Page 4 of Joy Ride

Damn it.What choice did she have?

Joy just hoped she wasn’t trading one tyrant for two more now that she had a destination in mind.She threw bottles of breast milk into her baby bag and gathered the bare essentials before scooping up Arden, still in her carrier.

Without hesitation, she stormed past Clive and to her car, where she took care to secure Arden in correctly despite her trembling hands.

Clive wandered over.She didn’t want to give him time to reconsider, so she hurried.

“Watch your back, Joy,” Clive murmured from behind her.“Not only will you be a target for your father’s retrieval efforts, but you also won’t have my protection or Wildfire’s anymore.His enemies, and there are a fuck ton of them, are your enemies too.They certainly won’t be interested in taking care of you, like I have.”

“You know, Clive, yourprotectionis something I’ll be much better off without.”Joy dared him to deny it as she shut the rear door of the car and climbed into the driver’s seat.Clive held the edge of it in his fist, keeping her from peeling out of the driveway and getting as far away from him as possible.

Toward Middletown.She had no idea where that was, but she was about to find out.

He grimaced, his face redder than usual.“Staking a claim on you made a hell of a lot of other men, less civilized ones than me, back away.You’re welcome.”

“Fuck you.”If he’d been standing in front of the car, she might have run him over right then.

“Be careful.That’s all I’m saying.”Clive winced.“I know you don’t believe me, but I don’t want to see anything bad happen to you.”

“You don’t think Walker and Dane can keep me and Arden safe?”He must be crazier than she thought.Of course theycould.But would they?Or would they send her away since they obviously didn’t want to be found either?

She just needed a chance to get on her feet and then she’d leave them alone.The last thing she wanted was to be owned by the pair of them instead of Angus and Clive.

Joy started the car and gripped the wheel.She could do this.She had to.

“They didn’t last time, did they?”Clive taunted, allowing a hint of his true self to emerge.“Fine.Have it your way, Joy.Stubborn and prideful as ever.But you better hurry.I already called your father.He’ll be here within the hour.And I won’t be as gracious when you fail at this scheme of yours and wind up back at home.With me.Where you know you’re meant to be.Then we’ll do things my way.”

Her snarl must have been vicious enough to upset Arden, who began to cry even louder.

“Sometimes I wish things could have been different.”Clive reached out and touched her cheek with one finger, making her skin crawl.

It would be so much easier if she could give in.Believe him.Stay embroiled in the only life she’d ever known, both dicey and unfulfilling.

For Arden, she had to do better.They both deserved more.

Joy grabbed the door handle and yanked.Clive barely retracted his arm before she smashed it.

Then she took off, leaving him in her dust.

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