Page 47 of Submit

I spend the rest of the drive alternating between looking out the window and watching the screens while keeping a death grip on Cas’ fingers, afraid he’ll take them away.

“Hey, is that Will’s house?” I ask, pointing to a blue pin. There are two red dots approaching and circling around the back.

“Yes, and those would be Will’s men.”

“Did they come to kill me?”

“Maybe,” he says honestly. “But more likely they came to scare you, kidnap you, or just confirm that you’re gone. I’ll need to sweep you for bugs and trackers before we get where we’re going, but I didn’t want to sit in that lot a second longer than we had to.” He points to the screen. “Looks like I made the right call.”

That explains why we’re headed south.

When he pulls over about twenty minutes later, we’re in a very non-touristy part of the island. The ocean isn’t even visible from here and I see no other cars. I can’t help the alarm on my face as Casper pulls my door open.

“Come here. I need you to strip down to your underwear while I go through your bag and reset your IP address.” He gets to work on my laptop, hooking it up to an apparatus in his center console, then proceeds to dump my suitcase out in the back of the car, and takes a knife to the lining of all the pockets. It only takes him twelve seconds to find the first tracker and my reality grows dark. So dark in fact, I actually pass out this time, my system finally hitting its maximum emotional input. Thankfully it’s only for a few seconds, like turning your computer off and on when it stops responding to commands.

“Libby, you can’t forget to breathe,” I hear him say as I come to in the backseat of the Mercedes with Casper yanking my workout shorts down. It isn’t sexy in the least. He cuts the pockets out and snaps the button off of the pocket flap.

Seriously? It could be in thebutton?

He doesn’t look at me when he asks, “Are you going to take your shirt off or am I?”

I sit up too quickly, wanting to get this over with, and feel dizzy again. I brush the feeling aside and shakily pull my top off over my head.

“Bra too.” My eyes go wide. He’s seen me in a bathing suit, but never topless. “Libby, these things are small and can be sewn in anywhere. They are perfectly hidden next to an underwire. I assume Will knows you’re with me and where we’re headed but on the off chance he doesn’t, I’d rather not just hand him that information. Here.” He tosses me a dress from the broken suitcase in the back and turns around.

Once he’s satisfied with his thorough inspection, he climbs back in the car and we take off, still heading south, my suitcase in shambles in the dirt behind us.

“Doesn’t the governor live the other way?”

“Yes, but I’d rather not drive back by your house or through downtown. My car doesn’t exactly blend in.”

Valid point.

I wrap my arms around myself, still chilly from the absence of adrenaline despite the heater blowing warm air. At least my system is finally starting to accept these events and I no longer feel woozy.

Casper - I just can’t think of him as Dominic quite yet- reaches over and puts his large hand back on my knee, the weight comforting.

“I need a drink,” I joke, trying to bring a small amount of levity to this situation.

“I think you’ve earned that,” he offers back with a crooked grin.

God, this man is hot. His eyes are clear and focused. I noticed the pistol on his hip when he was pulling my shorts off. He’s back in black cargo pants and a black crewneck t-shirt. A silver chain hangs around his neck with a pendent on the end that I can’t see because it dips below his neckline, but I can see the weight of it as it’s sandwiched between his chest and t-shirt.

“You’re staring,” he says and his voice comes out low and so scratchy that he actually clears his throat.

“I know. I can’t seem to help myself.” I smile thinking of the first time he called me out for staring at him at the kite school. Shit, was that only a couple of weeks ago?

His eyes flash with lust and then shutter. “Libby, I should apologize for what happened on the beach. I should have had more restraint. I can’t give you a future. I’m on the run and things just got alotmore complicated for me. As soon as I can get you out of here, I will.”

I’m cycling through emotions quickly and anger rises to take lust’s place. “Please don’t go playing the tortured hero for my benefit and don’t blame yourself for something I wanted. Something I provoked. Besides, I’m alone in the world, Cas. If you send me home, who do I go home to? My whole life I’ve waited for it to mean something and it wasn’t until I met you that the pieces started to fall into place. So don’t give me ‘should haves’, just be honest with me. I’ve never been a ‘this will last forever’ kind of girl anyway but I also never saw the point in completely avoiding something that could be good for a little while.”

His eyes darken as his grip tightens slightly on my knee but he doesn’t say anything else.

Seventeen

CASPER CALLS THE guard house on our way up the driveway to check in, ask for an update, and let them know we’re approaching. So far, it sounds like everything is quiet. When we get to the house, Casper follows the driveway as it winds around the back of the main house. I’ve never seen this part of the estate before. I wouldn’t call it lush and tropical but the landscaping is nicely done. There is a small, square pool back here and the only part of Casper’s house that is visible from the main house is the roof, so he has some decent privacy.

“Aren’t I staying in one of the Von Hoff’s guest rooms?” Maybe I misunderstood the plan. My heart jumps into my throat at the thought of staying with Casper.

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