I must be in shock because the fact I was apparently kidnapped and transported halfway across Switzerland isn’t registering as much as the fact that a man is dead because of me.
I close my eyes and attempt to breathe because this isn’t what I expected. I have many questions but fear the answers and wonder if asking to return home is an option.
The attendant returns with a glass of water, andI open my eyes to thank her with a smile. The engines fire up, and my heart rate increases as the aircraft moves from its standing position, signifying there is no going back now.
Julius drops into the seat beside me and says over the engine noise, “The flight is a long one, and you must be exhausted. If you need to sleep at any time, there is a bedroom in the middle of the plane. Take it; it's yours for the duration of the flight if you require it.”
His smile is kind, but his eyes are cold, and yet something in them catches my breath on fire. They shimmer with intensity, almost as if they are pulling me under a dark spell, and I’m not gullible enough to pretend that he isn’t equally as dangerous as the situation he saved me from.
As I said, I have many questions but wonder if this is the time to voice them. It may be better to remain silent and draw my own conclusions before offloading my thoughts to a man who is certain to use them against me.
Once we are airborne,the attendant returns and addresses Julius.
“Your usual, sir.” Her eyes burn—no positively smolder—as she smiles at him, and he nods.
“Whiskey neat and whatever Rose wants.”
Hearing my name on his lips is not unpleasant, and I wonder why I like the sound of it. Her gaze meets mine, and I smile. “Just water, please.”
As she moves away, Julius turns, and his scrutiny is a little intense, causing me to hold my breath. It hasn’t escaped my attention that he is an extremely attractive man, and there is something about his gaze that unnerves me.
“The car that collected you from the convent was booked by Sister Agatha, but the driver was found dead with his throat cut at five thirty this morning.”
I say nothing as he carries on in an emotionless voice.
“The man who took you to the airport was Mickey Stallin, one of Liam Dettori’s guards. It was under Liam’s instruction to kidnap you, and his intention was to take you to Romania, where he has a mountain home.”
“But why?”
I am confused about that because why would a man like that be interested in a girl like me? I have nothing to offer him, but Julius sighs and surprises me by taking my hand.
I stare at his hand heavy against mine, noting the strong, tapered, tattooed fingers with several heavy rings. My handappears small in his, and I wonder if it would be impolite to snatch it away because this is messing with my mind.
Then he speaks, and my attention is dragged back to reality when he says roughly, “I hate to be the one to break this to you, baby girl, but you are in a whole lot of trouble right now. You have a price on your head and a target on your back, and it’s my job to keep you alive.”
5
JULIUS
She is scared shitless, terrified in fact. She is doing a good job in disguising it, but I can read her like a book. Once again, I’m surprised at my need to protect her, and I expect it’s because she has become my top priority under my father’s orders.
I have decided not to mess around and to head straight to the point. If anything, she deserves that. This is her life, and she will need to trust me because I am the man standing between her and death or a living hell. It’s not much of a choice for a woman who fled the church, and as soon as she stepped out of the safe walls, hell was waiting on the other side of the door.
“I’m in danger?”
Her eyes widen, and her skin is as white as snow, and I nod, deciding that brutal facts will ensure she plays my game.
“You may not realize this, but when your father died, he left his entire fortune to you and your sisters. Until now, your stepmother has been living off your trust fund, and when you come of age and fulfill the conditions of hiswill, she will be cut out of the picture and forced to give up her billion-dollar lifestyle. Word is she’s pissed about that.”
She noticeably shivers.
“My stepmother, Morgan?”
The distaste on her face is evident as she whispers, “Ineverwant to see that woman again.”
“Why not?”
I’m mildly curious but can guess as she turns away.
