I wrapped my arms around my middle and squeezed.
My stomach turned over. Every exit had just closed.
Sheets of rain pelted the windshield, obscuring the view. Neither of us spoke as we traveled deeper into the woods. There was only the continued rhythmicwhoosh, whoosh, whooshof the wipers.
Pierce did not slow the car down, confidently taking the steep curves at a high speed as we climbed higher and higher up the mountain. The Worthington estate sat on the edge of the sheer cliff which gave the town of Cliffs End its name.
With each turn, he took me farther from civilization. The police were probably in his pocket. Everyone was. But I couldn’t just sit here and do nothing.
I pulled my lips between my teeth and tightened my arms around my middle, trying to quell the shivers racking my body.
Without saying a word, Pierce leaned forward and adjusted the heat higher. Hot air ruffled my hair as it blew from the vents. I hated that he saw my shiver. I didn’t want him to notice anything about me.
Adjusting in my seat to curl my body to the right, facing away from him, I looked down at the silver car door handle.
Keeping my eyes lowered, I glanced at Pierce. His attention was on the dangerous road conditions.
Beyond the window, a brief glimpse of the dark, churning waters of the Atlantic Ocean was only partially visible through the thick layer of evergreen trees before it disappeared. The forest closed in.
If I didn’t act soon, I would be beyond the reach of civilization. I had no way to call for help. For all my friends knew, I was ironically safe in a jail cell right now. I was completely alone…with the man who’d ruined my life and played with my emotions as if I were nothing more than an amusing toy to him.
I unclasped my arms and slowly inched my right arm along the door. My fingers were stiff and numb, barely able to close. I flexed them twice before reaching for the handle.
Pierce broke the silence. “When we get to the estate, you will talk to no one. Do you understand me?”
My jaw locked. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t nod. I didn’t dare even turn to look at him. My chest rose and fell with each unsteady breath. I could feel his focus locked on me, tracking every small movement I made.
Had he read my thoughts? Did he know of my intentions? I glanced down at my fingertips, only inches from the door handle.
Pierce placed his hand on my thigh.
I started and tried to pull away.
His fingers tightened, the tips digging into my flesh, holding me in place. The warmth of his skin permeated the flimsy silk of my skirt.
“I’m going to need a response, Madison.”
I nodded stiffly, as if the motion were foreign to me.
“Use your words, babygirl.”
I licked my lips to moisten them. “Yes,” I choked out.
I sensed rather than saw his knowing smirk. “Good girl.”
He squeezed my thigh a final time before once more gripping the steering wheel.
I stared at his hands and hated that I was jealous of that wheel. Here I was salivating over the way his powerful hands clasped the leather-bound wheel and wondering what they would look like unbuckling his black leather belt.
The car fell back into a tense silence. I became aware of the harsh rush of my own breathing.
I looked back at the door handle.
Extending my arm, I let my fingertips graze the smooth metal and stilled, waiting for an angry reaction from Pierce. There was none.
Coughing to cover the sound of my movement, I leaned forward to grip the handle.
The car slowed slightly as he navigated around a sharp turn.
