AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“He cut me off. ‘If you don’t find a way to marry that bitch, you’re done,’ ” he said, doing a perfect impression of Congressman Tinsley. “Well, I’ll fucking show him. I’ll show them all.” He started her ignition without taking the gun off her. “All I have to do is get rid of one old fucking biker.”
Ty.
Andrew spoke as though he’d almost forgotten she was in the car. He muttered to himself, crazy and almost incoherent.
But then he turned to her and grinned a smile that rivaled Batman’s famed rival, The Joker. “Buckle up. Can’t lose you before we get to the tire shop.”
No.
“H-he’s not there. Ty’s not working today. I don’t know where he is.” She rushed the words out as fast as possible.
Andrew laughed. “Nice try.”
“I’m serious. Take me somewhere else. Ty doesn’t need to be involved. Just drive. I won’t put up a fight, but you have to promise to—”
“Shut the fuck up!” He whipped the gun in a backhanded motion, cracking it across her face.
Kelsie yelped and doubled over, cradling her face. The explosion of pain made her nose and eyes water. Warm wetness filled her palm, and the metallic scent of blood made her unsettled stomach lurch.
“Keep your fucking mouth shut while I drive, and if you try to jump, I’ll shoot you.”
Tears poured down her face as she straightened and huddled against the window as though she could make herself small enough that he’d forget about her.
It wasn’t the first time she’d been hit. The kidnapping he and her father had apparently planned had taken that honor, but the prior experience didn’t make this any less awful. The right side of her face ached as though she’d been stung by twenty bees at once. The skin felt stretched like an inflated balloon.
Ty was going to lose his mind when he saw the state Andrew had her in.
And to think, she’d felt a modicum of guilt for her role in her father’s financial ruin. If she’d had the morning to do over again, she’d have popped a bottle of champagne to celebrate instead of snapping at the man she loved and running off like a coward.
Familiar streets passed by as Andrew sped toward the tire shop. The scenery blurred more than usual, thanks to her swollen eye. Blood ran down her cheek and onto her shirt, but there wasn’t a damn thing she could do to stop it short of stripping off her top to press it against the wound. She’d rather bleed out in the car than expose an inch of her bare skin to the psycho beside her.
With each mile they drew closer to the tire shop, Kelsie’s anxiety ramped up until she was once again trembling.
What the hell was he planning?
Would he hurt her to hurt Ty?
Would he hurt Ty to hurt her?
Would he shoot up the tire shop to make a point before taking off with her as his hostage again?
The horrible possibilities seemed endless, and her brain wouldn’t quit spinning up worst-case scenarios.
But then he pulled into the parking lot of Ty’s shop, and everything inside her seized. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t blink, couldn’t move. But she could scan the area for Ty, which is what she did. Back and forth across the open garage bays, she scanned and scanned but caught no sight of him.
Relief swamped her. At the very least, Andrew couldn’t lean out of the car window and shoot the man she loved.
“I’m getting out. Sit there until I come around to open your door, or I’ll shoot you through the windshield.”
While the anxiety remained, anger worked its way in as well. “What the hell do you think you’re going to do? You’re on their turf. They’ll tear you apart.”
He smiled a grin so big and evil it made her question his sanity. “You’re going to be my wife. I’m going to make sure Tyler knows you’re mine.” He waggled his eyebrows.
Her veins turned to ice.
“Now, don’t fucking move.”
She couldn’t if she wanted to. She’d frozen in place, rooted to the leather seat, paralyzed with fear of what was to come.
