Page 59 of Runaway Bride for the Boss

“Please stop, I promise I’ll return your money!” Larson’s voice is high pitched and filled with fear. “That’s why I’m here. Mason’s body was found, and I know it was you. I also know you’ve been searching for me,” he sobs.Sobs.

My mind races frantically. I desperately wish the door had a peep hole so I could see what’s going on. I could never have imagined the day would come when I’d hear Larson beg like this. A twisted part of me is enjoying it.

“You think turning yourself in means I’ll show you mercy? Then you really don’t know me at all,” Alex says dryly. A sickening crunch that sounds like a fist meeting flesh is followed by Larson’s cry of pain.

“Shut your fucking mouth, or I’m going to make this even more painful for you,” Alex growls angrily. I gasp softly and take a step away from the door.

“Please, Alex. I’ve done everything you ever wanted me to do without question…you can’t do this to me!”

“And in exchange, I let you take the reins in New York. That clearly made you over confident enough to get greedy. Youstolefrom me Larson. What could possibly make you think you would get away with that?”

Larson babbles out something incoherent that I can’t hear over the loud roaring in my ears. What’s going on here? At first I thought maybe Larson was here for me. And since they both grew up here, maybe he thought to ask Alex, but that doesn’t sound like the case. Someone’s body was found, and he thinks it’s linked to Alex?

I try to make sense of the bits I’ve heard, but I can’t piece it together. This feels surreal, like my head will explode. I march to the door and swing it open before I can stop myself. Four pairs of eyes turn to me. There’s Larson with blood streaming down his face, Alex standing over him with bloody knuckles, and Noah off to the side with a gun – agun– in his hand. The last person is a man I saw regularly when I lived here: the head of security.

“Wren?” Larson’s voice is nasally from his broken nose, but his surprise is evident. “What are you doing here?” His brows snap together followed by a sharp wince.

“Go back inside, Autumn. I’ll come find you when I’m done here,” Alex orders sharply, but my limbs are frozen, and I’m unable to move. “Go inside Autumn!” Alex snaps again, making Larson flinch, but I merely glance up at him. He doesn’t scare me.

I know he would never hurt me.

“Wren, why is he calling you Autumn? Did he kidnap you? You asshole!” Larson jumps to his feet to punch Alex, but he easily sidesteps him. He tries to throw himself at him, and this time, Alex catches his fist and twists back his wrist. He lifts his other hand, and the same fate meets it. He yells a curse when Alex doubles down on him, and he slowly crumples to his knees. But the idiot won’t stop shouting.

“Why do you have my fiancée? You have to let her go!”

“I’m not your fiancée,” I say with all the calmness I’m not feeling. “I broke up with you. I left your ring and wrote you a note.”

“What? No, don’t say that, Wren. Do you know how hard I’ve been looking for you? I was very concerned when Mary said she got a call from you and that you used a friend’s phone. A friend whose ID was set to private.”

So Mom told him that I called her. I wasn’t expecting anything different, but I still feel a twinge of disappointment that she sold me out. I look right into his eyes. “You’re delusional, Larson. I heard you and your secretary fucking the morning of our wedding, which I made sure to mention in my note. What made you think I was kidnapped?”

“Because he’s a lowlife who’s made a lot of enemies. He couldn’t wrap his small mind around the idea that you’d walk away from him, so he conveniently chose to believe you must’ve been taken,” Noah spits out.

“I was right, wasn’t I? She’s here, isn’t she? Wren knows I never come back to this shit town for a reason. So, there’s no way she’d come here willingly, not to mention slumming it with Alexander Beaufort,” Larson snarls, taking in my rumpled dress and my wet hair.

“Shut the fuck up.” Alex punches him, and he falls to the ground and goes limp. “You don’t talk to her; you don’t even look at her. You’re not worthy of her time.”

“That’s rich coming from you, the king of Brattleboro’s organized crime scene. Just because you have your fancy name, house, and cars doesn’t make you any better than me, you murderer!”

I’ve heard enough. I spin away from them, determined to get as far from this town as possible. I glance at the driveway wildly, looking for my car; but then I remember that Alex droveus here. Damn it. That’s when I see the Bentley parked down the driveway, and I start running.

“Autumn!” Alex shouts. I chance a quick glance back to see that he’s staring at me with more exasperation than anger…and something that resembles fear, which is a look I never expected to come from him.

Before he makes a move to catch me, I scurry into the driver’s seat of his Bentley. I slam the door shut and immediately engage the locks. That’s when he starts prowling toward me. I glance at the ignition, but it's not there – just a row of high tech screens and a bunch of buttons. He slams his palm on the window next to me, and I jump in the seat.

“Get out of the car, Autumn.” His eyes are wild. “Get out of the fucking car!” I gulp and face the buttons in front of me, trying to remember how he had started the car earlier.

“Autumn!” he shouts again, and I stab the closest button. The car comes alive with a low growl, and my heart skips in shock. I wasn’t expecting to get it on the first try. I toss one last glance at Alex, and I’m taken aback by the panicked look on his face.

“At least wear your fucking seatbelt,” he says calmly. I nod and quickly draw the belt across my chest, then I just stare at him. He watches me quietly. “If you have to leave me, I understand. Take the car. Don’t get lost. The GPS will guide you.”

Tears burn at the corner of my eyes. Why is he being so calm when he was yelling at me just a minute ago? The look in his eyes is one of understanding – and complete brokenness. But I can’t dwell on that right now. I’m not safe here with men I clearly know nothing about.

“Wren!” I start at the loud voice and turn my head to see Larson banging on the passenger side window. “Open the door, Wren. Come on, it’s me, babe. Just let me in, and we can go home.”

I narrow my eyes at him and press my foot down hard on the gas. The car responds immediately. I grip the wheel with both hands as I skid around the circular driveway. My heart pounds erratically in my chest, my mind racing as I drive off. I don’t look back.

As I near the gates, I realize that Alex just let me leave. Then I remember I’ll have to go through the gates at the end of the road. Surely that’s his plan – for security not to open the gate, trapping me. Then he’ll come find me after I’ve made my big dramatic exit. Fuck. But I can’t deny I feel a flicker of relief. I don’t want to run away from him. Not really.

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