Page 42 of Betrayed in the Dark
How could I be so reckless?
So weak?
If the truth were to escape, it would ruin everything.
“Would that be such a bad thing?”
No!I wanted to scream in his face.
Not when that’s all I’ve ever wanted.
We hit a bump in the road, intensifying my churning stomach. My arms wrap tighter around me.
“Do you need us to pull over?” Eli asks.
I know he’s only trying to help, but every sound vibrates throughout my skull like a jackhammer.
“No,” I whisper. “Home.” I take another long, deep breath. “I just need to go home.”
Thirty minutes later, we pull through the gate of the Alarie Estate, and a weight lifts from my chest.
“We’re almost there,” Eli tells me, and I can’t help but note an edge of concern in his voice.
I feel the car navigate the familiar twists and turns of my driveway deep in the woods, and I count the seconds until I can get out of this car and safely throw up in the privacy of my bathroom.
“Whose car is that?” Eli asks.
I don’t have the energy to look. “Vin was car shopping recently. If you don’t recognize it, maybe it’s his,” I murmur.
Once the car comes to a stop, I put on my sunglasses and unwind before stepping out. Within seconds, Eli is by my side, his strong arm wrapped around my back and his hand gripping my waist to support me.
“I’ve got you,” Eli voices.
As we take the last step up the stairs, a figure appears to the side, catching us both by surprise. Eli jumps in front of me, positioning himself to keep me behind him, protecting me from danger.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Eli growls.
Definitely not Vin’s car, then.
I peek around him, finding the devil standing before us.
“Alastor?” I manage to get out as I take a step around Eli. I look toward my driveway, spotting a bright orange hideous sports car. “Is that your car?”
Alastor looks over proudly. “Ah, yes. Just got it for a small two million.” He chuckles, brushing a hand down his shirt. “She’s one of the fastest cars in the world. They only produced a few hundred of them, and now, well, she’s all mine.”
She?
I grimace as I internally shake my head. I felt my phone vibrate in the car on the way here, probably with notifications alerting me to a security breach, but I was in too much pain to look. Now I wish I had.
What the fuck is he doing here?
Unfortunately, I don’t have time to analyze this predicament because, at this exact instant, the chocolate cake from last night decides to make a reappearance.
I lean over the railing and vomit straight into the snow-covered bushes. A strong hand gently caresses my back while the other holds my hair away from my face.
With nothing left inside me, I take a deep breath and stand, turning to find that it was Eli who took care of me in my moment of weakness.
My bodyguard.
