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Wrapped up in the feeling of freedom, I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings like I should have been. I grew complacent here, and I was overeager and inattentive. Which was how I didn’t notice his approach until he was right in front of me.
“Rosalie. I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
Ice flooded my veins, and I snapped my eyes open. He didn’t wait for me to respond, pulling me into a tight hug. Too tight, and my whimper was both from fear and from pain.
“Hey! What are you doing? Get away from her!”
“If you want your friends to live, you’ll tell them to back off,” he murmured in my ear.
When he pulled back, he was all smiles, but I could see the truth in his eyes. He wouldn’t come here alone. Which meant there were people nearby who would hurt Britney and Gabi if I didn’t cooperate.
They marched up to me, tugging on my elbow so that I took a step back. Britney moved in front of me, crossing her arms and glaring him down.
“Who the hell are you?”
He narrowed his eyes on me for just a second before flashing Britney his million-dollar smile. “My name is Carson Shelby. Rosalie’s husband.”
ChapterNineteen
I feltlike I couldn’t breathe. I spent so long hiding from him, and he finally managed to catch up with me when I couldn't get away. Adrenaline flooded my body and the urge to run was suffocating, but I knew if I did, he’d hurt Gabi and Britney.
“You’re married?” Gabi queried quietly.
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. It was so much more complicated than they could imagine, but I knew if I spoke out of turn, I’d pay for it. Already, I could see his hands flexing at his side. Preparing himself for when he was going to hurt me. My breath came out in sharp pants and a buzzing gathered in my ears.
“Yes, she’s married. We’ve been married for six years now. Isn’t that right, honey?”
When I didn’t answer, he took a step closer. He never liked me not answering him. But he couldn’t get closer. The minute he tried, the security from before appeared at our sides, blocking him. His lip twisted up into a momentary scowl before he replaced it with his manipulative smile. The smile that got him all his power. The smile that lured me into a life with him I’d end up running from.
“Ladies, I apologize for the confusion. You see, my wife here has been missing for over six months now. She’s schizophrenic and disappeared one night from our bed. I’ve been looking for her ever since.”
My eyes widened. That wasn’t true. But when I glanced at Gabi and Britney, they both were frowning, like they were actually considering his words.
He kept going, using his powers of manipulation to weave his spell around my friends. “I’m sure you’ve noticed her acting erratically, pacing and crying randomly. We had her officially diagnosed, but we’ve kept it private, given my position. I didn't want people judging my wife merely because I’m in a position of government.”
He turned his attention to me. Most people wouldn’t see it, but I saw the evil gleam in his eyes. He enjoyed doing this, manipulating the world around him. It was why he kept getting re-elected.
“I can’t tell you how worried I’ve been. I know you’ve always loved being outside, darling, but you can’t just wander off.”
Britney looked suspicious, glancing between us. “How do I know you’re telling the truth? She hasn’t seemed erratic to me. I haven’t seen any of the warning signs for schizophrenia.”
Yes! Britney was studying to become a nurse! She’d be able to see through his lies!
He turned, waving over a man standing not far behind him, who was holding his briefcase. “This is Avery, my assistant. We made sure to carry around the documentation with us, in case she was ever found. I honestly thought I’d be handing it to a doctor in a hospital, but you know how things go around here. My newest campaign has a much deeper focus on those living on the streets, so hopefully people like my wife won’t end up ignored and alone while having an episode.”
He shuffled around the paperwork before pulling out some documents and handing them to the nearest security. Britney took it from him, looking it over. When her eyebrows lifted, the hope that she’d see through him fled. I’d never met with a doctor about any diagnosis, but Carson was never one to skimp on his manipulation tactics. He could’ve easily convinced a doctor to sign off on something he drew up.
Britney showed the papers to Gabi. While she was distracted, Carson put out his hand. “Rosalie, baby. I know you’re scared. I imagine it’s been terrifying all these months alone. Give me a hug. I’ve missed you.”
The look in his eye left little room for argument. I hesitated, feeling slightly safer behind the wall of security, but his gaze shifted to the side. When I followed his eyeline, I saw a black car parked a little farther down. Someone leaned against it and when he noticed us looking, he flashed me a wicked grin and as he adjusted his jacket, showing off the gun holstered against his side. If there was one, there was undoubtedly more in the area. Terrified for the people who had been so kind to me, I took a few uneasy steps forward.
Once I was in his reach, Carson yanked me against him, hugging me tightly. To outsiders, it might look like a sweet moment. No one could hear what he was whispering to me as he squeezed me to the point of pain.
“I know who you’re staying with. Dmitriy Volkov is a dangerous criminal. If you don’t want the police to flood this building in the next ten minutes, you’ll come with me. I’m tired of this game, Rosalie. Get in the fucking car.”
“Rosie?”
Gabi’s worried voice forced Carson to release me. He gave me a dark look, and I knew what he was saying was true. I never asked what any of them did for a living. I honestly didn’t care. They were kinder to me than any of the people I knew working ‘legitimate’ jobs. But Carson didn’t bluff with his threats. Whatever Dmitriy was into, if Carson knew about it, Dmitriy’d have the entire government against him in a matter of minutes. I couldn’t let that happen. Not after everything they’d done for me. Viktor worked with Dmitriy. I couldn’t let him get into trouble.
