"Get back in the truck."
"No. Tell me what's going on. What did Gustave say you haven't told me?"
"Get in the truck."
"No!"
"Emilia, do as I say," I bark.
She jumps and gasps.
"I'm sorry." I tug her into my arms.
"Your heart is beating so fast."
I kiss the top of her head. "I'll be fine. Please get back in the truck. We need to go."
She tilts her head up. Her blue eyes glisten, full of worry, proving my thoughts that no matter what happens, she'll never lose the emotions in her eyes. Men will always crave her for that feature alone. I know because I yearn for it, too.
She pulls my head to her lips, and the kiss she gives me ignites every pulse in my body, ruining me further. It's a kiss of hunger, need, and love.
Men search a lifetime for a kiss like hers.
They will pay money to watch her break and conform.
I shudder and hold her tighter. "Ma belle, we need to go."
"Okay."
I hold the door open, and she slides across the seat. I get in and drive toward the coordinates with my arm around her. We rarely talk, and my pulse won't slow.
There are two and a half hours to spare when we arrive. It's four in the morning. Fog surrounds us. I turn off the truck. "You should get some sleep."
She places her hand over my chest. "Malin, your heart is still racing."
"I'm fine. It's best if you sleep."
She crawls over my body, straddling me. She strokes the side of my head. "I can't. Something is wrong. I need you to be honest with me. What did Gustave say?"
"We will discuss it with him."
"Why?"
"I don't know all the details." I'm praying for a miracle Louis doesn't want her for what I assume.
She tilts her head.
"I'm not lying to you."
She pauses then nods her head and gently replies, "Okay. How do you know Ezra?"
"He's a Global Leader. Media is important. No story runs without approval. Five years ago, they brought him in. At first, he seemed to be going through the motions, which happens often. Men have to choose. Join the Global Leaders or die."
Her eyes widen. She gasps. "But he was always like a father to Naomi, and even me at times."
"He couldn't resist his demons."
"What do you mean?"