Page 37 of Forbidden Pawn

“I just wanted to get some fresh air,” I say, keeping my tone as neutral as possible, despite the annoyance bubbling inside me.

“Fresh air?” he repeats, visibly annoyed. “You can get that in the garden, at the back of the house. Where I can keep an eye on you.”

His attitude is suffocating, but I can’t deny the fire it lights within me. A fire that threatens to burn and eat me alive. It’shard to tell whether he’s so possessive of me, because he worries I might try to run away, or whether it’s because he’s worried about my safety.

“Keep an eye on me?” I ask. “So, you really are watching me through those cameras all day long?”

He flinches, as if I’d just hit him, and his face contorts, revealing his discomfort at my accusation. Which means I was probably spot on with my assessment.

But then he comes even closer, and my pulse quickens.

“You’re not supposed to leave the house,” he growls. “Unless it’s to tend to the gardens.”

“Tend to the gardens,” I mock him. “Is that all I’m allowed to do, your Highness?”

“What were you doing out here?” he snaps back. “If you want fresh air, you can get that on the other side of the house.”

“I wanted to go for a walk!” I say, trying to keep my voice steady, even though my frustration is bubbling just beneath the surface. “I wanted to see something else. My mind is going insane. I feel like a caged tiger and you—”

I hesitate, unsure what exact complaint I want to throw at him. You treated me like a toy, like something you used for pleasure, and then discarded when you were done with me? Is that what happened? It definitely felt like it.

“You can’t do that,” Ryker insists, his tone hard, like I’ve broken some unspoken rule, which—according to him—I did.

I sigh, exasperated. “Why not?”

“You know very well why,” he barks, towering over me. “I need to monitor you. I don’t want you to—“

“Run away?” I ask. “I thought we had established that there’s nowhere to run for me out here? You said it yourself. And why would I even do that? I’m your pawn, not your prisoner.”

“Technically, you’re both,” he says, his gaze darkening.

He narrows his eyes at me. “This isn’t about running away. It’s about your safety, Grace. You think I can let you just wander off? There are people out there who would kill for information on me. People who wouldn’t hesitate to hurt you if they knew who you were.”

“Out here?” I wonder out loud, scanning the beautiful—and deserted—landscape that stretches out before us. His property is surrounded by a large fence, studded with cameras that would catch any intruder. It makes sense, considering his profession, but somehow I never figured there could be any danger for me out here, unless it was coming from him.

He seems genuinely concerned about my safety. I can see it in the way his eyes search mine for any sign of understanding. To say I’m confused would be an understatement. This morning, after we had sex, he made me feel like nothing more than a plaything to fuck. And now he’s worried about me?

“Why do you even care?” I ask before I can stop myself. “Is it because you’re worried about what my brothers would do to you if something happened to me?”

He lets out a frustrated sigh.

“Yes,” he says. “Let’s just say it’s that.”

“Let’s say—?”

“Enough,” he cuts me off. “I’m tired of discussing this with you. You’re coming back inside with me. Now.”

He reaches for me, his grip firm enough to be painful, as his firm hand snakes around my upper arm. My heart skips a beat, and I hate I react this way, just because he’s touching me. It’s not sensual, not gentle, but violent and unloving.

Just as he drags me back toward the house, we both hear tires crunching on gravel.

A car is pulling up the driveway behind my back.

Ryker’s head snaps around, and his hand tightens around my arm. I notice his entire body tensing, and it makes me shiver with fear, especially when I see the look on his face.

“What the hell…” he mutters under his breath, his grip on me now protective rather than forceful, and I turn around to follow his alarmed gaze. Whoever this is, it’s clear he didn’t expect them.

Chapter 30

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