Page 25 of Touch Her and Die
“He doesn’t fucking care or know for that matter. He just wants the port access from a specific family. There’s money and power with the alliance.”
She was quiet as I got to the parking garage.
My brother was paid well to manage my finances and keep things I wanted hidden. Even this car. For emergencies. For a backup plan.
“Doesn’t care? It was his son.”
I kept my eyes focused on every corner, every pillar, every shadow. Every shift in the light posed a threat. I wouldn’t lose her.
“My uncle is a pretty great example of a psychopath. He doesn’t actually care about others. Just what they can do for them. I am a fine replacement in his mind.”
With a click of a button the parking lights blazed on, and the doors unlocked. This was it. This had to be it. I was going to win over something with her. Her life would be safe.
I gently let her feet rest on the concrete floor.
“So, are we eloping?” she asked.
And fuck, in that moment she derailed all my plans and all my thoughts. I wanted to give her the answer that would derail all my uncle’s plans and certainly sign my death warrant.
I wanted to be tied to her.
ELEVEN
halle
“Did you want to elope?”he asked.
His eyes bore into mine. I couldn’t look away, even though I tried. I wanted to admire his chiseled face, his five o’clock shadow, the way a little dimple formed when he smiled, or I was stressing him out. Right now, I didn’t think stressed could summarize what he was.
I’d spoken without much thought.
Did I want to elope? Choices, choices. I’m sure he would be fine letting me keep my hobbies, but marriage? Confusing feelings swirled around inside me. Indigestion? Constipation? Love? It was all so confusing. I went with what I knew to be true.
“I want her not to be able to marry you.”
His chest vibrated under my hands. Was he laughing? My face heated.
“Why was that so funny?”
He cleared his throat and seemed to be distracted. Probably looking for people who were attempting to kill me, again. Fine.
Although, a fight would make me feel better. If my appendages ever worked again.
“You would only marry me if it was to keep someone else from having me?”
I mustered the energy to cross my arms over my chest.
“Halle, just get in the fucking car.”
I slowly did as asked. Partly to push a few more buttons and the other reason for my sluggish movements? Oh, right. He’d drugged me. Damn this stuff put a damper on my can-do attitude.
“I would go faster if someone wouldn’t have drugged me.”
He sighed, and I liked the minty scent of his breath. I refused to linger though and continued to move.
“Nate wouldn’t have drugged you, had you just listened.”
The annoyance in all his words told me there was a lot going on. A lot that I wasn’t entirely sure I could fix or even process. A lot I never stopped to think about. I didn’t like to think. All it did was bring up problems and sometimes, there were no good solutions. It pissed me off. Why couldn’t we just kill it?
