Page 8 of Shattered Vows

“Where are we going?” I ask, not turning around.

“You’ll see.” I can hear the smirk in his voice.

He’s enjoying making me off-kilter. He wants to scare me.

If I give him what he wants and cower to his needs, maybe he’ll let me go? No, probably not. He’ll probably relish his revenge even more.

Maybe I’m best to not show him how deeply afraid I am but rather to act unaffected. Maybe if he doesn’t get the reaction he desires, he’ll tire of me.

My eyes snap open and stare at the clouds again, but this time I don’t balk. I turn and meet his gaze. “Great, tell me when we get there. I’m going to take a nap.”

I step over to the bed, pull back the covers, and slide under the blankets, wedding dress and all. I purposely turn my back on him. But I don’t fall asleep. I lie with my eyes closed and even out my breathing to pretend. After a while, I hear him rise from the chair and walk out of the room. It’s only then that I can take a full breath.

Rolling over, I stare at the ceiling of the plane. How am I ever going to get away from this man?

Chapter

Four

RAPSODY

We land somewhere in the south. I recognize the early June heat and the first hints of humidity from when I lived in Georgia. The road signs are in English as Kol speeds his sports car down the road, so we’re not in Mexico. The ever-present summer humidity is something I didn’t miss when we moved to the Pacific Northwest.

I don’t bother asking where we are or where we’re going. One, he’ll never tell me. And two, Kol will think I care, and I’m doing my best to make him think I don’t care. Even though the questions are pressed against the back of my lips and dying to be released.

Eventually, he turns off the highway onto a country road, then through a cute small town with shops and cafés. He takes a winding road up a hill, slowing his speed in front of two iron gates.

I swallow hard. It’s not like I had a vision of where we were headed, but these gates make me fear that wherever we are, it’s going to be harder to escape than just sneaking out the fire escape of a building.

Kol presses a code into the pad key on his side, and the gates creak open.

Damn it. I should’ve paid attention to the code he used.

He eases the car through the gates, and we continue on a winding road lined with tall trees that must have been here for decades if not centuries.

“Welcome to Midnight Manor,” Kol says.

The name sounds ominous. As the trees clear, a massive, sprawling mansion comes into view, and Midnight Manor seems aptly named. There is nothing bright and sunshiny about this place. It’s dark and intimidating. And huge—so huge.

I don’t know anything about architecture, but I’d bet my safety that this place is a Gothic manor. Even the dark gray stone sucks up the sunlight as though no light is welcome here. At each end of the house is a spire that rises up, up, up.

Kol parks in the circular drive and climbs out, rounding the front of his car to my side. My nerves hit me full force now that we’ve arrived where he intends to keep me hidden, and my bravado falters. Questions race through my mind. What are we doing here? Is this his home? Why did he bring me here? I work to calm my breathing as he wrenches the car door open and yanks me out with his hand on my upper arm. In seconds, he’s leading me toward the massive front door, never taking his hand off me.

I glance up to find stone gargoyles perched along the top of the manor. I wish this was some movie where I could call to them for help, and they would fly me out of here so I don’t have to endure what Kol has planned for me. My vision quickly shifts with so much of the mansion to see. The stained-glass window over the towering door draws me in, and I admire the beauty of the piece mixed into the dark menacing monstrosity. If only I could sit in front of it, painting the intricate work of art. But Kol pushes open the door, leading me inside, and that thought withers and dies.

The place seems even more massive now that we’re inside. My eyes are unable to focus on one thing, continuously drawn to ornate pieces of furniture. It resembles what I imagine European palaces that are hundreds of years old look like. Kol doesn’t say anything as he drags me through room after room. How can he so easily dismiss this radiance?

We don’t come upon anyone, and even if we did, I’m unsure I’d ask them for help anyway. From how well he’s navigating the sheer size of the manor, this must be where Kol lives. We’re moving so fast that if I was able to escape, I’m not sure I’d find my way out.

Every room is dimly lit as though the early evening sun isn’t shining brightly outside. The hallways are wide, and the wall sconces flicker with minimal light that does nothing to hide the shadows littering the walls, the ceiling, and the stone floor.

Eventually we arrive at a long hallway with a high, pointed-arch ceiling, and on the left are large archways with stained glass in them, just as alluring as the window that adorned the front door. Most of the glass art depicts landscapes or an array of colorful shapes. The center arch is different. It’s a massive lion, facing forward with an intense stare. I divert my eyes, tensing as if its eyes are on me. Kol doesn’t stop, and it feels as if the lion is watching, a predator lying in the fields until it’s time to pounce.

“This is my wing,” Kol says, drawing my attention away from the captivating stained glass. “There’s no point in screaming for help. No one will hear you. And if by chance you do see a member of the staff, know that they are loyal to the Voss family.”

I grit my teeth, feeling stifled and suffocated. I’m never escaping Kol.

“What do you plan to do to me?” I ask when we reach the end of the lengthy hallway and he stops us in front of a closed door.

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