Page 113 of Reclaimed

He shot at Lucien.

“You didn’t have to kill him,” I whisper.

“He might not be dead.”

“But you didn’t have to shoot him off the road.” Tears burn my eyelids, but I fight to keep them at bay. I can’t see when I’m crying, and I don’t need any more odds stacked against me if I’m going to try to live through this.

“Shut up.” He twitches the gun on his thigh.

I glance at the matte black finish out of the corner of my eye. He holds it loosely in my direction. I suppose it’s hard to drive and hold someone at gunpoint. I could fight for it. If I reached for the muzzle, there’s a chance I could push it away before he can take a shot. The risk of him crashing us in the process is high.

Could I survive that? Most likely.

Could my baby?

My lip trembles. “Where are you taking me?”

“We’re going home.” The cryptic statement reveals nothing. My fourplex and Aiden’s house are in the other direction. The farther we drive, the denser the trees become. Leafless trees and sentinel pines stand witness to my kidnapping. The lights grow between houses until a mile or more separates the sparsely populated properties.

“How do you know who I am?” Maybe if I keep asking questions, he’ll keep talking. If I can keep him distracted, I might be able to reach my phone in my purse on the floor and call for help.

“I’m surprised you don’t remember me, Stella.” A smile enters his voice. “Miss the blonde, by the way. We’ll fix it when we stop.”

I swallow through shards in my throat. “Why should I remember you?”

The curve stretches so far I can see the silver molars in the back of his mouth. “Because you’re having my baby.”

My fingertips clutch my abdomen at the frightening declaration. “No. You must have me confused with someone else.”

“I was surprised, of course,” he carries on as if I didn’t speak. And maybe I didn’t. Maybe the terror flooding my veins stole my voice. Produced an inaudible whisper. “I looked everywhere for you, and when I finally found you, well…” He twists his fingers around the leather wheel and straightens in the driver’s seat. “It’s impossible not to see how much you’re glowing.”

I bite the inside of my cheek until the tang of blood touches my tongue. “This isn’t your baby.”

“Yes it is!” He screams. The car drifts to the left, dragging us toward a culvert. My head glances off the passenger window, the painful thud bouncing my vision. He corrects our course as my sight clears.

I suck in a sharp breath and grip the handle above my head. “I don’t even know your name.”

“It’s Henry, sweetheart.” He clucks his tongue. “I knew you’d been gone for too long.”

Keep him talking!Nothing will help me until I find out where we’re going, but the more information I can gather from him now, the better.

“I—I don’t remember. Where did we meet?”

He frowns, reaching out to pet my hair. I recoil from the touch and knock back into the window.

“We met at Eve’s. You sat here.” He strokes his lean thigh with the tip of the gun.

“I gave you a dance?” That explains why I can’t remember him. There’s been so many faces over the years they all become a blur.

“We danced many times over the years.”

Years?

“How long have you been looking for me?” If he hears my voice shake, he doesn’t acknowledge it. I lower my hand slowly down my right side, reaching to the floor in a way that I hope shields my arm. The tips of my fingers brush against the thick woven strap of my bag.

“It’s been six long months.” He practically sighs the words.

My tongue feels swollen, taking up too much space in my mouth. I swallow hard. “That’s a long time.” My toe catches on the fabric flap on my bag. With a subtle kick, I flip it open.

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