Page 43 of Taking Adalisa

Matthias marches me out of the building and straight toward his car, helping me in. Before I can even reach for my seatbelt, he has it fastened around me.

I messed up.

But how was I supposed to know going there would end up like this? How was I supposed to know when he hasn’t told me anything? I haven’t given him time to tell me anything, so it is partly my fault. I don’t want anything to do with him, and I’ve been trying my hardest to avoid him.

“What the fuck do you think you were doing there?” he asks, his voice is calm, but I can hear a hint of anger in it. “What were you doing there?”

“Looking for my friend,” I quietly reply, not wanting to anger him any more than he already is. “I recommended the place to her when I found it online.”

What was I thinking?

And I still haven’t found Margery.

“Your friend isn’t there. She is safe.” Matthias white-knuckles the steering wheel.

I turn in my seat, my mouth hanging open as I look at him. “You know my friend?”

“Yes, I do. She is safe,” is all he says.

“No, you don’t get to tell me that you know my friend and she’s safe. I’ve been worried sick about her! I need to know where she is. I need to see her with my own eyes,” I demand.

I haven’t been a good friend to Margery. Letting her go on a vacation alone. Letting her think that her dead ex-boyfriend was stalking her. I should have sat with her and asked her if everything was all right. I should have been there for her, but I wasn’t.

I wasn’t there for her when she needed me.

“You don’t get to stipulate things.” Matthias pins me with a glare. “You are not in charge here. I am. You won’t see her right now.”

“You can’t do that!” I raise my voice. “I am my own person. I am responsible for myself and her. You cannot tell me that.”

Matthias doesn’t reply, and I continue to look at him. Maybe if I stare enough, he will get annoyed and finally answer.

“You will not see her today or tomorrow, and I won’t change my answer.” Matthias pulls up to a house. “Now, we are going to go inside and have a chat before you are punished.”

“Punished?!” I gulp.

CHAPTER 16

ADALISA

I’m sitting on the bed in Matthias’ guest room as he sits in front of me on an overstuffed chair. I don’t know how I got here. One second ago, I was in the car.

What does he mean by “punished?” Matthias is delusional if he thinks he can punish me. No one punishes me. Not him. Not my parents. And not anyone.

“You can’t hurt me,” I announce after several seconds of thinking.

I hate the silence, and I think Matthias knows that. We’ve been staring at each other for a few minutes. It feels like hours, but I know it hasn’t been hours as it’s still light outside.

“I can and I will,” he replies.

“Who gives you the authority to punish me?”

“I gave myself authority because you know you need it. Do not try to deny it, ” he points out. “And as for who says you need punishing, that would be me.”

“Why?” I shout, throwing my hands in the air.

He stares at me while I wait for him to answer. I have fantasized about someone taking me over their knee several times, but I’ve never been brave enough to ask anyone for it. Who would I ask anyway?

Matthias leans forward, gripping my chin with his fingers once again. I hate it when he does this.

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