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No such thing as a free meal.
“Not at all. I just felt we needed a change of scenery, but if you prefer that I take you home…” he trails off while glancing at me out of the corner of his eye.
I don’t even have to really consider it. I’m not ready to go back home. If he’s asking to take me to his place, I’m willing to see how it goes.
“No, the night is young.” I’m tempted to part my knees just enough to make him think that I’m giving him permission to touch me more. I have to be careful not to push him too quickly.Be coy,I remind myself. “It’s your turn to ask a question, you know.”
Daniel grins and the car starts to speed up. I need him to start talking again so that I don’t start to panic. I know I’m overthinking things, but being in a car like this puts me on edge. I’m not sure where he’s taking me or what he has planned.
“Fair point. So, what’s next? Once you get back up on your feet like you said?” He glances at me as he starts to head toward the edge of town.
“I don’t know yet,” I confess. It’s true enough. “I didn’t think that I would like teaching as much as I do. I’m really enjoying it.”
“Henry said something about this being your first time teaching, is that correct?” Daniel asks conversationally.
“It is,” I refuse to look out of the window. Seeing all of the trees and lights blurring around us will make my head start to spin.
“So, it’s something that you chose to do on a whim? Or because you had the opportunity, and they were hiring?” Daniel asks.
It takes concentrated effort to keep fear from messing up my words. I can’t tell him that being in a car going this fast makes me nervous. How pathetic would that be? “Something like that, yeah.”
“You’re still young. You could try to head back into the city and—”
“No,” I interrupt a little too quickly as he speeds around a sharp turn. We’re far outside of the city limits now, certainly too far from my home to feel like I could run for help should the situation warrant it. Which it won't. Because Daniel is just a normal wall-street-type businessman.
Still, I answered too sharply, and he gives me a strange look.
“Sorry, the turn surprised me,” I say quickly, hoping that he’s going to be polite enough not to question my lame excuse.
“Do you want me to slow down?”
I nod once. “Please,” I answer, because the blur of scenery around me isn’t doing anything to help calm my nerves. I don’t like how close the trees are getting together or how the moonlight isn’t so bright as we wind up the mountainside.
Daniel doesn’t slow down.
“Why don’t you want to go to the city?” he asks me evenly, his grip on my thigh tightening fractionally. I’m sure it’s not for any good reason, but it’s oddly comforting—like he’s holding me into my seat. I reach up to the handle over the door and hold on tightly.
“No reason,” I blurt out. “I just don’t think that’s a dream I need to try and fail at.”
“What if you don’t fail?” he turns again, and I sway.
“Daniel, please slow down,” I ask softly. The whimper in my voice isn’t fake this time. I don’t know why he’s going so fast. My paranoid brain won’t let me think rationally—itmustbe because he’s taking me far away from the city to abduct and murder me. He’ll try to shove me off of a cliff. I don’t like heights. My stomach twists and I can’t think straight.
“I know plenty of people in New York I could put you in contact with, Sofia. They would love to see a talent like yours.” Daniel says and flashes me a smile.
Why is he pushing it? I can’t tell him that there’s no way I could ever be seen in a huge city like that. Nikolai would find me for sure. I understand that men in positions of power like to think that they can just open any door they want for anybody. It never seems to occur to them that sometimes we want to earn things for ourselves.
“Is it an aversion to the bustle of city life? Is there somebody you don’t want to see?”
“I changed my mind. I am not feeling well. Can you take me home, please?” I ask. I try to sound forceful, but I fail. My voice sounds so small I almost don’t recognize it.
“We’re almost there. It will be worth it, I promise. I’ve heard some really great things about this place. More rumors though.” He grins. Moments ago, his smile had been swoon-worthy, and now it feels ominous. What does he know that I don’t? What things and rumors has he heard? He’s going to kill me and leave me in the woods. He must be a man sent by Nikolai to play me for a fool, and I bought into it. I was conned. Swindled. I’m going to die. He’s going to kill me—
“What’s wrong?” Daniel teases, glancing at me with a good-natured smile that somehow feels evil. I might be having a panic attack, and I can’t seem to stop it for anything. “You’ve been alone with me all evening and now it’s too much for you?”
He’s teasing me, and somewhere in my mind, I know that. Earlier, I would have teased him right back. Sofia would have been playing with him already, but I can’t make words come out of my mouth.
The car stops, and I’m frozen in place.
