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“It’s nice to meet you too, Natalie,” he says, and I grimace before quickly recovering. How does he expect to date me if he can’t even get my name right?
“Are you ready to go?” I ask, clutching my purse a little tighter.
“Ready whenever you are.” He holds his arm out for me and I slip mine through.
He takes me out to his white Cadillac, and I give my security detail a nod, indicating that I wish for them to stay close by. Something about this guy just makes me uneasy. It’s not that I can’t handle myself, because I can. My father has made sure of that over the last four years.
After double checking that my gun is inside my purse, I put my seatbelt on and he begins the drive to the restaurant. My mind wanders to Declan as we drive. He was upset that we had to cancel our plans for tonight, but I promised that I would make up for it next week.
“You know, you don’t need your security detail,” he mentions as he glances in his rear view mirror.
“I know I don’t. I want them around, though. There are several people that would love to get their hands on the only heir to the Belov empire.” I don’t mean to sound cocky, it’s the truth. With Dmitri gone, I’m the last of the Belov’s and will be expected to carry on our lineage.
“I guess that makes sense,” he huffs as he pulls into the restaurant parking lot.
Once inside, I place my purse in my lap and sit down across from Jared. Glancing through the menu, I decide on the chef’s special, brown sugar glazed chicken with roasted carrots and rice with a water. Usually I would get wine, but since my guard is up, I opted out this time.
“So, Natalia…” Jared says, resting his elbows on the table. “Tell me about yourself.”
“There’s not a whole lot to tell,” I say as I give him an innocent smile. “I grew up dancing around the outskirts of Philly. I was a straight A student, and never got in trouble.” I repeat the same lie I have told over the years. It’s not really a lie, I did grow up dancing, and I was a straight A student, but I was also homeschooled. We all were. No one needed to know that small detail though.
“So, that’s where the necklace came from?” He asks as he eyes the pendant hanging around my neck.
My hand instantly goes to it and clutches it as if his stare is going to cause it to disappear. “Yes, my brother got it for me a few months before he passed.”
“Oh, that is very sentimental then,” he murmurs as he reaches for his water glass. Something about the question just seems odd and out of place. Normally I would chalk the awkwardness up to first date small talk, but there is a look of intent in his eyes that I haven’t quite placed yet.
As much as I want the evening to fly by, it seems to drag at the most agonizingly slow pace. The small talk is so dreadful we might as well sit in awkward silence. When we finally finish eating, I decline dessert just to get out of here. After Jared pays, we make our way to the car. He opens the door for me, and I slide in.
I flip the visor down and watch him as he pulls out his phone while walking behind the car, answering a call. The uneasy feeling in my stomach grows and I slip my gun out of my purse, placing it under my leg. Quickly grabbing my phone, I send a quick text to the one person who will immediately believe that I’m in trouble and not trying to get out of this potential commitment.
If you don’t hear from me in
twenty minutes, find me.
I glance back up and see Jared sliding his phone into his pocket. Quickly flipping the visor up, I slide my phone back in my purse and place my hands in my lap just as he climbs in the car.
“I’ve had a good time, Natalie.” Jared glances over as he pulls out of the parking lot.
“Yeah, me too,” I lie, glancing at the side-view mirror and let out an inaudible sigh of relief when I see my security behind us.
As we come to a stop sign, Jared slams on the brakes, causing my purse to fly to the floor. “Sorry, Natalia.” Jared glances in the rear view mirror and then back at me.
“Sorry for what? Unnecessarily braking?” I grind out as I try to reach for my purse.
“Like you said, there are several people who would love to get their hands on the sole heir of the Belov empire.” Dread fills my stomach, but I remain calm as I slip my hand under my thigh and go to sit up. Suddenly, I feel a sharp stab in the side of my neck and curse under my breath.
Right when I pull my gun, Jared hits the gas, causing me to jolt backward and drop it. Just as we pass through the stop sign, I glance back hoping my detail can tell something is off. But as I do so, I’m horrified to see another black SUV plow into them.
I try to fight the effects of whatever drug he has dosed me with, but I’m failing quickly.Fuck. I hope Declan can find me.
Then darkness takes over.
Chapter eleven
Declan
Twenty-Two Years Old
