Keira's heart was in her throat. "Wade," she began, clearing her throat. He glanced sharply at her. She could see pain and anger in his eyes. "Whatever you think my father has done, I assure you, I don't know anything. Please believe me."
Taking a chance, she placed her bound hands on his thigh in an attempt to gain his trust. His eyes flashed and her heart skipped a beat.
"Don't you know what I am?"
She shook her head. "I don't. I'm sorry. If my father has wronged you in some way, I don't know what it is, and I wasn't involved. Please believe me."
She'd been crying not too long ago and her tears were once again close to the surface.
"What does B*E*A*S*T* stand for?" he asked, cocking his head.
"I don't know," she answered without hesitation. She knew he was testing her, trying to trip her up just in case she was lying. But she had to get him to believe her. She honestly had no clue.
"Do you know what a shifter is?"
Keira bit her lip and swallowed hard before she answered. "You mean like a stick-shift? I ... I can drive one if you need me to."
Wade's gaze dropped from hers and he turned his head to look out at the night. His entire body tensed, and the silence was deafening. When he finally glanced back at her, his eyes were red-rimmed.
"Are you telling me you have no clue about the compound in Colorado?"
"What compound? We ... we have a house in Vermont we sometimes go to--"
"Shit!" Wade exclaimed, climbing further into the truck. Without another word, he pulled out his knife once more and cut the bonds on her wrists and ankles. "Either you're a damn good actress, or I'm a poor judge of character."
"What ... what are you doing?"
"Keira," he said, leaning back to look into her eyes. "I'm sorry. But I ... I've just made a huge goddamn mistake."
)
