Page 33 of Hunted By the Bratva
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you? Watching my squirm,” she added. She sounded slightly annoyed at me, but I was fine with that.
Grinning, I leaned in as I answered her. “Maybe a little. But how can I not? You look so cute when you’re frustrated.” I felt my stomach turn as she stuck her tongue out at me. I loved dropping little comments like stones into a pool, leaving ripples.
Clara narrowed her eyes as she glared at me. “You’re playing a dangerous game,” she whispered.
“I’ve played worse,” I replied confidently.
There was a glint in her eyes as she stared at me. “I do not like not knowing where I’m going,” she breathed out. Her tone was calmer and sounded sincere. Clara lowered her head, staring at the food before her.
“I know,” I huffed back, lowering my tone as well. “But… sometimes not knowing is the only way to let yourself feel alive.”
She raised her eyes as she spoke. “You say things like that and then act like they mean nothing.” I could hear the sarcasm in her tone.
Her words had impacted me, but I didn’t flinch. “They always mean something to someone,” I added. For the longest time, we sat there staring at each other. I hated the fact that she could so easily get under my skin.
Clara took a deep and slow breath before speaking again. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“I know, but I wanted to show you the world. What life can look like if you…,” I inhaled slowly. “Looks like once you stop allowing someone else to write your story.”
I could see I had hit a nerve as she straightened out abruptly. She blinked rapidly and swallowed hard. “You think a secret plane trip is going to fix the world? Going to rewrite everything?” she whispered.
Leaning in, I took her hand and squeezed it as I replied. “I’m sorry if I offended you. No, it won’t magically fix things. But it’s a start.”
Taking a deep breath, I sat back as I continued. “You mentioned that no one ever allows you to breathe. I just wanted to give you some air.”
Clara looked away. I could see a tear rolling down her cheek. Something in me shifted. I felt guilty and so turned on, I could jump out of the plane. She looked back at me, smiling weakly. “You’re dangerously good at saying things in a way that pulls all the cords,” she whispered.
“I don’t say these things to just anyone, Printessa,” I added, feeling my chest pulling tight like a weight was suddenly placed on top of it. The air between us suddenly felt warmer, heavier.
We sat in silence, staring at each other. I caressed her fingers, hoping she understood what I meant.
“Do I get a clue?” Clara asked out of the blue. Her voice was thinner, filled with emotion.
Smiling warmly at her, I nodded my head. “Okay, one,” I replied. “There’s a sunrise waiting for you like you’ve never seen. Plus, no one in the world will look for you there.”
Clara’s eyes lit up as she smiled. “That’s the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me,” she mumbled, looking down.
“Good,” I shot back. “Then I know I’m doing it right.”
Once we finished dinner, we settled back in the recliner seats. I had the flight attendant put on a romantic comedy. Once Clara had fallen asleep, I went ahead and completed the arrangements for when we landed in Spain. I made a booking at one of the most exotic hotels, La Bionda.
Then, I sat and planned our itinerary for the day. I knew we would land pretty early. So, we would first book in, then have breakfast. Once breakfast was done, we could head out to some of the museums for the day.
I was so excited, I couldn’t sleep. First was Museo Nacional del Prado. Las Meninas, the Golden Mile Museum, El Retiro, and so many other places. There were also places in Barcelona I wanted her to see. I knew this was a bit out, but I felt sure she would love it.
She wanted to capture the world, and this was the place to start. As the plane landed, I leaned over and softly touched her shoulder as I spoke. “Clara, Printessa, we’ve landed.”
Her eyes flickered and then opened. She smiled at me as she stretched out. “That was a nice nap,” she said, sitting up.
“Well, I’m glad you enjoyed the nap,” I replied jokingly. “You’ll need the rest as our day is filled to the brim.”
Clara smiled, took my hand as I extended it, and got up. As we got off the plane, the car was waiting. Once our bags werein the room, we headed for breakfast. Clara walked with her head on a swivel as she tried to capture all there was to see. After a delightful breakfast, we headed out.
As the day moved on, we had lunch between visits. We stopped at some food trucks along our way. We bought food from three different stores. One had a couple of traditional Spanish foods, another a variety of snacks, and one only dessert.
Our next stop was one of the biggest art galleries. My eyes darted around as we slowly moved through the building. My brain was trying to absorb as much of it as possible. It was astounding. But I felt it didn’t compare to the one we visited in Mexico.
This one, however, had more high-end stuff. But I felt they lacked a certain beauty. As we turned a corner, I stopped. The piece before us captured my attention. It was a painting of a woman trapped in a cage. Her legs were bound together as she sat resting on her knees. Her hands were on her thighs, also bound. Her hair hung over her face as her head dipped.
