Leo's expression softened, though his gaze was still steely and unreadable. "I brought you here because you wanted to understand my world. You are a part of it now. Well, this is it," he said evenly. "No filters, no pretense."
She crossed her arms, forcing herself to meet his eyes, though anger and betrayal simmered inside her. "I never wanted to be a part of it, remember? I had no choice in the beginning. And what if something went wrong in there, Leo? Did that ever occur to you?"
He looked at her for a long moment, his eyes dark and intent. "Susan, I would never let anything happen to you," he said quietly. "But I think you're missing something here."
"Am I?" she shot back, refusing to relent.
He stepped closer, his hand lifting to touch her cheek, but she turned her head sharply away. His hand fell to his side, and for a second, a flicker of something — perhaps regret, perhaps frustration — passed over his face. "You don't understand yet, but you're starting to see things clearly. This is what power looks like, and it's why you're drawn to me, no matter how much you try to deny it."
Susan's heart raced, her mind swirling. "Maybe I am," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "But that doesn't mean I'm okay with being lied to or used."
Leo's face softened, his gaze intense but somehow vulnerable. "Then don't be okay with it, but don't pretend you don't want it, too." His voice was a low murmur. "You're already in deeper than you think, Suzy."
His words lingered, an undeniable truth wrapped in his cryptic promises, and she found herself torn between the desire to walk away and the inexplicable pull she felt toward him. She was so upset, but she knew that most of her anger came from the fact that she thought Leo had asked her on this trip with him simply because he liked her, and wasn't that just sad?
He'd wanted her there with him to help with his plan, not because he liked her, or because he couldn't get enough of her. She was only there as a part of his plan; a distraction. He was using her, just as he'd been using her right from the moment they met. Every other thing that had happened between them was irrelevant, but she'd just been too silly to see it. Too carried away by his looks, charms and his kisses.
Leo leaned closer, his voice soft but weighted. "Let's get back to the hotel, or would you like to see more of the city?"
Susan simply shook her head, too upset and angry to argue at the moment. "I'd rather go back to the hotel," she replied.
Leo looked at her for several seconds. He looked like he was going to say something to persuade her, but then he shrugged, "As you wish," he said, and began to move to the place where he'd parked the car.
Susan followed him quietly, her mind conflicted but her feet moving all the same, as the realization settled heavily. Her brother had been right. She should never have gotten involved with Leo.
____________
As they entered the hotel room, Leo glanced over at Susan, her silence like an electric charge in the air. "Are you okay?" he asked, carefully.
"Fine," she replied curtly, moving past him, her tone clipped.
Leo tossed his wallet and keys onto the table, unable to resist muttering, "That makes three 'Fines' since we left the casino. Can I get another word, please?"
It was a murmur, but it was loud enough for Susan to hear.
Susan stopped in her tracks, turning back with eyes sharp as blades. "How about asshole? Does that work?"
Leo chuckled, although he didn't find the situation funny one bit. "I think I liked 'Fine' better."
Without responding, she unclipped her hair, letting it fall as she flung the hair clip onto the floor and stalked toward the bathroom. The door shut with a definitive bang, leaving him standing there, watching the tension and frustration in the room thicken. Sighing, Leo picked up her hair clip and placed it on the table. Just then, the bathroom door swung open, and Susan emerged. She'd kicked off her shoes, and her hair was tousled, catching the dim hotel light in waves. Leo swallowed hard, tamping down the urge to tell her just how alluring and incredibly sexy she looked right now.
Susan's expression was fierce as she took a few steps forward. "You think you can just make me do anything you want without telling me first?" she spat. "You can't just use me like that, Leo. I'm not just some accessory you can bring along and use whenever it suits you. I'm not your toy!"
Leo ran a hand through his hair, feeling the weight of her anger and his own defensiveness building inside him. "I didn't mean for you to feel like that, Susan. I'm sorry, alright? I know… I know you're not my toy… I—"
But Susan only glared, brushing past him toward the balcony. Leo's jaw clenched, his patience slipping as she dismissed him. He took a breath, his voice rising with a sudden, commanding edge and his countenance changed from remorseful to angry in a second. "Susan, come back here! I'm talking to you." he said, his voice louder and harsher than he'd intended, and he winced, even as she halted, spinning back to face him, her eyes blazing. He knew he should have stopped himself, but his temper was rising. He stepped closer, his frame towering over her, every muscle tense with barely-contained frustration.
"I get it. I understand you're angry because I didn't tell you everything. Maybe I should have told you, but I apologized, and I meant it. That's the end of it!"
They stood there, staring each other down, their breaths harsh and uneven in the charged silence. The slight tremor in her gaze stilled him; he could feel the intensity of his own anger ebbing as he took a deep breath to regain control. The look on her face was enough to make Leo stop talking for a while. Just enough for him to bring his voice under control and stop yelling,
"I don't want to spend the rest of the weekend at odds with you over this," he said, his voice finally lowering. "I would never put you in harm's way, Susan. Now we can either put this behind us or let it ruin a weekend that could be memorable for us. Your choice."
The silence hung, thick and heavy, as they stood there, their emotions exposed and raw.