Why should I?

I decided to push aside my fear and debated whether or not I could take down Miraj Giovanni. He was smart and tactical in the way he ruled. But there wasn't much known about his fighting skills because hardly anyone who ever fought him was left alive to tell. And he had taken down some really fierce fighters in the underworld. Ones I myself wasn't sure I could take.

"He was going to kill me so I killed him before he finalized the contract."

I looked at him to get a reaction but he had a good poker face that I couldn't understand.

"So let me get this. Somebody was going to order a hit on you and they were going to use him. But you, the harmless and meek Cross princess, figured it out. And killed him before the contract was made."

My nails were digging into my palms as I tried not to spill all the beans just because he had provoked me. I did have an image of a powerless kitten because there wasn't any support behind me. No one knew I could even use a weapon, except for my trusted people. But he had seen me kill today and he knew somebody would have to teach me all that. I would have loved to know what was going on in his head and what was he planning to do with all this information.

"Yes, that's correct." I started walking backwards, slowly, trying to put as much distance as I could between me and the sleeping tiger.

"Hmm... Why not wait till he came to kill you?" He stated walking towards me and I finally saw his face. His green eyes still had the power to render me speechless. Today, he was dressed in formal shirt and navy blue suit pants with the jacket missing. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his forearms and I could see a little bit of ink on his arm that wasn't there two years ago.

"Bee, I asked you something."

'Oh, yeah. He had asked me something. What was it?' Then I looked around and in a second the fear of Miraj came rushing back. I needed to get over his sexiness or it will be the death of me someday.

"If I had waited till he came to kill me, then I wouldn't be the weak little girl anymore."

"So you don't want anyone to know you can kill like this. Why? You could be an asset to your family. Your father wouldn't have to look for another heir. So why hide?"

"That's the question, isn't it?" I was afraid of him but that doesn't mean he was getting any answers from me. I was still moving back step by step as I talked. But it didn't escape his eyes. He was coming closer too as I walked back.

You know how they say, never run from a predator because it is their instinct to chase. I was getting the same feels here. It looked like he was doing it subconsciously, instinctively. Or maybe he was just that good a faker.

"Eli darling, if you had killed little Ulio here, when he came for you then it wouldn't be an issue. But you killed him before he moved against you. That makes you a problem for everyone he was useful to. Including me. So why should I let you go?"

He was getting straight to the point now. He had changed the direction of the conversation for a reason. As I waited for him to tell me what he wanted in return for keeping mum about this, I look around for a distraction.

He waited for a minute then asked, "You're not going to answer?"

"What do you want, Miraj?"

He smiled and said, "Information."

"I don't have any."

"Oh I am pretty sure, Eli, you know the answers that I want to know. I'll forget all about Ulio and help cover his death if you tell me why you are hiding who you really are."

Darn it. He was using my secret to figure out more of my secrets. For a dangerous man like him to know my real skills was already strong ammo to have against me. If I told him I didn't have my father behind me then this could turn into a really bad situation.