Page 41 of Defiant
My second time getting kidnapped in less than seven days. You’d think I would’ve learned by now to be more careful.
What could I say? The handsome faces they wore and knives they flashed got to me.
Okay, Dante had the knife. Archer didn’t have one—not that I knew of, anyway.
“I didn’t agree to go anywhere with you,” I hissed, shooting him a glare.
“You got in the car, didn’t you?” He shot me a fast look, though his expression gave absolutely nothing away. His knuckles were practically white on the steering wheel, and as he made his first turn, I realized I had no idea where we were going.
This could be bad.
“Take me back,” I said. “Take me back, or I’ll—”
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he cut in, blonde brows furrowing. “I just need to talk to you somewhere safe. Somewhere no one will hear us.”
Ah, right. That wasn’t serial killer-ish at all.
I argued with him for a while, trying to give myself the boost of courage I’d need to either crash his car or jump out. Either way, I could get seriously hurt—especially now, considering the speed limits he was currently breaking.
Also, I already had no idea where we were. Midpark was a rich maze, and I did not know the area well enough to find my way home from here.
I was in this, whether the outcome would be good or bad.
Archer took us to what must be a park at the edge of town. It was too cold for anyone to be on the playground, so that’s the parking lot he took us to, parking in an end spot before turning off his car and bringing those blue eyes to me.
They weren’t like Ollie’s. Archer’s blue gaze was vibrant, so full of life. So ready to turn ice cold at the drop of a dime. They could either be icebergs or the warm waters of the Caribbean. Archer created a new definition for hot and cold.
Being this close to him, alone, with no one else in sight, made my mind wander a bit too much. It was wrong how my body responded to his, even now—elevated heart rate, sweaty palms, a warming stomach. So fucking stupid, with what the bastard did to me.
When would I ever learn my lesson?
He was slow to unbuckle his seatbelt, never once breaking eye contact. My whole body felt warm, and I resisted my urge to squirm under his gaze. “What is it, Archer?” I hoped I sounded like a bitch; I thought I did, but then again, with my body going haywire, it was hard to be sure. “Why did you need to bring me here?”
“Come on,” he said, getting out of the car.
I blinked. What in the world…did this boy plan on murdering me and leaving my body in the woods? There was a bit of forest just beyond the playground, and what looked like a gravel pathway heading into it. It was where Archer was going.
Considering he had the keys to the car and I had no idea where we were, I pretty much had to go.
A frown graced my face as I got out and walked toward him, shoving my hands in my hoodie’s pocket. “If you plan on killing me,” I warned him, “I’ll put up a fight.” I didn’t know much about self-defense…maybe I should change that.
Hmm. Wonder if I could fire Jacob from being my private investigator and tell him to teach me how to defend myself instead. He was a fit man, and he had an entire workout room in his place. Surely Mr. Grumps wouldn’t tell me no.
Archer let out a short laugh, though it sounded like it died in the back of his throat. “I’m not…that’s not what this is about.” When I reached his side, he threw a look around, as if double-checking we were alone. He said nothing else, taking the trail to the woods around the playground.
Right. Not creepy at all. This was totally normal.
It was almost eerie, walking through a forest while alone with Archer. Since it was winter, the leaves on the trees were gone, skeletons reaching up to the sky. There was not a single sound in the air, other than our shoes crunching on the small pebbles beneath our feet.
“I’ve got to say,” I broke the silence between us as we walked, “this is a little weird.” Two feet of space sat between us, though I wished it could’ve been more. The pathway was only so wide, you see.
“I just…” Archer stopped, turning to face me suddenly. I found myself freezing, itching to take a step back, away from him. “I had to make sure we were alone.”
“Right,” I said, deadpanning, “because sitting in your car in the driveway wasn’t alone enough. You needed to take me out here, where dreams go to die.” It was a creepy place, okay? Just take it from me. A horror movie type of forest if I ever saw one.
He shook his head. “You don’t understand. In that town, you’re never really alone. Someone’s always watching, waiting for you to fuck up. I should’ve known she had something in my house—I just didn’t think it’d be hidden in my room.”
I blinked. “What are you talking about?”
