Page 96 of Crave

I turned back toward the car, my hands gripping the edge of the door as I glanced through the glass at her. She was so small, her body pressed hard against the passenger-side door, as thoughtrying to put as much distance as possible between us. Her knees were drawn up slightly, her arms wrapped around them like a shield. Even in the confined space, she looked lost—out of place.

Tiny. Breakable.

I climbed in, the door slamming shut louder than I intended, making her flinch. Her reaction was quick, almost instinctual, and it stabbed at something deep inside me—something I didn’t want to acknowledge. I gritted my teeth, gripping the steering wheel tighter than I should, the leather creaking beneath my fingers.

Silence stretched out between us, suffocating and heavy, until it felt like the weight of it was pressing down on my chest. I reached forward and stabbed the button, bringing the car’s engine to life with a growl. Still, I could feel her there beside me, her presence like a tangible thing, but she didn’t move, didn’t speak.

The air was thick with unspoken words as I shoved the Audi into gear and backed out, into the street, then drove forward.

She thought she could run. Thought she could get away.

She was wrong.

I punched the accelerator, throwing her back in her seat. Her shoulders stiffened as she gripped the edge of her seat. Still, she didn’t look at me once.

“You know this was pointless, right?” My voice cut through the air, cold and sharp. So fucking sharp it could slice right through her. But I didn’t turn my head as I spoke, keeping my eyes on the road ahead. “Running. Hiding. Did you honestly think I wouldn’t find you?”

Her head turned just slightly, her profile barely visible in the dim light of the dashboard, every movement of her body calling me like a goddamn drug.

“You’re quiet now?” My tone almost mocking. “Where’s all that fight you had earlier?”

Her shoulders tensed, but she didn’t respond. Her fingers tightened against the fabric of her pants, the small movement enough to betray the storm brewing beneath her calm exterior.

That fire in her was still there. I could feel it, simmering just below the surface. She wasn’t broken, not entirely. But she would be.

“You’re just damn lucky it was Carter who found you. Anyone else…” I glanced her way, forcing the words through clenched teeth. “Anyone else wouldn’t have called me. They could’ve…they could’ve done whatever the fuck they wanted with you.”

Her breath hitched, the faintest sound escaping her lips. She wasn’t as unaffected as she wanted me to believe. I pressed harder, leaning back in the seat with one hand on the wheel. “You don’t even realise how dangerous this little stunt of yours was, do you? How close you came to?—”

“Stop,” she whispered, her voice shaking.

I turned to her, studied every reaction until her gaze finally met mine, wide and glassy with something shimmering in them I couldn’t quite place. Fear. Anger. Resolution. Please, for the love of God, let it be resolution. Because then she’d be…then she’d be mine.

That same sick need howled like a beast inside me. The same shrieks of torment which unleashed in me the moment I foundout she was gone. My pulse raced, the sound pulsing from my temples like thunder in my head. I almost lost her.

Fuck, I almost lost her.

I focused on the road ahead, making our way back to the familiar streets and finally turned into our street. Her gaze shifted to our house before she swallowed hard. The car hit the driveway hard before I tapped the brakes, rolling to a stop at the front of the garage.

Shadows moved around me. Most of the armed men we had keeping an eye on the perimeter had been assigned elsewhere, leaving one or two behind. One of them headed my way as I climbed out.

“Sir, anything you need us to do tonight?”

I shook my head, my focus on the woman in my car. “Not tonight. You can leave.”

One nod of the head was all it took. He turned around and disappeared. I waited for a moment until he was out of sight and then walked around to the passenger’s door. She looked up at me and the past and the present collided. I saw her on her knees…wanting it so fucking bad it hurt.

My hand trembled when I gripped the handle and opened the door, stepping to the side. She didn’t move at first, her body shivering until she had no choice but to step out. Her head hung as she walked past me, heading for the back door of the house. With every step behind her that ravenous beast inside me howled in delight.

She pushed in the code for the back door, yanking it open before slipping inside.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

She stopped, then slowly turned. That movement alone triggering the animal inside me. I lunged, grabbing her arm and dragging her with me as I headed for the den. Her small frame struggled against my grip, fighting her pathetic fight, but she was no match for me. One hard shove of the door and it slammed backwards, bouncing as I shoved her inside.

“Sit,” I ordered and pointed to the brown chesterfield sofa in the middle of the room.

She stumbled forward, giving me time to close the door behind us. There was that spark of defiance when she glared back at me, but I saw something else to—fear.