Page 64 of The Bratva's Innocent Pregnant Bride
Nothing. She had disappeared.
Chapter 42 - Paisley
The new clothes, the constant, concerned looks. Dan was being way too sweet and it was tearing me apart, making me question my resolve to leave him behind. That wasn’t an option, not as long as men like Gavril Bocharov were still out there hunting me.
It took the entire way back to the car to convince Dan that nothing was really wrong with me. That was almost the complete truth because I wasn’t sick, but every time his eyes met mine, I could feel them digging deep into my soul. He knew I wasn’t telling him everything, and as much as I wished I could relieve him of the worry he was clearly feeling, my lips were sealed on my real diagnosis.
He flat out refused to listen to any plan that didn’t involve me getting back on the private jet and returning to Aspen.
“I talked to Aleks while you were in with the doc,” he said, with a cheerfulness that was as forced as my line about being perfectly fine. “I cleared up the misunderstanding about the agency and they’re eager to have you back.”
I was too tired to argue. He wasn’t the kind of man to listen to reason once his mind was made up, and he was determined that I return to Aspen with him. No arguments. His macho bluster and bossiness would have had me erupting in fury against him, but now it was somewhat of a relief to let him take control as long as it got me to the airport.
As much as I would love to relax and enjoy the safety he offered, it was stifling to know what that look of concern on his face would turn into if he knew I was pregnant.
The smile would freeze, horror would fill his eyes, and every kind thing he forced himself to do or say after that wouldonly be an act. I wouldn’t do that to myself or him. I may have been out of a job, my phone lost, rapidly dwindling funds in my bank account, no plan, and nowhere to go, but I still had my wallet since it had been tucked in my pocket when Agent Pierce dragged me out of the car. More importantly, I still had my pride. I still had dignity, and I would never, ever trap a man.
Even if it meant breaking my heart by walking away and not looking back.
All the way to the airport, I gave myself a mental pep talk. I was a good accountant. I could find a way to change my name, get a job wherever I ended up, settle down and raise the baby on my own.
On my own. It brought tears to my eyes and not just for myself. For this child who would never know his rowdy, fiercely brave father. Never know the huge family who would surely adore him if things were different.
But things were the way they were. They sucked, but there wasn’t a single thing I could do about it. I was feeling weak and sick again, but more from sorrow than anything else. I had to make a move before we got out onto the airfield where there wouldn’t be a crowd to disappear into. I pointed out a place that sold bagels and coffee and Dan sweetly jumped to get me some, giving me a stern look and telling me to stay put.
I didn’t exactly feel safe in the huge airport where anyone could be looming in the crowd, but it seemed unlikely that anyone at Axon could have tracked me so soon after Dan left Agent Pierce to rot in that warehouse. Surprisingly, I didn’t have an ounce of guilt over that. He got what he deserved, especially since I was certain he was the one who sent me the bomb.
The second Dan turned away to hurry toward the line at the coffee shop, I took off, not looking back. I had to move fast,and since I was in an airport with a bunch of other people who were in a hurry, no one looked twice at me as I sprinted away.
Still, it wouldn’t take him long to discover I was no longer on the bench where he warned me to stay. He’d found me once before when I was gone for hours. My tiny lead here was nothing. As soon as I turned a corner, I ducked into the nearest women’s room, hoping it was the kind that had exits on the opposite side.
Locked in a stall, I caught my breath, but reality was crashing down on me. I had no clothes to change into, no way to hide my hair, not even a pair of sunglasses. Leaving the bathroom and making my way back to the ticket desks seemed like an impossible task.
And the worst part was I didn’t want to do any of it. I wanted to get on Dan’s plane and head back to Aspen where everyone would dote on me. If I was truly exonerated and no one believed I was responsible for the attack, it would be as homey and welcoming as when we came back after being trapped in the storm.
Until Christmas was over and the job ended. Then what? It was better to rip off the bandaid in one quick swipe, instead of inching it off and causing more pain.
There was no exit on the opposite side so I was faced with leaving the way I came in. I pictured the layout of the airport in relation to where I was, trying to remember which way to go to reach the nearest shop. A different color top and a baseball cap would go a long way to keeping Dan from finding me. Then buy a ticket on the next plane I could get on and huddle in the nearest bathroom again until the departure was announced.
Solid plan. Until I stepped outside the restroom door and two burly men with scowls on their faces closed in on me. Not acoincidence. They looked me straight in the eyes, both of them reaching for me at once.
Oh God, I was so caught up in worrying about having to get in an argument with Dan I completely lost sight of the fact that the killers at Axon were still out for my blood. I was stupid to think I had time before they tracked me down again. They had the FBI in their pocket for goodness’ sake.
I wasn’t going to let them grab me. Not without a fight. Someone would help me once I started screaming my head off. A big hand clamped around my arm on one side as the other brute closed in on the other. As soon as I felt him grip my elbow, I went limp, falling to the floor like a dead weight. I opened my mouth to scream like a banshee, but a meaty hand slapped over my mouth as I was jerked back to my feet and hustled around a corner to a dead end leading to an emergency stairwell.
Nope, not getting dragged in there. I thrashed backwards, managing to wrench free from one of the guys, who strangely weren’t holding onto me that tightly. I whirled around with my free arm to whack the man who still held onto me in the face, but he neatly grabbed my wrist and held it at my side.
“Paisley,” he said urgently. “We work for Dan. You’re safe.”
I didn’t believe him. Hadn’t I been lied to for weeks by good old Agent Pierce? He might as well have told me he was Santa Claus for all I was buying his crap. I lunged forward, twisting away from the one who still had his hand clamped over my mouth. Muttering an apology under his breath, he enveloped me in a bear hug and lifted me off my feet, turning me to face the way we’d entered.
I went limp when I saw Dan hurrying down the hall, and the guy let me go, just in time to tumble into Dan’s arms. “Damnit, Paisley,” he said, holding onto my shoulders. “What the hell are you doing? Trying to give me a heart attack?”
He did look severely stressed as he ran his hands down my arms, keeping a firm grip on my wrist as he and his security men marched me through the airport and outside to where the jet waited.
“Don’t,” he said, when I looked around for another way to escape. “Don’t even think about it. I’m keeping you safe if it kills me.”
It was the wrong thing to joke about and my shoulders hunched as my feet began to drag on the tarmac. “That’s what I’m scared of,” I whispered, too low for him to hear. I stopped and dug in my heels when we reached the stairs leading up to the small private plane. “Dan,” I said, pleading with him to understand why I had to go my own way.
