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I’m such an idiot.
I was so focused on trying not to stare at him earlier that I completely neglected to pay attention to my surroundings. We should have been at the office a long time ago. He’s not taking me to the office.
So, where is he taking me?
I need to get away from him.
“Let me out!” I scream, my voice ragged with fear. “Please, just let me go!”
I regret ever getting into this car with him. I should have heeded Isabella’s words; I should have stayed at the restaurant with her, but in my desperation to get back to my daughters, I’d stupidly gotten into this car.
And now Cassius knows the truth…or, at least a portion of it.
Cassius lounges in the driver’s seat, his cold blue eyes fixed on the road, a statue of unwavering composure. His grip on the steering wheel remains steady, and he watches my futile attempts without a hint of emotion. It’s as if my desperation means nothing to him, and it only serves to heighten my terror.
All those years ago, when I heard him and Damian in that office…
If he was capable of that, who knows what he could do to me?
I somehow got it twisted in my mind that he was the nice brother, but there are no nice brothers. Just because he smiles more doesn’t mean that he’s good.
“Annalise, you’re wasting your energy,” he says calmly, not even bothering to look away from the road ahead. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“You can’t do this!” I snap. “You can’t keep me here like I’m some kind of child or dog. You have to let me out!”
But my words fall on deaf ears, and I quickly realize that I’m not going to get my way by trying to make demands.
Cassius isn’t afraid of me, and what reason would he have to be?
A part of me wishes I could curl up into a ball and cry, but that’s not going to be productive either.
My fingers ache from clawing at the unyielding door handle, but I can’t stop. The thought of being trapped in this car with Cassius, at his mercy, sends shivers down my spine. What does he want with me?
If demanding didn’t work, maybe pleading will.
“Please,” I whisper, tears streaming down my face as I continue to struggle. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Do what?”
“Hurt me.”
“Hurt you,” he repeats, shaking his head. “Your fear is misplaced.” His voice is devoid of warmth. “I have no intention of hurting you, Annalise.”
He doesn’t? Or is that just something he’s saying in an attempt to get me to let my guard down, so he can make his move?
Honestly, he doesn’t need me to let my guard down to do whatever he wants with me.
My fear only worsens when I realize that we’re heading out of the city limits, leaving behind any chance I had of someone actually being able to help me.
“Then let me go.” My voice cracks under the weight of my emotions.
He doesn’t say anything, merely glancing in my direction before returning his gaze to the road. I can see the outline of his jaw clenching beneath the smooth skin of his face, and for a moment, I wonder if there’s more going on beneath that icy exterior than he’s letting on.
But it doesn’t matter. All I can focus on is the overwhelming need to escape, to put as much distance between myself and Cassius Volkov as possible. I’ve tried reasoning with him, pleading with him, but his resolve remains unshaken. It’s clear that my only chance of survival is to find a way out of this car—and I’ll do whatever it takes to make it happen.
If—no, when I get out of this, I’m leaving this city…state…country. I’ll never be at the mercy of the Volkovs again.
My fingers fumble with the lock on the door, frustration boiling beneath my skin. I cast another glance at Cassius, who remains completely unaffected by my desperate attempts to escape. He seems too composed, almost as if he’s been through this countless times before.
