Page 88 of Venomous Throne

No one came out to question me.

Once on the road, I paused again. A black sedan idled on the corner, just as he said it would.

“I trust Jaxon,” I breathed.

He wasn’t going to hurt me. That I knew with every fiber of my being.

“Can’t sneak back now,” I urged myself. Logically, I knew I would have to sneak back into the house tonight, but in the late afternoon sunlight, that seemed a problem far away.

“Good evening, Miss Isabella. I’m Afton, and Mr. Fields wanted me to let you know the White Socks lost in a doubleheader against the Cubs. Disastrous games,” he tutted, opening the back door.

I smiled, embracing the madness. “Thank you, Afton.”

But as I slid inside, the driver stopped me. “Mr. Fields requested that you put this on and keep it on until you’re told otherwise.”

The driver said it with a straight face. In his hand was a strip of black cloth—a blindfold.

“Tell me, Afton, is this a strange request to you?” I breathed, letting the material slide through my fingers as I pulled it from his grip.

“It doesn’t even break the top twenty requests I have, miss,” the driver chuckled. “The rich men of this city have, how shall I say, unique tastes? And so long as I show up and shut up, they pay very well for a discreet chauffeur.”

A rich man.

That wasn’t a label I would put on Jaxon. It didn’t fit the bearded beast in jeans and a tee, who seemed to drift from town to town.

Like you know him well enough to know if he’s loaded.

The door shut with an audible click. It sent a shiver rattling down my spine. That, coupled with the mental jab, had me freezing in the back seat.

“Miss? Everything alright?” Afton asked as he slid into the driver’s seat.

“Yep,” I croaked.

“Okay, well, when you’re ready.” He tapped on the wheel, staring out into the street.

He wasn’t moving until I was blind.

When in Rome….

I covered my eyes and sent a prayer to my patron saint for safety. My namesake was no doubt screaming at me.

The car pulled forward in a smooth motion. I gripped the armrest on one side and the seat on the other. It was impossible to judge the passage of time, but the stops and turns left me wildly confused as to where we were headed.

“We’re here, miss.” Afton put the vehicle in park.

I moved for the blindfold, but a click of the driver’s tongue warned me not to.

Oh yeah, that’s right.Jaxon was going to be the one.

The door opened, making me jolt to the side and then overcorrect. Hard, rough hands skimmed over my bare arm to steady me. The rush of warmth was a sweet release. I knew that touch.

“Hi there,” I breathed.

Jaxon made no response. He simply helped me stand, and then with his hands on my shoulders, guided me across…well, only he knew where. I raised my hands in front of my body. He slid his down to my forearms, his body coming in contact behind mine. Heat spread through me, sending bolts of electricity everywhere we were combined. With each step, with each small collision, I paid less attention to our surroundings, and more of my focus latched on him.

It wasn’t until something clanged shut that I jerked suddenly.

We weren’t outside. The air came through a rush, forced by something. The floor beneath us jolted slightly.