Page 54 of Boss

Chapter 12

Kassandra had a plan B, but it was never in case of a kidnapping. Her gaze slipped over to her boss, ex-lover, with dread. The way he spoke, glared, and even worse, the way he attacked Daniel, was without remorse. He was far more dangerous than she could have imagined.

They rode in silence with each passing mile the snowfall came down harder and harder. And if they came across a stalled car, Tarek would purposefully speed past them, he’d crush their hopes for rescue. A few times he glanced over at her and winked, making her scoot closer to the door. She needed to come up with a plan. This was kidnapping, her brain screamed. He’d kidnapped her in broad daylight. And Daniel could be seriously hurt. She tried to think of what to do or say, and came up blank. And her head hurt.

“Mr. Marshall?”

“Oh, you know better than that. It's Tarek, remember me, sweetheart?” he asked.

Kassidy glanced to him. She then looked back out to the road. She made sure her voice was calm and at ease when she spoke. “Take me to the police if you want. I’ll confess. It’s time to bring this to an end.”

“Police?”

“That’s where we’re going? Right? Right?”

He kept driving.

“You have to let me go,” she mumbled.

Tarek flipped on the radio and turned up the volume. He cut her a sly wink and flashes of the ones he’d given her when she was a kid surfaced. She squeezed her eyes shut to block the memory out. Tarek accelerated at a dangerous speed. She gripped the side door handle.

“Stop! The road! Are you crazy?” she shouted at him.

Tarek slowed the truck as if the request was the response he waited for. Tears stung her eyes. “You’re fucking crazy!” she shouted. “Do you hear me? If you don’t let me out right now I will... I’ll... I’ll call the police on you!”

The truck harshly veered left throwing her closer to him. She was instantly repulsed, hastily moving away.The next stretch of highway they travelled looked more deserted than the first. For another hour she sat next to him silent, alert, prepared for anything. And then finally she saw a sign of life. A ranch came into view. There was flat land everywhere except for a few stables and another cottage on the property. It could be servant quarters. Was this the Marshall home? It didn't look like the place he'd taken her to before.

“It’s my home away from home,” he answered as if she had spoken the question aloud. She looked over at him disgusted.

“We own several ranches. But this one is special. It’s the first in the family, how we made our fortune.”

“Really, So I guess you stole this too?” she remarked.

He chuckled over her bite of sarcasm. “I come here sometimes... many times actually. But my family doesn’t. Don’t worry. I have you all to myself.”

“You can’t do this. Do you hear me? You can’t!”

“I'm your boss, remember. I can, and I did.” He drove up the long paved drive without a care to the snow and ice. And then he parked.

“Time to go,” he told her before he threw open his door. He got out of the truck. She immediately reached over, and locked his door when it closed, and then locked her passenger door. Kassidy scooted toward the driver’s seat, tracking Tarek as he walked around the front of the truck to the passenger side. And without a hint of surprise or hesitation, he hit the automated key remote and the door unlocked. She tried to relock it, but the door was snatched open. Kassidy screamed when he grabbed her ankle. She kicked at him and struggled to keep a grip on the driver’s side door. All of her efforts felt futile when he dragged her to him and nearly snatched her to the ground by her ankle. But he prevented her from taking an ugly fall. Kassidy hit at him with her hands and fists. And her head hurt from her fall earlier. The more she struggled, the sharper the pain in her skull became.

“Stop it!” He shook her by both arms, glaring at her. “If I need to drag you in by the hair I will. Do you understand?”

Kassidy nodded that she did.

“Good. Good,” he said.

In a flash his temper cooled. Kassidy glanced to the long walk to the door of the two-story ranch house. The snow kept falling. It felt more like it was pouring out of the sky. Kidnapped by her boss? Things like this just didn’t happen in a sane world.

Tarek retrieved the binder with the incriminating information, and slammed the truck door. She closed her coat around her and shivered. Not from the cold, but from the madness in his eyes when he glanced her way.

“Ladies first.” He gestured toward the front door.

Kassidy walked on jelly legs stumbling twice, as her heels sunk deeply into the snow that was now two inches thick. She glanced back behind her. Tarek was close. She could run for it. She could try. But the land was vast. The snow was blinding her now, and she had no clue where she was. Kassidy folded her arms around herself tighter, and tried to think of a plausible escape. The last thing she wanted to do was go inside with him.

When she reached the steps, he was at her side. She didn’t realize that she needed help, but his arm around her waist offered her the steadiness she couldn’t find on her own two legs. Together they ascended.

“How bad is your head?” he asked.

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