Dirty Sexy Alphas (Twenty Book Box Set) - Hannah Ford Page 0,363

go somewhere safe. This place is compromised.” Madden’s voice came through a thick fog in my head. The car faded in the edges of my vision. All I could hear now was my heart pounding in my ears.

I had just wanted to disappear. That’s all. That was the entire reason for me coming here in the first place. And now my life was splashed across dozens of headlines.

All because of Madden Cross and his need for a story to suit his own agenda, regardless of how it affected me.

My stomach twisted.

“I…I have to leave…” I said, but my voice was soft, as I tried to think straight.

“Go, step on the gas,” Madden growled at the driver.

“Yes, Mister Cross,” the driver replied, his voice tense. The car lurched forward, pushing through bodies that were reluctant to move. I watched in a detached fascination as one jumped back, almost getting run over.

The crowd dissipated as the vehicle surged, finally clearing the chaos surrounding the motel.

Madden put his hand on my leg, his heat burning my thigh. “Just let me take care of everything,” he said.

“Take care of everything?” I said, blinking, as if I was coming to from a blackout. “How are you going to do that?”

He licked his lips, his dark eyes studying my face. “I can help you. Whatever’s happening to you, we can handle it. I can handle it.”

Part of me wanted to believe him. But then I thought about how he’d manipulated me from the very beginning, using threats and money to convince me to do whatever he wanted. I could never trust that he would protect me. Not really.

Anger surged through me. I looked him straight in the eye. “We’re not going to handle anything. You’re not going to do anything for me. I’ve had enough help from you to last me a lifetime.”

His jaw twitched and he looked as though he’d been slapped across the face.

In a way, perhaps he had been.

“If that’s how you feel—“

“That is how I feel. And I want you to leave me alone. Do not contact me or call me ever again. In fact, forget I ever existed.”

For a moment, seeing the look in his brown eyes, my heart started to break and I wanted to take it all back. Take everything back, fall into his arms and make him whisk me far away—just as he’d promised to do.

“As you wish, Skylar,” he said softly.

I nodded, my lips pressed tightly together for a moment. “Stop the car,” I shouted. We were three blocks from the motel, and the driver did as requested.

The moment the vehicle came to a halt, I pushed the door open and jumped out, sucking fresh air into my lungs, as I slammed the door shut behind me.

The day was bright and sunny, but the darkness was taking over my mind.

I should have let Madden fire me on Friday and figured something else out. Agreeing to spend a weekend with him was absurd.

And now everything was ruined and I had only myself to blame for it.

The car idled momentarily, but when I looked over my shoulder, all that was visible in the shiny, tinted black windows was the reflection of my own tired, frightened eyes looking back at me.

It’s over. Just forget it and move on. Move on now and don’t look back.

Turning my back on Madden, I began walking, not even sure where I was going. As I walked, it seemed the car was following my progress slowly. Staying close to me.

The feeling of comfort turned to more rage. He couldn’t do this to me. He couldn’t pretend that he wanted to care for me and protect me one moment and then use me as a plaything the next. He couldn’t upend my life and ruin my privacy and then act as my savior.

“Just go!” I shouted at the car, turning. I pointed down the road. “Fucking leave me alone!” I shrieked at the mute vehicle.

I couldn’t tell what his reaction was, but a split second later, the car pulled away and sped off down the road, finally leaving me behind.

I managed to find a café nearby that was pleasantly empty, ordering myself a tea and then sliding into a booth away from the window. I sipped the tea and shrunk into myself, looking down, refusing to meet the eye of anyone who came inside during the hours I stayed there, waiting for time to pass.

As the hours drifted by, I began feeling the creeping sadness and