Page 30 of Prey for You

“I like staring at my wife,” he said in that gorgeous, warm voice he had that made my heart pinch. “I’m not going to see her much for a while. I want to—”

“Sam, this isn’t a game.” God, I wanted toscream.

He huffed. “You think I’m playing agame?”

“You’re trying to make me talk happy, or like… be optimistic. I’m not an optimistic person.”

“Bridget, chill. We knew this was coming. Nothing has changed. You don’t have to figure it out—we’re in this together… aren’t we?” His tone grew an edge and fear slammed through me.

“Just look the other way. I’m driving! I need to—”

With a muttered curse, Sam lurched over the console between us, grabbing for the steering wheel with one hand at thesame time he yanked up on the emergency brake. I screamed as the engine whined and the back of the car swung around in a wide loop. The whole world spun.

Still muttering, but staring straight ahead and maneuvering the steering wheel like a pro, Sam knocked my leg with his elbow so my foot slipped of the gas and a second later, the car wobbled to a stop in a wide, dirt driveway, facing the road we'd been on, pebbles pinging against the underside of the car as a dust cloud drifted over it.

I still had both arms braced on the steering wheel and my body shoved back against the seat, bracing for the pain, my system screaming that death was imminent. But Sam slammed the gear shift into park, then shoved out of the passenger door.

At the sight of him storming around the hood of the car I sucked in the breath I needed and shrieked at him as he came for my door.

"What thefuck, Sam?!You could have killed us—!"

Eyes dark and jaw set, he grabbed for my door and yanked it open, then descended on me. For a split second I thought he was attacking, and I threw fists, pummeling at his shoulder, ready to claw his face. But he raised the arm closest to me to protect his eyes and leaned over me, popped the seatbelt, then hooked his arms around my waist and dragged me out of the car.

Outside, I struggled, but he turned me to face him and threw me up against the back door, pinning me there with his body, glaring down at me with black eyes, like an avenging angel.

He hadn't grabbed my hands, so I was free to shove at his chest while I cursed him.

"Shit...shit!You’re such a fucking—”

He lifted his hands to stop me punching him, defending my strikeswaytoo easily—which was scary, because it meant I wasn’t as strong against him as I’d thought.

“Bridget…” he growled.

Panic lit in my chest and I tried to bring my knee up, but he’d given me no room.

“Bridget, calm the fuck down.”

“You almost killed us!”

“I was in control the entire time.”

“Bullshit! The car—”

“Bridget,listen!”he snarled, catching my hands and pinning them back against the car as he leaned right up in my face.

I froze in that black gaze, panting.

“Do you love me?” he snapped, something bright flashing in his eyes. The question was so unexpected, my mouth dropped open.

He pulled my hands off the car and slammed them back again, getting right in my face. “Do. You. Love. Me? Or was this all someadventureto you?”

“Adventure?! You asshole—you think I got married for anadventure?!”

“Answer the fucking question.”

“Of course I love you!” I shrieked, leaning right up into his face so my back arched because he still had my hands. “That’s why I hate having to leave you!”

He didn’t break eye contact, and didn’t reply. I was left standing there, struggling against his manacles on my hands, those words echoing in the morning air.

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