Page 86 of Knot Your Romeo

Emmie is my soul match, my other half, my everything. And I’ll burn the world down before I let her stepfather keep her.

The golden thread of our connection pulses steadily in my consciousness as I head out into the night, a beacon guiding me toward the woman who owns my soul.

Your pack is coming, love. Hold on.

32

Emmie

The private jet touchesdown with a jarring bump that sends my stomach lurching. Through the small window, I can see snow-capped mountains rising like jagged teeth against the darkening sky.

It hours laters and now we’re in Aspen, Colorado. I've never been here before, but the landscape feels ominous, isolated—the perfect place for someone to disappear forever.

Jude?I reach out through our mental connection, that eternal thread that's become my lifeline.We've landed. It's so remote here, mountainsare everywhere.

I'm here, love.His mental voice wraps around me like a warm embrace.Tell me everything you see.

The aircraft door opens with a hydraulic hiss, and the frigid mountain air rushes in, sharp with the scent of pine and snow.

I wrap my arms around myself as Blake's men motion for me to move, using their weapons.

Small airfield,I relay to Jude as we descend the stairs.Maybe four or five hangars. There's a black SUV waiting, engine running. Two more men by the vehicle.

I've probably counted twelve men up to now. The concrete beneath my feet is slick with ice, and I nearly stumble as they escort me toward the waiting car. One of Blake's men steadies me with a grip that straddles between painful and helpful. Enough to keep me upright, yet tight enough to remind me I'm not going anywhere.

Getting in the car now,I tell Jude, sliding across leather seats that smell like expensive cologne and underlying menace.Blake is sitting across from me. He keeps staring.

Blake does keep staring, his deep blue eyes cataloging me like I'm the livestock he's considering purchasing. When he finally speaks, his voice carries the same false warmth I remember from childhood—the tone he used right before delivering punishment.

"You've grown into quite the beautiful young woman, Emmie. Your mother did well with you. I'll give her that."

I turn to stare out the window, focusing on the passing landscape instead of acknowledging him. Pine trees flash by in the headlights, their branches heavy with snow. The road winds upward, climbing steadily into the mountains.

"Don't ignore me, darling." Blake's voice carries a warning edge now. "You'll show me the respect I deserve as your guardian."

"I've never respected you," I say without looking away from the window. "And I never will."

The silence that follows is loaded with violence as his anger radiates across the small space. But I refuse to give him the satisfaction of showing fear.

"You know," he says conversationally, "I remember when you first came to live with me. Fourteen years old, all defiant eyesand protective instincts toward your sisters. You thought you could keep them safe from me."

My hands clench into balls at the mention of my sisters. "You sold them. Like cattle."

"I found them appropriate matches with men who could provide for them properly. That's what good guardians do." His smile is sharp enough to cut. "Though I must admit, I had such high hopes for all three of you. Such beautiful, intelligent girls with excellent genetic profiles."

The car takes a sharp turn, headlights sweeping across a wall of rock on one side and a steep drop-off on the other. We're climbing higher, moving deeper into the wilderness where my screams will only echo off the snow-capped mountains.

Still in the car,I tell Jude, trying to keep my mental voice steady.Winding mountain road, very isolated. No other vehicles, no lights except what we're making.

How long have you been driving?

Maybe ten minutes? We're climbing steadily.

Blake leans forward suddenly, reaching out to grip my chin with fingers that press just hard enough to bruise. "Look at me when I'm speaking to you."

I meet his eyes, letting him see the hatred burning there. "What do you want me to say? That I'm grateful? That I'm happy to see you?"

"I want you to understand your purpose." His grip tightens slightly. "You're going to give me what I need, Emmie. Beautiful, intelligent children who I hope will carry your genes. You can scent match to everyone, yet nobody. Once claimed, you'll be able to feel every emotion I have.”

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