CHAPTER SIX

WILLOW

I WAS STILL reeling from the reality that he had followed me. I willed myself not to be swept up by stupid feelings. I also desperately needed to ignore my pounding heart at the thought that he even bothered to come after me.

I told myself I could have one last look to see if this was my imagination or reality. A quick look over my shoulder showed me this all was very much real as he followed me out of the airport.

Was it completely strange for me to find his stalking hot? And now, he was following me as if he intended to steal me.

But Dash wouldn’t actually take me against my will… would he?

“When it comes to getting exactly what he wants, my brother would do just about anything.”

I recalled the warning Sheldon gave me four years ago. It was one of our last conversations. She had been encouraging me to give Dash a call. I had a moment of weakness and asked about him. Sheldon had taken it as her cue to convince me to talk to him. She said I was only fighting the inevitable, which was a sad waste of time.

“Shit.” I spotted a security officer waiting nearby and headed for him instead of where the buses would be. I could only move but so fast in these godforsaken shoes, so I decided to get his attention another way.

I hesitated long enough to question if I could really get Dash in trouble but soon learned it would cost me. Just as I made my decision, a car that had been sitting idle at the curb moved forward the few feet it took to reach me. The back door opened and a man tall enough to be a building wrapped his arms around my waist as if hugging a loved one and pulled me into the car—all before I could even scream.

My attempt to calm the panic rising was lost when the car pulled away from the curb. I looked out the back window to see if any witnesses had seen what had happened. However, as the car opened the distance between it and my salvation, it became harder to see.

“Calm down, Miss.”

“Are you out of your mind? Let me out.” My breathing quickened when I caught sight of the exit as we drove toward it. We finally came to a stop near a service road, but by now, the man had my hands cuffed. All I could do was kick and scream. My shoes had long flown off and rested on the car floor. I expected the man to lash out or hit me, but he remained stoic and silent, occasionally checking his watch as if waiting for something. In the meantime, I called him every name in the book and cursed his mother, too.

I was still cursing his mother by the time the door opened and another person entered. “Now there is no need for that. Just because your mother is a manipulative bitch doesn’t give you the right to insult his,” the familiar deep voice scolded. “Thank you, John.” The man nodded and silently exited the car.

“You son of a bitch.” I screamed and lunged at Dash, forgetting momentarily that my hands were cuffed until I fell onto my knees after tripping over my shoes. My upper body rested in his lap while his hands remained at his sides.

“Exactly what were you planning to do?”

“I hate you.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“It’s the only one you’re getting.”

“Well, then. Let’s try another question.”

“I won’t answer.”

“We’ll see.” His hands lifted me by my arms and into the seat while continuing to watch me with equal parts amusement and anger. “Let’s start with an easy one. Where were you going?”

“You mean you don’t know?”

“Would I be asking if I did?”

“Then how did you find me?”

“I had you followed.” He shrugged as if stalking wasn’t a big deal. “It wasn’t hard to figure out your next move.”

“Well, since you’re so good at it, predict the next one because I’m not telling.”

“Fine.” He reached for me, and I sunk back into the seat, unable to do little else. However, instead of grabbing me as I expected, he grabbed my purse.

“You’re not going to find the answer in there. Give me my purse.”

He ignored me and dumped the contents of my purse on the floor. I watched my wallet, keys, gum, and other miscellaneous shit scatter across the floorboard. When a tampon emerged, I nearly died. He flicked it toward my feet with an amused smirk, increasing my embarrassment.

“Bastard,” I couldn’t help but mutter.

“You have no idea how true that is, but you’re about to find out.”

“Let me out Dash and go away. Go back to your perfect little world.”

“You don’t know shit about my world. Once upon a time, I thought you would be my world, but you proved you were less than interested.”