Page 1 of Vendetta Crown

1

AURORA

Sunset bleedsacross the desert sky, painting everything in shades of orange and crimson that remind me of blood as the sun dips behind the San Gabriel mountains.

We've been driving for nearly four hours with the hum of the engine and Kristofer's occasional grunts the only sounds between us.

I keep my face neutral, even as my heart races. My hands rest in my lap, where I've been twisting Liliya's ring back and forth. The diamond catches the dying light, a tiny sparkle of hope I'm desperately clinging to.

We should have turned onto I-40 at Barstow, I think,if we were really headed to Kansas City.

But we're still on I-15, driving deeper into the desert. What happens when night falls completely? When we need to stop?

My stomach churns at the possibilities. Will he force himself on me tonight? Will it be in some cheap motel room with paper-thin walls where no one will respond to my screams? Or will it be right here in this car, pulled over on some abandoned stretch of highway where no-one will see us?

I clench my fists, digging my nails into my palms until it hurts. The pain grounds me and keeps me from spiraling.

"Relax, Jamie." Kristofer's hand lands on my knee, and it takes everything in me not to flinch away. "We've still got a long drive ahead of us."

"What are you going to do to me?" I ask, my voice steadier than I feel.

His fingers find my knee and give it a slow squeeze. "We need to make a stop in Vegas first."

My blood turns to ice.Vegas.

No witnesses, no questions. And plenty of cheap seedy motel rooms where he can?—

Stop it!I scream silently.

"I'll make an honest woman of you yet, Jamie," he continues, his voice sing-song cheerful like we're discussing a picnic instead of my worst nightmare. "There are chapels all along the Strip. They do weddings 24/7, no waiting period, no questions asked."

"I'm already married." The words escape before I can stop them.

Kristofer's face darkens. His fingers dig into my knee painfully.

"Aurora Castellanos is married," he spits. "Jamie Fields isn't."

Kristofer shifts in his seat, his eyes flicking between the road and my face. The smile that spreads across his lips makes my skin crawl.

"And once we're married, Jamie." His hand finds mine again, and he strokes his thumb across my knuckles. "We'll have ourselves a proper honeymoon. Couple days in Vegas. Just you and me."

His eyes drop to Liliya's ring, and he lifts my hand to examine it closer, nearly swerving into the oncoming lane in the process.

"It's a good thing that Russian thug gave you something worth having after all." He whistles. "That's at least fifteen grand right there. Maybe twenty. We'll pawn it after we get married."

I feel sick at the thought of Liliya's ring, the symbol of everything Ruslan and I promised each other, being traded for cash at some seedy pawn shop.

"With that money, I'll buy you all the dresses you want," Kristofer continues. "You always did look so pretty in blue. Remember that dress you wore to prom? The one with the low back?" He licks his lips. "I'll get you something like that."

My stomach turns as he narrates his fantasy.

"We'll see all the shows. Cirque du Soleil. Maybe some magic show. During the day, we can lounge by the pool. Get you a tan." His hand tightens on mine. "And at night, well... with the money this ring will get us, we can book a suite with a view of the Strip, and I'll make love to you until morning, Jamie."

I yank my hand away, unable to hold back the wave of revulsion that washes over me.

"You think I'll pretend that I want any of this?" I hiss. "I'd rather die."

The cheerful mask slips from his face, revealing something dark and dangerous underneath. His jaw tightens, his eyes cold.

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