Page 3 of Bittersweet Revenge

“Aren’t you going to ask how we found you? Where did you fail?”

She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter anymore, does it?”

“No, I guess not.” I stood up, putting the ring back in my pants pocket. “Let's go.”

“Caleb, I–”

I shook my head. “No, you lost the right to make demands the moment you left.” I gripped her wrist before she had a chance to take another step back.

“I think you should let her go,” one of the jocks from the nearby table interjected.

I rolled my eyes as irritation overshadowed my feeling of betrayal.

I pointed at him, not even bothering to look in his direction. This boy didn’t deserve my full attention. “And I think you should sit down and eat your cholesterol-ridden breakfast. This has nothing to do with you.”

I could see from the corner of my eye that he was still standing, looking for trouble. If only I had the time or the care to deal with the backlash of social media.

“What now?” I growled, finally looking at him while keeping my grip on Esmeralda’s delicate wrist.

“I think the lady doesn’t want to go with you,” the jock said, tilting his chin up.

“Doesn’t she? You didn’t seem to be that bothered about her consent when you were harassing her to get her number. Also, not that it has anything to do with you, but she is my fiancée.” I squeezed her wrist almost involuntarily.

“I–” He looked at Esmeralda. “Vicky?”

I snorted. “We don’t have time for this Esmeralda…” I tried to put as much threat as I could into this statement. I would not be humiliated any more than I already had been.

She nodded. “Okay, let’s go.”

I let go of her wrist, her soft skin too tempting. I narrowed my eyes with suspicion. She’d gone to extreme lengths to disappear, risking so much, and yet after a single request, she was giving in? It made no sense.

“Esmeralda…” I warned. “If this is one of your tricks, I–”

She shook her head, taking my hand. “No, no tricks. Let’s go.”

I nodded once, shaking her hand off before gesturing her toward the door.

She rushed behind the counter, apologized to the owner, grabbed her handbag, calmly followed me outside, and got into the car without a fight.

I wasn’t sure why, but it felt like I was following her plan instead of mine. We’d tracked her here and yet she sat beside me in the car as if she was the predator instead of the prey.

I didn’t want to engage more with her in the state of anger I was in. She’d turned out to be more conniving than I’d thought and I realized that I had a tendency to give her more than I wanted to.

“You know I'm taking you back to Stonewood, right?”Give me fear. Beg. Anything, I willed her.

She nodded, aloof enough to infuriate me even more.

“Do you think you’ll get away again?” I snorted. “Because let me tell you, you won't – not unless I will it.”

She turned toward me, looking at me with the thoughtful gaze I’d come to both cherish and hate. There was so much going through her head but she was so different, such an anomaly. I couldn't anticipate her, which made me uncomfortable and I hated that feeling.

I was Caleb Astor. Nothing got to me… at least nothing had untilher.

Chapter 2 - Esme

I kept glancing at Caleb as we flew back to Stonewood. He seemed to be doing his best to avoid looking at me.

Of all the people I’d expected to walk into the diner, Caleb would have made the bottom of the list.

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