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I didn’t bother questioning his intel. If this guy knew who I was, who my father was, John’s name, and that Cian was new, he wasgood. Concerningly good.
I looked at Dev, cataloging the sincere smile spreading across his face, open posture, and genuine kindness that appeared to seep out of every pore. I had (successfully) judged a lot of books by their covers, and I wasn’t planning on stopping now. Dev’s outward appearance, his easy smile, his words, all pointed to a good guy.
A good guy, but still a dangerous one.I could just see the swell of his muscles underneath his sweatshirt, the calculating look behind his eyes as he scanned for further danger, the dead body on the ground put there by his hands. I watched how easily he killed the man trying to hurt me, not an ounce of hesitation or regret in his eyes.
I had come across evil men throughout my life, saw the sadistic glint in their eyes, the high they got after doing someone else harm. Dev just looked concerned for my safety, and even though I was sure he had some underlying motivation, I trusted he at least cared about my safety. So I took his hand, allowing him to pull me down the street.
“This was a stupid idea,”I muttered to myself ten minutes later, buckled securely in Dev’s truck as he drove us out of the city and past the suburbs, car aimed toward the more forested area that housed a few farms and homes built on large plots of land. He probably planned to take me to some abandoned farmhouse, where he would torture me for information I didn’t have or hold me for ransom. And considering my father was in another country at the moment with limited cell signal, I’d probably end up dead. In a ditch.
“What was a stupid idea?” Dev frowned as he flicked his eyes over to me sitting in the passenger seat.
“Getting in this car with you.”
Dev’s frown turned into a smile at my growly admission. “So why’d you do it?”
I liked to consider myself a rational person. It had kept me safe my entire life, entitled me a modicum of freedom despite who my father was. I allowed my bodyguards to follow me without giving them too much trouble, save for the occasional panic that sent me venturing out alone, if only for a few brief minutes.
I went to college, got a job that allowed me to work safely from home under the watchful eyes of my bodyguards. I had no friends, mostly because friendships usually required honesty, and that was something I couldn’t provide. Hell, I’d never had a boyfriend, just a few fumbles in college with random guys that I never planned on bringing home.
So really, my answer to his question shouldn’t have been a surprise. Even if it was a stupid answer, one I didn’t want toadmit. However, I wasn’t fond of lying unnecessarily, given that I had spent most of my life lying to everyone I ever met.
“Your smile tricked me.” I waved my hand in his general direction, at the smile that stretched even further across his mouth, exposing perfectly straight, white teeth. His warm, amber eyes fuckingshimmeredwhen he smiled, like he was some kind of movie star. Even his hair was perfect, thick and wavy, his bangs flopping in a soft curl over his forehead. Ridiculous, this whole situation. Dad was going to be furious with me, but I doubted he’d be more mad than I was at myself. The first time an attractive guy smiled in my direction, and I totally fell for everything he told me.
As I spoke, I leaned closer to the door, trying to gauge how hurt I’d be if I jumped out of a car going fifty miles per hour around winding back roads. Was a broken limb worth an escape? Did I even need to escape?CouldI escape if I broke a leg?
I glanced back over at Dev, who was still smiling at my indirect compliment. “Now you’re probably going to kidnap me or murder me in an abandoned barn or something.”
Dev only laughed, which simultaneously worried me (a laugh wasn’t a no) and sent butterflies wheeling in my stomach as I watched the flash of his teeth and the stretch of his throat as he tipped his head back. Definitely a good idea to jump.
I inched my hand toward the door latch, keeping my eyes out the front windshield to not give away my plans. We neared a sharp curve, and I hoped Dev would slow down enough to prevent me from breaking any bones on impact.
His laugh stopped abruptly, though I could hear some humor in his voice as he chastised me, “That’s not a good idea, Red. I’d catch up to you. Besides,” he chuckled as he repeated my words, “my smile didn’t trick you. I really am here to protect you.”
If his reassurances weren’t enough to convince me to stay seated, his promise to track me down and the sharp turn he took around the curve were.
“Besides, we’re already here,” he told me as he took another turn, trees boxing us in as we pulled off the main roads and down a long driveway. It was too late to escape now.
Never let them take you to a second location, I chastised myself. It hadn’t been one of the lessons my father taught me, but I’d seen enough crime shows to understand that what applied to victims of serial killers likely also applied to daughters of dangerous men. I couldn’t see any other homes, just trees stretching into the distance, and I realized we were fully in horror-movie territory. Where murderers targeted babysitters because no one would hear them scream so far from civilization. Where the police took much too long to arrive and getting lost between the trees would be all too easy in a chase.
I felt exceptionally upset that Dev had lied to me. And that I’d fallen for his lies. Because this definitely felt like the location for a kidnapping or torture house.
Only, as we pulled around the corner, I couldn’t help but murmur under my breath, “Pretty nice for a murder shack.”
The house standing at the end of the driveway was gorgeous, with gray brick matching the overcast sky. The black trim on the windows matched the railings on the front porch, with a dark wood door and pillars on the porch softening the modern, monochromatic vibe. There were evergreen bushes in pots next to the front door, and I could see the wires from string lights still wrapped around the pillars, probably leftover from Christmas. Definitely not a murder house, then.
“Perfect. Wren and Bex are still here,” Dev said, glancing at the car sitting in the driveway.
The small, black Volkswagen Beetle looked better suited for a teenage girl than a troupe of ransomers, which eased someof the panic that had been building in my chest as we drove. Then again, it seemed somewhat shallow and also fairly sexist to assume the car belonged to a woman. And that even if it belonged to a woman, that she couldn’t also be a ransomer and/or murderer.
As I thought about it, I felt even more certain that I was definitely being taken for ransom, despite Dev’s assurances, and the compact car was just a ruse. Everyone expected serial killers to drive windowless white vans, so a cutesy car would never be on their radar.
I was still lost in my thoughts when Dev pulled the car to a stop next to the garage and put it into park. He was already rounding the front of the car when I finally realized I could’ve used the opportunity to run.Too late now.
Chapter 3
Dev
She fellout of the car. I watched Rory stumble as she jumped from the passenger seat, falling onto her hands and knees while I was still rounding the front bumper. It wasn’t a far drop since my truck wasn’t lifted, but it was still far enough that Ames and Wren usually had to hop to the ground. Considering Rory stood a couple of inches taller than Ames, the distance was even shorter. But clearly, that didn’t stop her from stumbling.
