Page 43 of One Wild Ride

SEVENTEEN

Aria

“Aria, you’re married?” Alex said as his voice cracked.

No one knew about it and I had hoped no one ever would. Even Morgana didn’t know about my marriage.

“Yes.”

“Alex, you should come home with me. I can tell you everything. Never believe a woman who is only after your money. Besides, you already know that she’s not the woman meant for you.” Alex’s mom sneered at me.

Just a few weeks ago she was practically begging me to be with her son and now, it’s as if I turned into a lost beggar child from a Dickens’ novel.

“No. This doesn’t involve you,” Alex said to his mom.

I thought he was going to storm off when he pushed past her, leave me behind for good. It’s what I wanted, right? Be free of this family and all its crazy. But now I didn’t want to leave Alex. Something about running away with him to some far-off locale sounded exciting.

That’s what I wanted. Excitement. Part of why I missed working was the stimulation. When things were busy, I came home from work exhausted but happy. Now there was no exhaustion, only boredom.

Maybe adventure was the key.

It surprised me when Alex grabbed my wrist and tugged me along. We kept walking until we were inside the elevator moving down. That’s when the silence took over. I kept glancing at him but his head was down, his brow wrinkled.

Some may see him and think he was deep in concentration, but I knew better. Alex was angry. And as much as I wanted that irritation directed toward his mother, I knew it wasn’t. It was because of me.

I was about to speak, to explain, but the doors opened and he pulled me with him. His fingers tightened around my hand as we went through the turning doors and stepped into the cool, windy May sidewalk. A black car with tinted windows sat out front and Alex walked over to open the door.

He waved for me to get inside but I stood my ground.

“Aria, I need to speak with you. Please, get inside.”

I folded my arms refusing to go anywhere until I got answers. “Where are you taking me?”

He’s mad at me, fine. He has every right but that doesn’t mean he can pull me around like a rag doll. Expecting me to do go wherever he wants as if I have no say.

“Somewhere safe. Somewhere to talk.”

My shoulders shook with laughter. “And where would that be, Alex? I am coming to notice that no matter where we go, your mother seems to show up.” I waved my hand back at the large, metal and glass Mimir building. “Just take me home.”

I was getting tired of this crazy world he inhabited. As much as I sought the adventure with him, I also wanted it to be carefree, not full of worry and confusion.

I moved to the car and stepped inside. Once we were buckled in the car took off.

“To garage number one, Ben,” Alex said to the man driving the car.

“That’s not taking me home.” I turned toward Alex, his eyes still set on the front of the vehicle.

“No, it’s not. But there is something there that not even my mother knows about.”

Or maybe there was nothing there. Maybe he could get rid of me and no one would know about it.

I may have known Alex for a month and a half, but what did I really understand about him? Maybe this was all a way to lure me into believing him. What if there’s a reason no one knows what A. Hawthorne looks like? What if he plans to hurt me, or worse.

Gazing over at him, I noticed the curves in his arms as he flexed his muscles. To say the man was built was an understatement. He could break me in half easily.

“Don’t worry. Where we’re going, my mother won’t be able to find us.” Alex finally turned to look at me. His eyes narrowed as if they were measuring me. Probably for my grave.

I was surprised when he still wanted to talk to me even after finding out that I was married. No guy would do that unless they wanted something from me. Something that I might not want to give, like my life.

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