Page 12 of The Pakhan's Sold Bride

This guy exudes power without saying a word, and his aura is one of pure danger. Despite that, I’m getting impatient and verging on starting an argument with him.

My stress is quickly turning into full-blown anger.

His car growls as he accelerates out of a corner. I roll my eyes. Stupid men and their stupid overpriced toys.

The car is clearly expensive, as in more expensive than any house I could ever afford. But I don’t know enough about cars to say what it is.

“Is that what this is all about? My father owes you money?” I ask, looking directly at him. My patience is wearing thin.

My eyes trace over his profile. The strong, angular lines of his face, his clean-cut look with masculine features.

I get annoyed with myself for perving on this guy again. Someone so rude and obnoxious doesn’t deserve to be that good-looking.

But I can’t tear my eyes away from him.

He has a tattoo over the side of his neck; it’s a detailed moth, with its delicate wings curved over a skull, and it looks like it moves down over something like a moon, but his shirt is covering too much of that part for me to be sure.

“Is that a luna moth?” I try another tactic to get through to him. “They are beautiful creatures.” I’m doing my best to keep my voice stay and calm. “What does it mean?”

Nothing.

Silence.

Cold.

Empty.

Except it’s not empty. I can feel tension radiating from him. Annoyance, or anticipation of something. What is he planning?

I look out of the window and try to work out where in the city we are.

We’re near the main street, the business district. “Where are you taking me?” I ask, leaning closer to the window.

We pull off the main road just as I ask, and he drives beneath a very ornate building that looks almost gothic in design.

“Is this the courthouse?” I mumble to myself. My heart is racing. The palms of my hands become damp with sweat, and I keep chewing on my lower lip, anxiety flooding through me.Is my dad in legal trouble?

Surely they can’t expect me to stand in front of a judge on behalf of my father. I didn’t sign or agree to anything.

This is nuts.

“Please, just tell me what this is about?” I plead again, but his stonewalling continues.

“You’re so rude,” I huff angrily, trying to stop myself from letting tears escape. There is no point in letting this guy see me cry. He doesn’t care about anything except what he wants. He doesn’t even care that he’s terrifying me.

Who the hell is he?

The car comes to a stop in a parking bay near the elevators.

“Get out,” he snaps, his deep voice making me jump after such a long silence.

I push the door open and climb out. I look left and right, wondering if I should try and make a run for it. But there really isn’t anywhere to go, and I’ve already been given a fine displayof his brute strength and the force he’s willing to use to keep me close.

I’d rather walk than be carried over his shoulder again.

I clench my jaw and allow him to wrap his massive hand around my upper arm and pull me close to his side.

I’m pretty sure that if I put up a fight, I’ll be a sack of potatoes again. I’d like to retain my dignity.

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