Chapter 20
Asnore near my ear roused me from comfort. I clawed myself out of sleep. Awareness came over me like a slow-crawling fog.
The events of yesterday, the charity event, the call to Roberto, and their reaction rolled through my head like a movie.
But what I fixated on was Rafe’s words before I fell asleep. I exhaled slowly. My body was left wanting.
Dorian sprawled at the end of the bed, his hand gripping my foot. Cade was on one side of me, snoring, Rafe on the other, face slack. All three were here and unconscious. They looked almost as drained as I felt.
Wait. All of them were right here. If I had any chance of escaping, it wasnow.
Quietly, I pushed upright using my abdomen. A pinch in my belly made me wince. I was so sore from straining that I hadto bite my lip to contain my whine. I could slide off the bed by scooting through the space near Cade’s leg.
Slowly, so slowly, I lifted my foot until I slid it free of Dorian’s grip. Step one was done. With small, incremental moves, I managed to slide to the end of the bed. Cade’s lack of snore made me freeze. One second, two seconds, then his snores started up again. I exhaled, nerves devouring my stomach. There wasn’t time to wimp out. I set one foot on the carpeted floor and switched my weight onto it.
Finally, I was standing. All three remained blissfully asleep.
I grabbed the big shirt spilled across the floor.
Quietly, I tiptoed to the open door. As much as I wanted to, I didn’t stop to celebrate. I padded down the little steps as I donned the shirt. Dorian had left his Epad on the coffee table. Swiping it open, I navigated to the internet.
The closest ORD office was twenty miles away. Too far on foot. They had left the car keys in the living room. Rafe must have tossed them on the way past to the bedroom. It would take too long to get there unless I took their car. I chewed on my lip.
I’d never driven, or learned to, but it couldn’t be so hard, right? There was the gas, brakes, and those were the main bits.
I plucked the keys off the table and studied the screen. Once I pulled onto the freeway, I just had to follow the south route. I couldn’t risk taking the device, so I slid my finger up the screen to delete evidence of my search.
Then I ran.
Passing the door, the hallway, then the foyer, I rushed to the car parked in the driveway. Rafe had left it unlocked, so I was in the driver’s seat, shoving the key into the ignition and turning the key within moments.
The vehicle beeped, but the engine didn’t start. I frowned and turned it, this time holding it when the engine grumbled until itfinally roared to life.Thank God. I gave an experimental push on the pedal on the right. It revved.
Okay, then the other was the break. I pushed down on it, looked down at the driving stick, eyeing the letters. First, I had to reverse, so the?—
The door flew open, and I screamed, but Dorian was already there. As soon as he reached for me, I kicked my foot out, hitting his stomach. He doubled over, wheezing on an exhale. Panic drove my fist forward and my knuckles connected with his nose. Something cracked, and he grunted. Blood began to spill from his nostrils at an alarming rate. His growl sent shivers down my spine. I hated how ready my body was for him.
Slamming my foot onto the pedal, I yanked the lever, and the car jerked. It began to roll.
“We’re going backwards!” I screamed, digging my nails into his skin.
The door creaked and hit his foot, bouncing off it. That had to hurt. Dorian made a sound of shock and threw himself forward, his knee pushed against the side of my thigh as he balanced on the edge of the seat with half his body popping out of the car.
I slammed my foot onto the other pedal. The engine roared, but the car didn’t move. Dorian reached over me, his delicious coffee smell so intense it was dizzying. I bit back my groan and instinctual urge to lean toward him.
“It’thin neutral,” he spat, blood running down to his lip. His bare chest pressed close, his other arm wound around the backrest of my seat, and he braced himself. “Hold on to me.”
Fear had me tossing my arms around his waist as the car began to move. I lifted my toe off the gas so it would stop revving.
I screamed as we continued rolling. Grass crunched under the tires, and the car swung to the left in a backward swoop. Dorian slid his hand behind my neck, bracing me. I was toobusy screaming and gripping onto him, then it all stopped with a collision against the barrier of trees. The car jolted and came to a standstill, the engine still running.
Dorian didn’t waste time. He pulled back, blood now dripping off his chin, and his arm lashed around my middle. Then he dragged me out of the vehicle, ending my escape attempt. I couldn’t let it end like this. I screamed, kicking and shoving.
His steps were so wide, he had me in the foyer quickly.
I stomped on his foot, and he cursed, letting me go. I burst forward, back against the wall, watching the open door behind him.
He limped as he backed up and closed it, the look on his face unreadable as he swiped the blood off with the back of his hand. It’d stopped leaking.
