Page 4 of Darkhan

The imposingly alluring man’s brow pinched tighter. “Is there somewhere you urgently need to be, or are you fleeing from something?” His amber eyes raked over her and she swore her entire body heated despite that he didn’t linger anywhere indecent. “Those are not outdoor shoes, Little Dove.”

Everything he said perplexed her more. She didn’t know what to answer first, or even if she should try. “I—”Little Dove?Was that some sort of endearment, or an insult? “Harmony,” she said.

He arched a brow. “Harmony?”

Something inside her clenched at the sound of her name on his lips, in that rough timbre he spoke with. She wouldn’t have minded hearing it again, but she needed to get herself in order. This was not a man who gave a darn about her. She still wasn’t safe. Harmony drew herself up as best she could, despite the confusing flush and butterfly feeling in her belly, and forced herself to look directly into his eyes. “From,” she said. “The answer to your question is ‘from.’” She swallowed again. “And I really can’t linger. I’m very sorry I almost ran into you.”

The furrow in his brow disappeared and one edge of his lips kicked up in a faint smirk that practically made his eyes glow. “I’m not.”

Harmony shifted her weight, unable to stand still yet unable to look away. Unable to get moving.It’s too soon to stop moving.

The stranger took a step closer as a sleek black luxury sedan rolled up to the curb behind him. “I’ll have you tell meeverything, Little Dove.”

Her mouth fell open. “What?”

The next thing she knew, the stranger had an arm around her waist and had hauled her straight up and off her feet. He didn’t throw her over his shoulder or swing her into some unnecessary princess carry, but instead lifted her high enough that she could see over his shoulder while he held her chest-to-chest. Then he turned and started walking, his other hand sliding into her hair almost before her senses returned enough for her to try and rear back.

“Just a moment,” he murmured into her ear. The lowered vibrato of his voice did things to her traitorous body she couldn’t put words to and certainly didn’t have time for.

Harmony pushed at his chest, feeling as weak as a newborn in his grasp. “What are you doing? Put me down!”

His hand slid from her hair even as her poor attempt at thrashing finally tossed her tattered slippers off her feet. She spotted one as it flopped onto the dirty concrete now behind him a heartbeat before her sexy kidnapper bent them both forward. She realized with a start he was ducking them into the car she’d seen moments earlier. He didn’t seem to care about her struggling as he twisted himself sideways and set her on a long, plush leather seat. He paid no mind to the driver whose head she briefly glimpsed. He simply set her down, reached over her shoulder, and pulled the seat belt around her in one smooth motion. Once that was clicked into place, he snapped the door shut and settled in his own seat.

“Home,” he said, tone sharper than she’d heard it, his gaze darting forward only for a second.

“Yes, sir,” the driver said as the engine rolled over.

Harmony was too stunned to find her voice for several long, precious seconds.You have got to be kidding me.It wasn’t until an actual privacy screen began sliding up betweenthe diver’s cab and the larger rear space containing her and her kidnapper that she finally snapped into motion. Or, at least her mouth did.

She twisted as much as her seat belt would allow and let loose. “What is the matter with you? You can’t just kidnap me like this! And in broad daylight? No way no one saw that!”

He looked amused, which did nothing to make him less appealing. Damn him. “Yet no one tried to stop me.” His amusement fled as soon as the words left his mouth. “I’ve hardly kidnapped you. You were fleeing. I’m helping you flee faster, and with less damage to your inadequately protected feet.”

“My—” She stopped herself before she could repeat his ridiculous words. “You can’t be serious.”

His expression settled into something she could only define as hard. “Deadly.”

Harmony dragged in a breath, attempting to keep herself focused and calm. “If I’m not kidnapped,” she said, trying to speak at a respectful level, “then let me out.”

“Anywhere you need to go, I will take you.”

She frowned. “That’s not the same thing. Why should I trust you? Why should I not assume you want to hurt me the same way he did, or worse?” If worse was possible. She did have her doubts.

His expression darkened and he reached out, pulling one of her arms into his hand. She stiffened, yet his touch was surprisingly gentle as he ran his fingers over her forearm. Over the exact spot where Ricky had gripped her before she’d finally broken free. “I will not harm you,” he said. “You will learn to trust me, Harmony. And you will tell me the story behind your panic today.”

Some stupid, naïve part of her wanted to trust him. It was a feeling she couldn’t explain. She had to draw yet another deep lungful of air—air that smelled much more like him, whichdidn’t help—to remind herself that she couldn’t. She was on her own. Even her parents had betrayed her. This stranger had no obligation, nomotivation, to do anything other than take from her.

Harmony pulled her arm from his warm and faintly calloused touch, noting he offered no true resistance. Of course, he had her belted into the back of his vehicle. She couldn’t exactly run.

“Believe it or not, I’m used to being locked down. So if you’re banking on me caving to some messed-up Stockholm syndrome, you picked the wrong woman. You’re better off to just let me out.”

A low, rumbling growl emanated from him. “Add that to the list of things I want to hear about sooner than later.”

Well, she would admit to herself, that wasn’t the response she had expected.He’s playing me.Harmony folded her arms across her chest and scooted to put her back against the corner of the seat, for what distance that managed to create.

“You want me to spill my entire life story to some stranger who just grabbed me up off the street? Why, exactly? Do I look that stupid to you? I don’t even know yourname, I didn’t actually run into you, and despite what you said, you’ve yet to let me out of this car. I don’t know what you want, but you aren’t entitled to some kind of compensation from me, so chances are you’re going to be severely disappointed.”

Infuriatingly, his face transitioned back to visibly amused for a lingering second. The expression softened the edges of his eyes, giving them a warmth she could easily appreciate. If she were in a position to appreciate him. Then he propped an elbow onto the back shelf behind the headrest between them, the motion tilting his body slightly toward hers, and he said, “Zeno Darkhan.”

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