The Drift - Jenika Snow Page 0,44

ignored him and made my way leisurely to the front. He could try to stop me, but I’d fight. I’d fight back hard.

But despite the fact that I should’ve just kept moving, told myself that, wanted to, I was stuck in place. I watched him. He watched me. And then he pushed away from the wall, and I found myself taking yet another step back, not sure what he planned on doing, if he planned on doing anything.

Maybe he’d just let me walk away? Maybe he wanted me gone so I wouldn’t cause any problems between him and his brothers? Or maybe he really did just want me dead?

I was on alert, ready to fight back if need be, but he didn’t come any closer to me, only enough that I could see him clearly under the muted glow of the porch light.

He took another puff off his joint before offering it to me, lifting a brow in almost a challenge. I shook my head and took another step back. The way he watched me had my skin tightening. He brought the joint to his lips once more, took another drag from it, held the smoke for a few seconds, and then exhaled slowly, the cloud moving over my face.

“I didn’t think anyone was here but Wilder and me.”

He didn’t speak for a moment. “I live here,” he said matter-of-factly.

That was obvious, but everyone said they were heading out for the rest of the night, which was how Wilder and I had… yeah, how we’d crossed that line that couldn’t be uncrossed.

He stared at me for a second, and then I watched him inhale, but he wasn’t smoking. He was taking in my scent.

“You smell like my brother.” The smirk he gave me was void of any emotion.

I didn’t bother responding, even though I could tell he knew exactly what Wilder and I had done. I felt no embarrassment, no shame. I actually felt pleasurable heat at the thought of giving myself over to Wilder.

“Where do you plan on going?”

I hadn’t expected him to ask me that, but maybe this was all part of the game? I didn’t know Frankie at all to know how he really was, although Wilder didn’t seem like his brother was a threat. He didn’t act like it anyway.

I shrugged and tightened my hand over the strap of my purse as if it were a lifeline, something to ground me, to steady me.

“I hadn’t thought that far ahead.” I wasn’t going to tell him much more than that. I had a general state idea on where I was headed before he’d taken me, and I figured sticking with that was probably the least complicated route. I also didn’t tell him or try to show that leaving Wilder was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do thus far in my life.

I kept telling myself the more distance I put between me and the man who claimed my heart would be easier, but I knew that was a lie.

“You don’t strike me as the type of person who doesn’t have a plan.”

He was right. I always had a plan, but I just shrugged and said, “Being kidnapped can put a wrench in someone’s plans.”

He smirked again, but it was far from humorous. “Well, safe travels, Zoey.” He flicked the roach away and shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. His pose was non-threatening, but then again, I felt like that was probably a huge lie. None of the Preacher brothers seemed like they didn’t always have their strength right under the surface.

“That’s it?” I was a bit shocked, to say the least. “It’s that easy?” I tried not to let my voice show I was still so nervous.

He shrugged one wide shoulder. “I told you I wouldn’t hurt you, that once my brother was healed, I’d let you leave.”

He had, but that hadn’t meant I believed him.

He didn’t say anything else, just watched me. I slowly started to back away, nodding, although I didn’t know what I was agreeing with. I turned my back on him and made my way toward the front, but each step was so hard, harder than the last.

“Zoey,” Frankie called out softly.

I stopped and turned to look over my shoulder. This was it, the point he told me I couldn’t leave, that he lied. But as he stared at me, I didn’t see anything but… sympathy.

“I know why you feel like you have to run, but I’m going