Page 68 of Reign of a Billionaire

“How cliché,” he said flatly, slapping my ass for emphasis.Hard.

“You’re one to talk, Kingston.” No answer. Obviously I needed to work harder at my insults. “Listen, you seem pretty desperate for a girlfriend, but I’m not it. I’d sooner put bullets in your head than fuck you. So, do us both a favor and take me back.”

“Okay.” He turned left, and my heart shuddered with hope. “No.”

I blinked, confused, but before I could say anything, he threw me into the back of a car. Thinking on my feet—or ass, in this case—I jolted forward, my hand landing on the driver’s shoulder.

“I’ll give you fifty thousand?—”

My words were cut off when Kingston’s hand yanked me back. The driver looked over his shoulder, a pair of arctic, pale blue eyes slamming into me.

“He’s not here to help you.” Kingston shut the car door, settling next to me and offering me a placating smile. “Watch this one. I have to go back and bid on another.”

The driver’s expression remained impassive, but I could have sworn I saw disapproval flicker in them. Kingston shut the door and took off in a jog. The silence that followed was deafening, or maybe it was the adrenaline coursing through me, tampering my hearing.

“I’ll give you a million dollars,” I whispered. “Just open the door and?—”

“No.”

What was it with these men and one-word answers?

The car door opened after what felt like ten years later and I jumped in my seat. Kingston slid into the seat next to me. “Let’s get the fuck out of here, Alexei.”

I searched my memory for the significance of the name, but I was so frazzled, my brain refused to cooperate. Whoever this driver was, I was certain he was part of the underworld. His freakishly blue gaze flickered in the rearview mirror, and Kingston grinned like a damn fool. What I would give to punch that smile right off his face.

“I don’t remember the last time I saw you smile.”

My head snapped to Kingston. Alexei’s remark struck me as odd, but I had no time to ponder on it. Reaching for the door handle, I yanked hard.

“It’s locked.” Kingston scowled, his hawk-like attention on me, watching me like I was his next meal… or kill. Fuck if I knew.

“Well, unlock it,” I gritted, continuing to pull as if by some miracle it’d open. This was going nowhere. Feigning giving up, I leaned back into the seat with a sigh and locked eyes with Kingston. “Listen, any other time, I’d be flattered that a guy would go through all this trouble for me.” He shot me a dubiouslook. “I would,” I assured him quickly. Too quickly, probably. “It’s the most effort any man has ever put into getting with me.”

“Don’t be too flattered.” Kingston’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Your ego’s too big as it is.”

“Jesus Christ,” Alexei muttered while I shot him a glare. I really wished he would drop dead.

Returning my attention to Kingston, I caught his gaze measuring me and shivered. I hated this reaction, especially now that he’d disrupted my plan.

“Don’t cry to me when I kill you.” I glared.

“I’ll try not to.”

His voice dripped with sarcasm, and that pissed me off even more. He handed me a bottle of water. I snatched it, trying to calculate how much further this whole charade was putting me back in my quest for answers.

My vision fogged with red rage. It clouded all my senses until I couldn’t breathe. I threw the bottle back at him, letting out a bloodcurdling scream.

You could’ve heard a pin drop in the silence that followed. I blinked, my breathing chopped and heavy. I inhaled. Then exhaled. I repeated it again and again, until the world came back into focus. Two sets of eyes watched me warily as if I had lost my mind.

My eyes drifted around while my pulse thundered in my ears. I hadn’t even realized that dusk had fallen and that we’d been driving through the jungle.

The car door opened in front of a helicopter, and I knew it was now or never.

With my wrists still bound, I bolted out of the car, my heart thundering in my ears. I didn’t pause to look behind me, but I could hear Kingston’s curses, demanding I come back. Ignoring rocks and sticks digging into my bare feet, I kept running.

Unsurprisingly, Kingston’s footsteps fast approached. I felt him gaining on me, and could almost smell his vanilla scent.

Suddenly, strong arms wrapped around my waist and lifted me off my feet.