scent lingered on my skin, her light perfume clinging to my nostrils. Even my cock twitched now at the thought of fucking her all over again.
No. Control. I had to maintain control.
The first peeks of dawn slipped over the horizon, strings of red crisscrossing the sky. That meant a storm was approaching.
When she stirred again, I moved away from the window, closing the drapes, and turning on the light in the bathroom. By the time I returned to the room, she was sitting up, staring at me intently.
“We’re going to need to go. Do what you need then we leave in five minutes.” I could hear the harshness in my voice, but until we made it to the cabin, there would be no rest.
She didn’t say a word, merely slipped out of bed, heading for the bathroom then stopping short. “Did you sleep?”
“Not yet. I’ll sleep after we dump the car, get a new one, and find our destination.”
“If they’re so smart, won’t they have a way of looking for your credit cards?” She tipped her head, searching my eyes.
“That’s why I have cash.”
“Of course you do.” She walked into the bathroom, slamming the door, pitching me back into darkness.
I moved to the dresser, turning on the light and placing the bags on the bed. My only hope was that there would be a small town in between in order to purchase another vehicle. If not, the odds would slip.
Chloe returned only a couple of minutes later, managing to fashion her hair in a sloppy bun. With the ringlets framing her face, she appeared like an angel, her skin glowing in the ugly bathroom lighting.
“I’m going to tell you this once, Chloe. We have to work together now. Do you understand what I’m saying to you?”
“Yes. I understand. Can we get something to eat or drink along the way?” Her tone was soft, now laced with fear instead of defiance.
“We can. Stay behind me as we leave. We’re going around the side.”
Her lower lip quivering, she gave me a single nod.
I was surprised when she snagged my shirt, holding on as I walked us around the side of the building. Maybe now she fully understood that her life was in just as much danger as mine. I stopped at the other end of the building, darting my head around the side, fully prepared to fire if necessary. Fortunately, in the early morning light, I was able to scan the perimeter of the area with ease.
“Okay, come on.” We headed for the car, the slight beep as I unlocked it the only sound that could be heard. Once inside, I wasted no time starting the engine, keeping watch as I rolled toward the road. Sighing, I took a few seconds to look at my phone. I’d planned a new route, the town we passed through hopefully large enough in order to make a swift transaction on a vehicle.
As we headed into an even more rural part of the countryside, her breathing continued to be ragged. She remained quiet for almost twenty minutes.
“When are you going to tell me about your real life?”
Huffing, I darted a glance in her direction. “Don’t ask questions unless you really want to know.”
“Why wouldn’t I want to know? Are you afraid I’m too fragile to learn the truth?”
I thought about her question. “I’ve spent several years attempting to bury that side of my life. I’ve enjoyed the kind of freedom that most Americans take for granted.”
“But were you ever really free?”
“Perhaps not in the way you’re thinking, but I was allowed to do something I enjoyed, choosing where I went to dinner and who I spent time with.”
“From what I could tell, you didn’t do much socializing. What kind of life is that?”
Her words hit me hard because they were the truth. Had I been living freely or simply allowing myself to be placed in another cage? “I don’t think you can understand.”
“From what you taught in your class, Professor, life in Russia was always difficult, although less so in the last forty years. If you were Bratva, considered royalty amongst a certain portion of the Russian people, I doubt you had to endure times without food or entertainment.” She snorted and looked away, muttering under her breath.
“As I said. Do not ask if you don’t want to know the truth.” There was no reason for her questions and comments to rile me, but they did. I kept my grip on the steering wheel firm, constantly