“Me too,” I reply. “But trust me, not going would be a lot worse.”
“Time’s up,” Leo says, walking over to me and grabbing my arm, dragging me over to the car, shoving me into the back seat. He climbs in after me, slamming the door shut before twisting to face me. In the enclosed space of the limo he looks even bigger, like he’s not even human. “Drive,” he says, still staring at me.
I swallow hard as the car lurches forward. “Where are we going?” I ask.
“To get married.”
“What? What the hell are you talking about?”
“Your father’s in debt to me for a million bucks. We made a deal. I get you and his debt is cleared.”
“You can’t do that. Stop the car, Leo. Right now.”
I rattle the door next to me but it’s locked. He takes my hand away from the lock. The restrained force in his touch terrifies me. It feels like he could break my arm without any effort at all.
I look down at his hand, and he lets go of me, slowly. “You got a million dollars?” he asks.
“No, of course I haven’t.”
“Then I guess you’re coming with me.”
“You can’t do this. I’m in the middle of a dig. I’ve got a job to do. You can’t just kidnap me, for fuck’s sake.”
“One, you curse again, I’ll spank you until you’re screaming in pain and begging me to stop. Two, I’ve always wanted a Gorgosaurus in my entrance hall. I’ll send someone to collect this one soon enough.”
I barely hear a word past spank. When he says that, I freeze inside. He means it. That’s what scares me. I can tell by his voice.
What scares me the most isn’t the threat. It’s the terrifying thought that when he said it, my first reaction was to curse again. I have to bite my lip to keep from doing it. What the hell is wrong with me? I have no interest in this man, not anymore. It’s been years since I had that crush on him. That time has long passed. I’m an adult too now, not a kid with an obsession on my best friend’s big brother. I don’t want him anymore, not since he’s become this … monster that’s sitting next to me.
“Where are we going?” I ask quietly, doing my best to keep my voice under control.
“To the island,” he replies. “Like I told you. You do remember it, don’t you, Anna? It’s mine now Dad’s dead.”
My mind goes straight back to that time on the beach. Watching him swimming in those tiny shorts of his. Wishing with all my heart that he would come and kiss me. Asking him to do it when he came out of the water. Him rejecting me, calling me just a kid. Walking away and leaving me heartbroken.
“Still want me to kiss you?” he asks, and I swear there’s a note of warmth to his voice for the first time. He remembers that day too. What does that mean?”
“It was a stupid crush,” I snap. “That’s what you told me at the time.”
“You sure?”
“I was fifteen and you were twenty-five. I had no clue what I was thinking.”
“And now you’re twenty-five and you’re going to be my wife.”
“Over my dead body, I am.”
He leans close, his eyes turning dead as a shark’s. “If that’s how you want to play this, that’s just fine by me.”
How did I ever have a crush on this man? He’s a cold-hearted bastard who’s just threatened to kill me. I don’t know who to hate more. Him or my father for selling me to him.
“I know what you’re thinking,” he says. “You’re thinking of running the first chance you get. I advise against it.”
“Well, you would, wouldn’t you?”
“You run and I track you down. Lock you in my basement until you’re willing to cooperate. I also kill your mother and your father.”
“Newsflash, Leo. They threw me out. I don’t have anything to do with them anymore. Whatever debt they’re in, it’s nothing to do with me.”