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LILA
Speeding away from my boyfriend’s home, I’m so angry I could kill him. He knows how important my parent’s party is tonight, but he’s too busy going out, getting drunk, and watching the game. It’s embarrassing. I should walk out on him and never look back, but he’s an asshole who’s got a lot of influence in Illinois.
He threatens to ruin my journalism career whenever I say I’m leaving him. A part of me wonders if that would be a good thing since I’d love to pursue my blogging career full-time, but I know he’d probably find a way to destroy that, too. The annoying thing is, he’s got the power to do so. Which means I’m stuck in a never-ending cycle of disappointment and dissatisfaction with a man who refuses to let me go. He uses my career to blackmail me, and I’m fucking fed up with it. There’s got to be a way out.
He’s a powerful and influential politician and his Daddy owns half of Illinois. I’m not sure what I was thinking dating a politician and rich boy like him. I’ve got no idea how I’d evade him other than leaving the state, which would mean leaving my parents. Unless I can find some dirt to use against him, but he’s so fucking secretive all the time.
Tonight is my mom and dad’s thirtieth wedding anniversary party. And I’ve got to turn up there alone and make excuses for why Brian isn’t attending. I hate him so much.
The tires of my worn-out car pound against the tarmac as I race down the road away from Chicago toward Clarendon Hills, where my parents live. Tonight is supposed to be a joyful celebration. Instead, I feel angry and hopeless.
There’s a sudden pop followed by the grating of a flat tire rubbing against the tarmac, making panic twist like a cobra in my gut. Just my fucking luck. I pull over onto the side of the highway and switch on my hazards.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” I get out of the car and scream in frustration. When I pop open the trunk of the car, my heart sinks. That’s when I remember Brian took the jack for his car because he’s too much of a douchebag to go and buy his own despite having more than enough money. There’s no way I can change this tire without it. Tears fill my eyes, but I don’t allow them to fall.
What’s the point?
I pull out my cell phone, and when I see I’ve got no service, I’m sure forces are working against me. I’m not even that far out of the city. There should be cell service, for fuck’s sake.
The surrounding forest appears menacing, its gnarled branches reaching out with wicked claw-like fingers. Desperation washes over me like a cold, suffocating wave.
How can this night get any worse?
Just as I’m about to break down, I notice a figure in the distance approaching me. A tall and broad-shouldered man with a rough exterior that could scare off anyone from a mile away. His intimidating presence, with his face obscured by a hood and hands covered in tattoos, only adds to my fear. His intense gaze pierces through the darkness, sending a shiver cascading downmy spine. I contemplate jumping into the car and locking the door, but he’s the only person I can ask for help.
When he notices my flat tire, he slows and approaches me. A heavy scent of musk and tobacco waft toward me, mingling with the crisp night air. The closer he gets, the more I realize despite his roughness, he’s ridiculously handsome with thick, dark, medium-length hair and dark brown eyes that seem to reflect the dim street lights. His jaw is strong, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say he looks like a male model. And he has to be about six foot four tall. But there’s too much of a dangerous aura around him for that to be his profession. I sense this is the kind of man you should run from, not ask for help.
“Need a hand?” he asks.
“I, uh, blew a tire,” I stammer. “I’ve got a spare, but no jack and…”
Without hesitation, he steps closer. “Don’t worry, I’ll change it.” He goes to the side of the road and picks up an old discarded metal pole that looks like it was once a traffic sign. “Just need some leverage.” He grabs a huge rock, and then I watch as he uses the two objects instead of a jack, managing to get the tire off the ground enough to change it.
He reaches for the tools in the trunk of my car. Though marked with the ink of countless tattoos, his hands move with surprising gentleness and agility as he changes the tire. The silence between us is deafening until he finally breaks it.
“You should check your tires often. You’re lucky I was passing by.”
“You’re telling me,” I reply, giving him a feeble smile. “Thanks for your help.”
He nods, “Just doing what anyone should.” He finishes tightening the last bolt and stands up, dusting his hands. And then he releases the makeshift jack, tossing it aside. “Where’s a woman like you going all alone dressed like that?” His eyes movedown the length of my body, making goosebumps rise over every inch of my skin.
I swallow hard as his gaze is nothing short of predatory. “A party. I’m late, and my parents will wonder where I am.” I give him a forced smile. “Thanks for your help, but I need to get going?—”
He grabs my wrist, stopping me in my tracks. “You’re not going anywhere.” He meets my gaze, and his eyes darken. “You shouldn’t be out here traveling alone and let a man like me help,” he says.
I swallow hard. “Why not?”
He smirks, sending a shiver down my spine. And then the atmosphere shifts as he pulls a gun from his hoodie, making my heart freeze in my chest.
“Get in the car and drive,” he orders, pointing the gun at me.
His command echoes in my ears, jarring me to the core. For a moment, I falter, my mind whirling with possibilities. Could I scream for help or attempt to run for it? I quickly dismiss the idea; we’re on a back road and not close to any houses, with no one around to hear me. I curse myself then for taking the back roads to avoid traffic as if this had happened on the main roads, I’d be fine. I glance at the gun, its metallic gleam cold and threatening in his hand, and realize that arguing or running isn’t an option.
My stomach churns with fear. The gravity of the situation settles in, making my legs buckle. My throat is suddenly dry, and my heart is pounding like a jackhammer as I take a deep breath and step toward the car. My hands shake as I reach for the door.
The cool leather makes me shiver as I slide into the driver’s seat, placing my trembling hands on the steering wheel and feeling the familiar texture beneath my fingertips.
