“Go out on a date with me, and I will answer any and all questions you want.”
Lou didn’t know what to think. “If I say no?”
“I don’t give you a single answer, and you won’t have a clue what Riley is up to.”
“Will you kill someone in front of me?”
He smirked.
“Why are you smirking?” she asked.
“You know, we’ve been talking for a couple of minutes and you’ve stopped shaking. I’d say I was good for your health.”
“You’re not good for my health. You’re an asshole.”
Jacob closed the distance between them, and Lou had no choice but to take a step back. He kept advancing, and she kept backing away until finally her back was against the wall. His hand moved above her head, and the jacket he wore couldn’t hide the thick, corded muscles in his arms. Biting her lip, she tried not to show her fear, and a little arousal as well. No man had ever done something like this with her before, chased her. That was what Jacob made her feel, chased. In a weird way, he made her feel special.
“I’ve hurt men for calling me less,” he said.
“Less what?”
“Less than an asshole. I’m not a very nice person.”
“I know that. You’ve killed people?”
“Go on a date with me.”
Lou tilted her head to the side, forcing herself to keep looking him in the eye. She shook her head. “No.”
He leaned in close so that his lips were touching her ear. “Are you a chicken?”
Jerking back, she placed her hands against his chest. “I’m not going on a date with you. It’ll just give you an excuse not to tell me the truth.”
“Or maybe I’ll show you too much truth. Your parents, they’re not good people.”
“I know that.”
“No, you don’t. You know what you think you know.”
Her heart started to pound. “You’d take me with you? No hiding?”
“No hiding, but you’ve got to promise me you won’t run to the cops.”
Lou frowned. “Why take me around if you risk me going to the cops?”
He twirled a strand of her hair between his fingers, and the back of his knuckles brushed along her cheek. She tensed up, not knowing what he was going to do. Jacob was confusing to her. Lou didn’t want to give him anything, and yet he was determined to take. He annoyed her.
“You want something, to know the truth about your brother, and what he’s doing. I’m willing to give you the answer you want.”
“And in return?”
“You go on a date with me. It will be a combined date of knowing what I do, and having dinner with me.”
Gritting her teeth, she saw that he had her interest piqued, which only annoyed her.
“What is it going to be?” he asked.
Several seconds passed until she finally caved. Her parents wouldn’t let her know anything, and she was always left in the dark about what they did. She knew they operated the illegal fights, but that was it.