Page 4 of Billionaire's Runaway

He shook his head, and the words froze in my throat. He was here. He was saving me. But he was super pissed.

“I’m sorry you had to come get me. I—”

“Don’t,” he interrupted.

“But—”

“Don’t,” he said again through his teeth. “Just give me a minute to calm down.”

He wasn’t calm? He seemed calm.

“Do you have any idea what could have happened to you? In this weather. Out here all alone. If some predator… My God, Laura. When I think about it…” He lifted a hand as if to swipe away his words and sighed, staring out the window opposite of me.

My eyes burned, and I blinked back my emotions. I hated for him to be upset with me. It was as if I felt his agitation down to my bones. And what was that? I’d never felt that way. My father was the master of guilt, and I’d learned early on not to cave to it.But with Luke… I wanted to promise him whatever he needed to ease his pain and irritation.

His driver climbed into the front seat before I could say anything else. “Everything’s in the back, sir.” He reached over the seat and handed me my large purse. “I put your phone, wallet and tablet in there, ma’am.”

“Thank you,” I told him, surprised. I tucked the bag on the floor by my feet, not feeling as if I needed to look inside to confirm his words.

He nodded then shifted his gaze to Luke. “I called the service, and they’ll be here for the car shortly.”

“Thank you,” Luke said. “We can go.”

This time, the man gave Luke a chin lift then turned to shift the SUV into gear.

“Where are we going?” I asked my brooding rescuer.

“Home.”

Two

Luke

I’d thought Laura was dead. I’d been banging on the window for almost a full minute, ready to break the glass, before she’d finally moved. The whole time, my heart had been in my throat, terror gripping me that she wouldn’t wake up.

When I’d seen her stir then wipe the frost from the window, I’d almost collapsed to my knees in thanks. It was so fucking cold here, and without any heat in the car, I was sure she’d have hypothermia or frostbite. I refused to think about the worst.

But now, she was safe and in my arms. I had news for her. I was never letting her go again. She obviously couldn’t take care of herself. She was impetuous, spoiled, and so God damned beautiful. Not that the last attribute had to do with her abilities.

“What the hell were you thinking?” I asked finally, unable to let the silence stretch between us anymore. The SUV was taking us straight to the airport, and I couldn’t wait to get the hell out of this cold. NYC was cold, but not like this.

“I wasn’t,” she admitted. “I mean, I was. But I didn’t expect the car to break down. And I didn’t think my dad would actually cancel my credit card. And I certainly never imagined Em would send you to rescue me.”

“You shouldn’t have needed rescuing,” I hissed. “I know you were pissed at me because you thought I tried to control you. But you could have been seriously hurt out here.”

“I know,” she snapped, pulling away from me. “But fuck, Luke, for a minute, try to imagine what I’m going through. Please.”

“Oh, yes, tell me all about the hardship of someone who cares about you trying to protect you.”

“My father has been trying to arrange a marriage for me since I was fifteen. The only reason it didn’t happen before now is because my mom protected me from it. But once I turned eighteen, the choice was taken away. The best I was offered was permission to finish college. I’ve spent my entire life being told what to do, who I can spend time with, where to go and how to act. I just wanted to escape all of it.” She shivered, and when I pulled her back against me, she didn’t fight it. “Luke, I just want to make my own decisions. I want to live my own life. Why can’t anyone understand that?”

My heart hammered in my chest. Married off at fifteen? What in the actual fuck? How could that happen? I’d gathered she was from a culture that was stricter than I was accustomed to, but there were still laws in this country that prevented shit like that from happening. Weren’t there?

“I’m sorry,” I told her. “You warned me not to try to control you, and I didn’t listen. And you’re right. I don’t understand your situation. But when I told you to come to New York, it was only to keep you safe. I wasn’t planning to force you into a relationship with me.”

“I don’t want to depend on anyone,” she said softly. “It makes it easier for them to hold power over me.”

Strangely, she held all the power between us. I wouldn’t move an inch without her permission. How did I explain that to her, though? Unsure for now, I let silence take over again.

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