Page 57 of Reluctant Heir

“There’s no getting out of this world, not unless someone lets you out. Do you know how many times I wished it as a boy? Do you know that my mother tried to get me out?”

The change in his voice has me on edge.

“What happened to her?” I whisper.

“My father killed her.”

“Is that what you mean to do to me?” I ask.

Connor merely shrugs, not even deigning to answer my question. He slowly turns his head to look back out the window, and I do the same. My head spinning.

Bertrand murdered his first wife?

It’s not that surprising when I think about it, but I can’t see Connor doing the same to me. He’s trying to scare me.

And it’s working.

The rest of the flight, I close my eyes, trying to tune out everything and everyone around me. It doesn’t work. I’m unable to sleep, and I’m very aware of the broody man sitting across from me. Every once in a while, I can hear his fingers drum on the leather of his armrest.

It’s like the sounds magnify in my brain until it’s all that I can hear. I start to wonder if anyone in my life back home misses me. It’s not likely since the turnover rate at my jobs are astronomical. They probably thought I’d skipped town or something. I guess I kind of did in a way. I’m in a very different place than I was, but I’m not free. I don’t support myself anymore, and I hate the power imbalance between me and Connor. I hate feeling like I’m at someone’s mercy.

Ruby and I always said we would never let another person take away our autonomy once we got out of the system. We would always be our own people, make our own way.

I snort, thinking about it.

Look where we both are now, Rubes.

“What?” Connor barks at me, and I squint one eye open. “You snorted.”

“Maybe it was a snore,” I say.

He shakes his head. “You weren’t asleep.”

“Watching me closely?” I ask, opening both eyes, and his fingers still.

“I pay attention to everything around me. It’s why I’m not dead yet. And you should do the same.”

“From what you said earlier, you are the biggest danger to me, and frankly, I think if you were going to kill me, you would’ve done it already. I’m fine.” I cross my hands over my stomach and lean back, closing my eyes again. I press my lips together to keep them from forming a smile, as I can only imagine the look on Connor’s face right now.

The steady hum of the plane surrounds us, and we don’t speak anymore. Not until we land.

“Where are we going?”I ask as soon as we are seated in the rental.

Connor doesn’t answer, so I try a different tactic.

“Do you not know how to drive?”

“Of course I know how to drive.”

I knew that would get him to talk to me.

“Then, why does Geo and that other guy—what’s his name—drive everywhere for you?” I lean toward him, smiling.

“Don. And because it’s what I pay them to do. A lot of time, I have to be free to work on things.”

“Like, what kind of things do you even work on?”

“I have to keep up with the books, plan meetings. Now, I have to get the paperwork for us together.”

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