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I glanced over as his chest rose with each breath he took, his lips quirked up at the side. He looked peaceful, like he didn’t have a care in the world, while I lay here in fear, anger bubbling in my chest.
Time to change that.
I reached over to the tray of food, keeping my eyes on him as my fingers searched around the tray. When I found what I was looking for, I gripped the metal handle tight and slowly sat up. He still hadn’t moved, the same steady rise and fall of his chest letting me know he was most likely asleep. I slid the blanket off me and scooted to the edge of the bed.
My whole body was shaking in a way that I couldn’t control, and the knife slipped from my hands onto the hardwood floor. I snatched it back up quickly and lay back down, holding it to my chest. So much for sneaking out quietly. I held my breath and prayed he hadn’t woken up. I counted to five in my head and risked a glance in his direction.
His arm was no longer flung across his face, and he was definitely not sleeping any more. Dark eyes burned into mine, then down to the knife I was holding onto for dear life.
“What are you doing, little mouse?” His voice was soft, confused.
I launched at him until I was straddling his stomach, the tip of the knife pointed at his neck. My breath came out in spurts, my heart ready to burst out of my chest. “You kidnapped me? You… you… I want answers, Cian.” I put a little bit more pressure on the knife. “Or I’ll hurt you.” I hated the way my voice trembled. Just a reminder that I was utterly unhinged. It had to be shock.
Of course you’re in shock, you dingbat.
He raised his hands slowly, as if in defeat, then grabbed the top of his button-up shirt, just below where I had the knife pointed. He yanked his shirt open, buttons flying.
I gasped as he grabbed my hand and dragged the knife lower so that it was pointed at his heart, his scorpion tattoo on full display mocking me.
“Always aim for the heart, Nova.” He pressed my hand down so the knife was digging into his chest. The blade cut into him, not more than a millimeter, a drop of blood forming.
“Stop,” I breathed and tried to jerk out of his grasp. “Let go, Cian.”
He grabbed me by the wrists and I shrieked as he flipped us over so that I was lying on my back. He pressed firmly into me, and I bit my bottom lip. He didn’t say anything for a moment, his breath just as ragged as mine. Memories flooded my mind of us together at his house, in his car, the phone sex, and I swallowed the lump in my throat.
“Next time you pull a knife on me, you better be prepared to use it.” There was an edge in his voice that sent chills up my spine.
In an instant he was off the bed, reaching for his shoes.
“What am I doing here, Cian? Where’s Juliet? I want to see her now.” I stood in front of the door, hands on my hips. I’d be damned if he thought he could just leave me in this room with no answers.
“Nova,” he commanded as he towered over me. “Eat. Shower. I’ll send her up. Go.”
Oh, really? Was that how he thought it was going to be? He was going to snatch me away and boss me around and I was, what, just supposed to comply? I poked my finger against his chest. “No. Tell me what the hell is going on.” Poke, poke.
He sighed, and before I knew what was happening, he picked me up and walked me back over to the bed, plopping me back down. “Eat. Shower.” He slammed the door behind him, the lock clicking in place.
I lay on the bed for some time without moving. My chest heaved as I tried to control my breathing. I wasn’t thinking rationally. But who could blame me? I hadn’t asked for any of this. Maybe this was karma barreling into me for going along with Ryzen’s scheme to pose as his fiancée so that he could close the hotel deal with Covington.
Now look at me.
The smell of food was overpowering my need to find a weapon and break the door down. I nibbled on a piece of toast, but when I tried to eat some eggs, my stomach objected. I choked down what I could, knowing that I needed the energy for whatever lay ahead of me.
The bathroom was old and tattered, and I had a hard time imagining Cian lived here. I peeked through the small window and out into a vast field covered with dried-up trees. No other houses were in sight, just three vans parked in a makeshift driveway. I risked a glance in the mirror and cringed at my reflection. The cut on my forehead was almost two inches long and jagged. Someone had cleaned it up, but it would leave a scar, a constant reminder of something I would rather forget. My fingers skated across my face to my puffy eyes, then down to the dark marks across my neck. The robe fell to the floor, and I gasped at the scrapes and bruises covering my stomach and legs. My shoulders sagged as tears welled up in my eyes.
Don’t cry. You have to be strong. Stronger than ever before.
What a fucking mess this all was. Nothing made sense. I never imagined being in a situation like this. But having a pity party wasn’t going to help anything. I needed to find out what was going on. I leaned my forehead against the shower wall, letting the water pour over me until my skin turned red.
There was a change of clothes on the bed, and I looked around the room to see if Cian was hiding in the shadows. Satisfied I was alone, I got undressed and held the clothes against my body. They were three sizes too big, but I had no other choice.
The sound of keys jingling had my head snapping to the door as my best friend Juliet rushed in. She threw her bag on the ground and was in front of me in an instant. “Oh, my God, Nova!” She wrapped her arms around me in a bear hug. “I was so worried. You hit your head so hard when that man grabbed you…” She pulled back, her face ashen as she looked me over. “Are you OK?”
My throat closed up and I nodded, trying to contain my own tears as relief washed over me. “Are you?” I gripped her hands and dragged her over to the bed.
She sighed, her hands trembling in mine. “Yeah, I’ve had a few days to get myself together after all”—she waved her hand around the room—“all this craziness.”
“Cian won’t tell me anything. Have you talked to Grams? Are we prisoners?” My voice rose with each question, and she scrunched up her nose.
