The room watches. Eyes wide. Whispers ripple through the party like wildfire. But no one stops me.
No one would dare.
Martine writhes in my hold, but it’s a half-hearted fight. She’s enjoying this. She loves pushing me, testing me, seeing just how far I’ll go before I break.
"You’re causing a scene," she huffs.
I slap the back of her thigh, once. A warning. "I thought that's what you wanted, darling."
She stills, just for a second.
Then, under her breath, "Bastard."
I smirk. "Keep talking, darling. It won’t end well for you."
Her sharp exhale tells me everything. She’s furious. Good.
I don’t stop until we’re outside, down the grand steps. The driver has already opened the door. I shove her inside, climbing in right after.
The door shuts us into silence.
She shifts, smoothing her dress, fixing her hair with slow, deliberate movements. Then she turns to me, chin lifting in defiance. "Happy now?"
I don’t answer.
I study her. The flush on her cheeks. The wildness in her eyes. The way her breath still comes just a little too fast.
Then, slowly, I reach out.
My fingers trail along her jaw, soft at first. Then I grip, firm, commanding, forcing her gaze to stay locked on mine.
"Not even close."
Martine Lilian Huntington-Russell
I just need a break.
The walls are closing in on me, suffocating in their silence, in their expectations. Hayden left, which should have been a relief, but it only makes me restless. The mansion is too quiet without his presence, without the push and pull of our battles.
I should be worried about what that means—my longing for his return. Shouldn’t I be consumed with a desire to escape? Yetall I can think about is Hayden's whereabouts, stuck in a mood that's longing for his control.
So instead of allowing myself to pine for a captor who thinks of me as less than the dirt beneath his shoe, I’m going to find my way out.
It isn’t difficult. Men like the ones in this house, those trained to obey and keep things in order, all have weaknesses. The butler is no exception.
I soften my voice, let my lashes lower just so as I sigh, "I just need to get some air. Just for a little while."
He hesitates because, of course, he’s worried that if I have Hayden’s permission, I just need to convince him I’m free without it. He’s good at his job, but he’s not strong enough to resist me when I want something.
I press, leaning in, giving him my best impression of sweet and vulnerable. "Call the car around, will you?"
I should have known from the start that this was all it would take. That my escape wasn’t as difficult as it was made out to be, I only needed to be brave enough to ask the right person in the house.
I was certain Hayden would have strictly told the house staff I wasn’t to leave, but clearly, he didn’t realize how easily his staff could be coerced. All’s well anyway, it’s not as if I'm leaving, I’m simply slipping away for a bit, and may even return home before he’s back.
I know exactly where I’m going before I even step into the idling car.
Archibald’s estate.
