"I don't understand." I shook my head. "What happened? You said the house was safe. That no one could get in. You said I was safe." He fisted the bare pillow, breathing heavily through his nose. "We were fucking set up." Dark curls stuck to my face, snagged by the beads of sweat that dripped down my temples. I retreated at that, leaving him alone on the bed. "I knew this was going to happen." "What?" His brow furrowed. "One of your people betrayed me once already." My voice came gravelly and dark. "That's the real reason I'm here." Impatient, pained breaths shuddered from his lips. "I need you to tell me the truth, Kendra." I hesitated. "... I can't." "Bullshit." He snapped at me. "I need to know what the hell is going on." "I can't." I stressed the words this time. "That's not good enough." The menace in his voice was worse than shouting. Every instinct in my body screamed at me to run. Instead, I remained frozen to the motel carpet. "You're a federal agent. I can't... I don't..." The words slipped through my fingers. I exhaled, defeated. "There's no way for me to know I can trust you." Anger molded his features, blue eyes going glacial. "I took a fucking bullet for you." My defenses crumbled. "You didn't know who you were protecting." His gaze sharpened. "Tell me the truth. Are you dangerous?" The question struck deeper than it had any right to. There was no reason for him to trust me. No reason for me to expect him to. But the way he looked at me didn't promise suspicion. It promised something else. Something far more terrifying. His fingers tightened around his gun.

Dark!James 'Bucky' Barnes/OC AU ~~~ Margaret Everlee is a terribly timid little thing. Living her life as a struggling artist in New York, trying to find her place in the world. That is until the CEO with a dark past, James Barnes sets his sights on her. His infatuation is instantaneous, becoming a man possessed. Desperately needing her to be his own little doll and willing to take down anyone that gets in his way. This story is 18+. Specific tags in the first chapter.