Page 19 of The Hunted

What do I really know about this man?

He owns a secret sex club where my sister may or may not have disappeared, and he can do things to my body I’d never imagined possible. Not exactly enough to make me want to place my trust in him.

Despite my reservations, I swing the door open and am taken by surprise at just how handsome this man really is.

“Ready?” Knox asks as he extends his hand to me. He’s all rugged man in jeans and a black button up shirt. I place my hand in his, and he guides me through the door. We walk silently, holding hands to the elevator. Once inside, he draws me near and drapes his arm around my shoulder. His fingers play with a lock of my hair. I muster up the courage to ask him the question I’ve been wondering since he asked me to spend the day with him.

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

I look up, and a slight grimace mars his face. That is not comforting in the least.

Moments tick by, the elevator seems suddenly too small, confined, as my nerves begin to overtake me. My palms dampen, and I drag them slowly across the fabric of my jeans. Finally, the elevator comes to a stop, and the doors drift apart, giving me some much-needed space and air.

We step from the elevator into an underground parking garage, and he leads me toward a white Ferrari.

Where does he get all this money from? It can’t just be from the club, can it?

Wordlessly, he opens the door and helps me in, closing it behind me. He slides behind the wheel, and the engine roars to life.

We peel out of the garage into the crisp autumn air with me gripping the edges of the leather seat.

What is his interest in me?

This man can clearly have any woman he wants. Not that I am unattractive, but our worlds don’t mix. Mine used to be full of ten-hour work days and spending time with family and friends on the weekend. His are full of gambling, sex, and God only knows what else.

I should be fighting this, or at least questioning him about his intentions. But the engine rumbling lulls me into what could very well be a false sense of security. I could get used to this. Maybe he’s a man of questionable business ethics, but he’s been nothing but kind to me. For once in my life, I’m going to take this moment for what it is and enjoy it. I let loose my nervous death grip on the fine leather that probably costs more than the building I live in and settle my hands in my lap. He heads into the city, and the sun peeks through the clouds, its rays heating up the side of my face through the glass in the window.

It feels so good to be out of the manor that I barely notice he’s slowed down. We pull up outside a rundown building in the downtown area. Uneasiness courses through me at the sight of it. It is entirely dilapidated and isolated. Only one other car sits on the street, and it’s nothing more than a burned-out shell.

Why did he bring me here?

It looks like somewhere you take someone to die.

Bile rises in my throat.

Did I read him all wrong?

I turn to him, and he shuts the engine off. He doesn’t even look at me as he opens the door and steps out.

Oh God, what’s going on? Has he brought me here to hurt me? Sell me? Is he a sex trafficker? Is this what happened to Scarlett?

I don’t know a damn thing about him other than his bedroom skills. I can’t shake the feeling that he’s been involved in some dangerous shit.

Why did I think I could use this man to help me? Stupid.

I’m fucking stupid

A million terrible scenarios rage through my head. I can hear his shoes shuffle along the pavement, bringing him ever closer to my door. My heart thuds in my chest, harder and harder with each passing second. His large form moves around the car to my door.

“Out of the car, Little Bird.” He extends his hand toward me. His voice is calm, but I sense an edge there, just below the surface.

Afraid of what could happen if I don’t obey, I reluctantly reach out with trembling fingers and place my hand in his. He pulls me from the car and closes the door behind me.

When he moves toward the building, I dig my heels in, trying to stop his forward motion.

“Why are we here? Where are you taking me?”

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