They were the kind of men she wanted. Not this man, with his brutal strength and caged anger.
    Minutes passed while she considered what Aidan had said. Living wasn’t her top priority, but it was high on the list. Sophie couldn’t think of many things she’d rather do than live.
    When he turned to look at her, his pupils were dilated and looked even darker than before. Shark eyes, she thought. “So?”
    “So what?”
    “How much do you want to live?”
    “A lot,” she admitted. “I don’t want to die yet.”
    “Then you’re coming with me.” As soon as the words were out, he blanched. It was like he didn’t quite believe them himself. They both waited in silence until he’d finished sorting through whatever thoughts were tumbling around in his brain. Then he walked to the closet and pulled out her suitcase.
    “Get dressed,” he said, the words clipped.
    “I would, but you might have noticed that I’m tied up.”
    “Fine.” He dug through her clothes and pulled out jeans, a t-shirt and cotton underthings, snagging them with his fingers and throwing them onto the bed. “Do these all fit?”
    “Yes, but I don’t want to go anywhere with you.”
    “Understand this, Sophie. Veronica. Whoever you are. What you want doesn’t matter anymore. Until we get to where we’re going, I own you.”
    “You don’t own me.”
    “I do,” he said, leaning over her. His size was enough to quell her arguments. “You’re full of brave words for a woman who I’ll probably end up wasting at our last stop, but I need you to shut the fuck up while I deal with this.”
    “I will not leave this hotel with you.”
    For the first time, he smiled. “Yes, Sophie. You will.”
    Aidan’s smile chilled her bones and fear, thick and sour, gathered in her stomach. But there was something she didn’t expect: gratitude. She was grateful that he’d decided, for whatever reason, not to kill her. She could work with that.
    From the moment he’d surprised her in the bathroom, she’d believed he wouldn’t leave her alive. The man had gotten the better of her, and Sophie had promised herself long ago never to let that happen again.
    But he was throwing her clothes on the bed, and the rebellion drained out of her. The deep-set instinct to fight ebbed and let her assess the situation. Sophie didn’t want to die, though she supposed she would for the people she loved or something she believed in. But not here or now. Not at the hands of this man.
    “If you fight me, I’ll put a bullet in your head,” he said, using a knife to cut her bonds. Her muscles aches and she ran her good hand up and down her arms to soothe.
    “Thank you,” she said, cringing when she realized what words had escaped her mouth.
    “Don’t thank me yet,” he said. Before she could blink, he’d taken her hand, twisted it back and popped the first finger back into the socket. Acid ate through her at the motion, but before she could pull back, Aidan had seized the second and popped it back in too.
    She fell back against the pillows, biting her lip hard to keep from screaming. Sophie didn’t want to agitate him. “We’ll have to get something to set these,” he said, examining her hand.
    “Thank you for your concern,” she said, drawing back her hand. Her fingers could move again, but it was excruciating. “Can I please get dressed now?”
    He bowed his head and stowed the knife in his boot. Sophie wanted to slam her good hand into his mockingly handsome face, but