Page 21 of Forbidden Boss
She tries to move past me toward the door. I step between her and the hall.
“Sit,” I command, but of course she doesn’t budge.
“Move!” she screams, shoving my chest as hard as she can. The word burns hot.
“You’re not hearing me,” I snap, temper slipping. “You’re mine. And I protect what’s mine.”
She goes still. My words settle between us, and I’m not sure where to start unpacking them. I don’t do feelings. I refuse to give them any breathing room.
“You’re basically kidnapping me,” she says, heat in her voice. “Do you expect me to just say thank you?”
“I expect you to stay alive. This is your best chance, and I’m not debating it another minute. I understand this world. You don’t.”
Her mouth flattens. “You think keeping me here protects me, but you’re wrong. You’re stealing my life from me.”
“I’m not stealing anything from you. Yuri grabbed your laptop. You can work from here.” I tip my head toward the office down the hall. “I’ll have my tech guy get you set up on the network.”
“There’s more to life than work,” she spits.
“My housekeeper will get your room set up for you. You’ll be very comfortable there, especially once your things arrive.”
“What happens if I say no?” she asks, desperately grasping at straws to get out of this.
“You try to leave,” I say, “and I will pick you up and bring you back. Don’t make me do it.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me.”
She stares at me, throat tight, eyes bright with fury. The pulse at her neck hits a hard rhythm. She drops back to the sofa as if refusing to give me the satisfaction of force. It’s a victory, but it feels hollow.
“I won’t apologize for keeping you alive. You can kick and scream and act like a petulant child all you want. This is done. It’s happening.”
Her eyes flash, and she finally nods in agreement.
“I’ll have Marcus coordinate the move,” I say. “You choose what you want to take, and my guys will move it for you.”
She shakes her head. “I’ll pack my own things.”
“You’ll choose,” I say. “They’ll pack. That’s the offer.”
“Offer,” she repeats dryly. “It feels a lot like an order.”
“Now you’re getting it.”
She stands again and tests the distance between us with a single step. I don’t move. She exhales as if she just remembered an ugly truth about how the world works.
“If your men break any of my things, I’m charging you for it,” she grumbles.
“I’d expect nothing else.” I let out a wary sigh.
Yuri appears in the doorway like a ghost. He takes both of us in with a quick sweep and waits without a word.
“Watch her,” I tell him. “I’ll be ten minutes.”
He nods and slides to a spot where he can see the hall, the elevator, and the reflection in the glass. I know I can trust him to stop her if she tries to run away.
I walk back to my office. I pull out the card I’ve been carrying in my pocket the last few days, twirling it between my fingers as I take the burner phone I keep hidden in my drawer.