Page 43 of Just a Little Promise

“Let me out of this fucking car!” she shrieked.

He slammed on the brakes, the jarring stop propelling her against the back of the front seat like a rag doll. She moaned and grabbed her belly, her first instinct to protect her baby.

Jack whirled, a gun in his hand, aimed right at her chest. “Put on your seatbelt and shut the fuck up,” he yelled, the deranged look in his eyes prompting her to obey. “If you make any stupid moves, I will not hesitate to shoot you.”

Skye believed him. He’d never pulled a weapon on her before, and the fact that he did so now told her just how insane he was. And how serious he was about this abduction, and her cooperation. And she knew no amount of self-defense moves could stop a bullet from killing her. She couldn’t stem the fear overwhelming her, but she was aware enough to realize that she not only had her own safety to consider, but the baby she was carrying, as well.

He’d made his point so she finished buckling up and sat back in the seat, compliant. For now. From her vantage point, she saw he’d placed the gun on his thigh, within reach.

Arriving at the exit to the parking structure, he swiped what was obviously a permit from the dashboard of the car, and the gate opened onto the street. Skye figured he’d either broken into a vehicle and stolen one or he’d forged one, and the extent he’d gone through to kidnap her made her stomach churn.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked, trying to keep her voice calm instead of demanding answers. She had to remind herself that Jack liked her subdued and submissive, fearful even.

While those tendencies rebelled against the woman she’d become, she had to let him believe he was in control so he’d eventually drop his guard and she could find an opportunity to escape.

“I’m taking you somewhere no one will find you,” he said, his tone all too cocky. “And somewhere I can talk some fucking sense into you.”

“It’s kind of late for that, don’t you think?” she said, swallowing back her sarcastic tone. “We’ve been divorced for over a year.” Shit. So much for being submissive, she thought.

He glanced at her in the rearview mirror, his gaze narrowed on her in the backseat. “The only reason I finally signed the divorce papers is because I wanted you to see that I could be reasonable. That I’m not the monster you pushed me into being,” he said, sounding rational, as if he truly believed the words he spoke. “I thought giving you time on your own would make you realize what a mistake you made leaving me, because no one else would want someone as damaged and broken as you.”

She jutted her chin out, barely reigning in her anger. “I’m not damaged or broken.”

“Aren’t you though?” he mocked, shaking his head as he merged onto the highway. “You were so pitiful the day you walked out on me.”

She balled her hands into fists on her lap, wishing she could pummel them into his head instead. “If I’m so pitiful, why would you even want me back?”

“Because you’re mine, Skye,” he said, and his voice changed, his tone now the menacing one she remembered and her stomach clenched despite her outward show of bravado. “You’ll always be mine and a divorce won’t change that. And there is no way I’m going to allow another man to take what is mine.”

God, he was so delusional, a true psychopath, and despite her outward show of confidence, she hated that he still had the ability to terrify her. “How did you find out about Tripp?” she asked.

“I’ve had a PI giving me weekly reports on you since you moved to New York,” he said, and shrugged, as if it was a perfectly normal thing to keep an ex-wife under surveillance. “Everything was going to plan until that asshole, Tripp, decided to make a move on you. Or maybe it was you who made a move on him? The PI couldn’t really tell. He just said that after meeting him at The Back Door, he took you back to his place and you didn’t leave until the next morning.”

She sucked in a startled breath. Knowing he’d been watching her for so long, and without her knowledge made her want to throw up.

“The fact that you let another man fuck youpissed me off. I was always coming back for you but that pushed up my timeline and I decided it was time to step in.” Jack’s knuckles turned white against the steering wheel.

“And you think kidnapping me is going to convince me to take you back?” she asked incredulously.

“Maybe, maybe not.” He tapped the gun against his thigh and met her gaze once again in the rearview mirror. “I may have to employother, more persuasive tactics. But regardless, it is time for you to come back home and be a dutiful wife.”

“That won’t ever happen, Jack,” she snapped, her demure façade long gone.

“We’ll see about that. Apparently I left you alone for too long. You’ve gotten stubborn and defiant, so I suppose it might take some time to break you down again.” He cast a quick glance back at her, and his smile was chilling. “While you’ve been gone, I’ve made some additions to our new home, including turning the basement into a soundproof, locked bunker. I figured it would come in handy until you prove to me that I can trust you again.”

He reallywasinsane and fear rippled through her. What she was hearing seemed so implausible, so over the top and horrifying, but she’d watched enough true crime shows to know that someone like Jack could be capable of doing just that. He’d already shown her his threatening, intimidating, and controlling side, so locking her away somewhere was merely an extension of that depraved personality.

Trying to keep her panic at bay, she stared out the window, praying that someone found her before she disappeared forever. The only thread of hope she had was Tripp. He wouldneverstop looking for her. What scared Skye most was what condition she would be in by the time that happened.

Instinct had her wanting to cradle her stomach but she didn’t think telling Jack she was pregnant with Tripp’s baby was a good idea. No matter what he had planned for her, she would fight to keep her baby alive inside her.

After a long drive, Skye realized that they were in a residential area of Brooklyn, just a few close blocks away from her apartment. Jack turned into a driveway, opened a garage with a press of a button, and parked inside. Once the doors were back down so no one could see them, he ushered her into the house with the gun at her back, giving her no choice but to follow his lead.

“Where are we?” she asked, wondering if this was the new home he’d been referring to.

“This house belongs to Doug Hammond, a colleague of mine who works in the New York offices. He’s in Europe for the month, and when I told him I was going to visit a friend in New York, he offered me his place to stay.” Jack flashed her anaren’t-I-clevergrin.

“That’s... convenient,” she said, as Jack took her arm and guided her into the living room.

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