“The things you’re making it impossible for me to give you,” I state. “You’re punishing me because you think I might have done something wrong someday, and in the process, you’re destroying any chance we have at happiness now.”
Instead of acknowledging that I’m right, he trails the backs of his fingers along my jawline. “Is it really so terrible being my wife?”
Meeting his gaze, searching for some understanding of what he has made me feel over these past few days, I see nothing. I don’t know if he’s deliberately closing himself off so I can’t see, or he really doesn’t get it.
“I’m not your wife, Rafe. I’m your prisoner.”
“My prisoner,” he repeats.
I hold my ground. “When will I be allowed to go out without a chaperone? Will you ever give me my car back? When can I go back to work? You’ve trapped me here in this house. It might be a lush prison with lovely bars, but it’s a prison all the same. You don’t trust me, and you make sure I know it. You make me marry you, and then you don’t even stay home on our wedding night. Is this the future you want for us? Is this the life you want?”
I guess my reality has killed his arousal, because instead of spanking, fucking, or responding to me, Rafe sighs and climbs off the bed.
“It’s time to start dinner.”
My shoulders sag with disappointment and I bury my face in the pillow. Of course he walks away. Of course I finally open up a dialogue with him about our situation, and he wants no part of it.
39
Virginia
Laurel took the keys and went to the car, but for some reason, Sin is hanging back. I’m not sure if they have business to attend to or what, but they’re both just sitting here at the island, not talking, while I clean up the kitchen.
Finally, I look back at them over my shoulder. “Did you want me to go in the other room so you two can talk?”
“No,” Rafe says, shaking his head and leaning forward on the island. “I need to talk to you about something, actually, and you’re not going to like it.”
“Oh, goodie,” I murmur, dropping a dishwasher tablet into the slot and closing the door. “What is it?”
Sin answers. “Your buddy Felix was an undercover cop.”
I spin around, my eyes widening. I’m not sure if I’m more alarmed by that information, or the past tense way he just referred to Felix. “An undercover cop? Like, FBI, or…?”
Rafe shakes his head. “Local. It’s still a problem.”
“Well, yeah. Did you… did you hurt him?”
“No,” Rafe says slowly.
“Because we can’t find him,” Sin states bluntly.
“We figure he’s probably long gone by now. He fled the restaurant as soon as he realized I got to you before you could get away, and my guys at the station say he hasn’t been back to work, either. Unless he decided to save us all some time and blow the back of his skull off, he’s still out there somewhere.”
I lean all my weight against the counter, feeling suddenly heavier. I liked Felix. I still like Felix. He clearly tried to save me as soon as he realized I was in trouble. He’s one of the good guys.
“Well, I don’t know exactly why you’re telling me this,” I say, looking from Rafe to Sin, then back. “I haven’t heard from him, if that’s what you’re thinking. I don’t even know what all his messages said. Adrian reset my phone before he gave it back to me, so… the messages are gone.”
“Think back, Virginia,” Rafe says, holding my gaze. “Did Felix say anything that might be real about where he’s from? Did he ever try to subtly let you know he wasn’t just a bartender? Did he say anything to you that could help us find him?”
My jaw just about hits the floor. “Are you kidding me? You dismantle my life over my unique memory, and now you think I’m going to use it to help you find and kill a good man?” I laugh at the sheer audacity. “No, I don’t think so.”
“Come on, Virginia.”
I shake my head, turning around and picking up a wash cloth to wipe down the counter. “He didn’t say anything suspicious, Rafe. I’m sorry. I can’t help you.”
“You didn’t even try.”
“You don’t know if I’m trying,” I tell him. “Maybe I just reviewed every conversation I’ve ever had with him, just like that. Maybe I’m a mind wizard. Maybe I have a ‘search’ function. You don’t know how my brain works. Don’t tell me I didn’t try.”