radicalducati 2.12
2.12
Angelina’s POV
That pig, cocky, son of a bitch!
At first, I didn’t know whether he believed this made up story or not but now I’m not so sure.
Did I really convince him or was he just provoking me to tell the truth?
Probably the latter.
And as insulting as it is, I had to play the prostitute card for lack of a better life saving option.
He angered me so much with his suggestion to buy me, I retorted bitingly, against my better judgment “I’m not sure you can afford me”
He chuckled heartily and it brought goosebumps to rise everywhere on my body.
He said amusingly with interest in his eyes “Name your price, I’ll pay you upfront, but once the deal is on, there is no going back, you’ll be mine”
I wanted to slap him in his beautiful, annoying face so bad, I had to ball my hands to fists to keep myself in place.
The possessiveness in his tone when he side ‘you’ll be mine’ made my heart contract in my chest.
I had enough of this sick game, the whole scenario was so vile, it made my empty stomach turn viciously. I have to get the hell out of here, away from this sick, scary, confusing man.
“Do you really mean it? That you’ll give me a fake ID and a ride back to Fairbanks?” I asked intensely.
The fake ID was crucial. And it better be perfect. I couldn’t get on anything or go anywhere without it.
“Yes, I mean it” he said seriously.
“What do you want in return for those things?” I asked bluntly.
He smiled at my question and said instantly “Nothing”
I appraised him for a long time as I asked in clear doubt “So you’re going to help me for nothing in exchange? Why?”
He wet his lips and I found myself stupidly following that movement before I forced my eyes back to him as he spoke calmly “It might look suspicious in your world where you always have to get paid for providing a certain service, but in my world chivalry still exists. I don’t need anything from you that you’re not willing to give for free in order to help you out of a problem I caused for you. I ruined your generous opportunity to make a fortune and I’m offering you a way to make up for it, that’s all”
Fuck you Lucas Snow!
I wanted to shout those words in his face at the way he keeps insulting me, and I hate the fact that I have to act unoffended because if I am who I am really pretending to be, those little, snarky, provocative insinuations shouldn’t bother me so much
I ignored how his words set my body on fire and moved on to get this over with as soon as humanly possible so I don’t end up exposing myself “The fake ID, will it get me in trouble or is it solid?” I asked intensely.
“It will not be detected, but it will take time to be brought here. I’m afraid you’ll have to extend your stay in our small little town while I get it ready for you” he said in an assuring tone.
This takes me aback, but I mean what the hell did I expect? he can’t magically produce a fake, undetectable ID in under five minutes.
And I can’t exactly survive out there without one.
I can’t ever go back to being Angelina Collins. That identity is dead. In all senses of the word. Not if I want to avoid that man named Zade for the rest of my now miserable existence.
“How long will it take to be ready?” I asked carefully.
He thought about it for a while and said casually “Three to four days only, it shouldn’t take longer than that”
He made it seem like such a short time for him, but for me it was like three to four weeks!
How will I survive staying with that man for four days!
An hour alone with him, and it was more than enough to send me on a total meltdown, and scar me for years to come.
Was he stringing me along?
Was he buying time but in reality he was kidnapping me without me realizing it?
Was he providing me with a sense of security only to end up taking it away in an instant?
He was a psychopath after all, and that diagnosis was a hundred percent accurate I had no more doubt in me, what if this was all a cruel game to make me think that I have control while in fact I have none? Psychopaths love nothing more than playing mind games on their victims.
Call me paranoid, but after the events of the past two days, I was barely functioning, I couldn’t trust my judgement of things anymore. I have to consider that what I’m seeing and hearing might not turn out to be the real shit here, that I should always be prepared for the worst case, for being betrayed and played with.
What other choice do I really have?
What if I tell him I want to go straight to Fairbanks without a fake ID, will he agree to take me right now?
And if he does, how the hell am I going to survive out there with nothing to help me disappear?
“What’s on your mind, Hope?” he asked softly, startling me with his soft edge yet again. It was like he could almost feel my struggle, my loss at figuring out how best to survive on my own after I lost the one person I was living for, my fight to stay sane and in control without breaking apart right this very second over the death of that person. I couldn’t think about her, I couldn’t picture that moment I lost her forever, I couldn’t deal nor accept that I will no longer…
No, don’t go there Angelina, don’t go there because you will shut down right here in this office and you can’t afford to lose it here in front of that man.
But damn it! Every time he calls me Hope, her name, he kills me a little bit more, he stabs my heart and twists it, he stomps on it and he’s not aware that every time he does that, I die a little bit more inside.
My body was trembling to let loose and I barely contain myself from breaking apart, from succumbing to that pain that I’m trying to push down and not feel.
I blink back my tears and say in a choked tone “I’ll accept your help”
He stares at me for a while, probably trying to read my mind and figure out what the hell is happening to me and why I’m struggling so damn much.
I avoid his intense scrutinizing gaze and stare at my messed up wrists. They were stinging me but I barely register that pain.
“Ok, let me take you back home so you could rest, you look like you could use it” he said firmly as he stood up from his chair.
My eyes snapped up to meet his as I asked intensely while my heart went racing “You’re taking me to your house?”
He gave me a smirk as he answered smugly “I’m not going to keep you four days in my warehouse now, am I? I’m not that impudent”
Actually, I prefer the warehouse over his house a lot more.
He seemed to gather as much as he said reassuringly “Don’t fret, you won’t be alone with me. I live with my mom, sister, and David”
My racing heart settled at that piece of comforting information.
I took a deep breath and stood up as well.
He took that as my approval as he started walking towards the door with me following behind.
We step out of the warehouse and I have to wrap my arms around myself as the coldness hits me viciously. Alaska was much more colder than Seattle by so many degrees and it didn’t exactly help that I was kidnapped without my leather jacket to keep me warm.
David and the guy who found me in the car earlier and called for Lucas to come take a look, were standing by the two SUVs parked in front of the warehouse.
He addressed them both firmly “We’re going home”
Lucas motioned for me to get in one of the cars as he climbed into the passenger seat.
The ride ‘home’ was silent and short. The ride barely took seven minutes.
I was staring out the window the entire time, keeping my head blank and my emotions in check. I was dying for some alone time so I don’t have to pretend to be composed when I was slowly unraveling from the inside.