Gun still pressed to my temple, I turned my head toward the direction of the voice, and sure enough, Axel Blackwood was standing only a few feet away from me, looking every bit as arrogant as he sounded.
And every bit as gorgeous as he looked the last time I saw him. Maybe even more gorgeous.
Which definitely wasn't what I was supposed to be thinking right now.
"You didn't really think you could escape, did you?"
I swallowed. "Doesn't hurt to try, does it?"
My voice was soft, and small, which wasn't what I was aiming at, but that was just the kind of effect Axel had on people. Or maybe I just sounded like that because I had a gun to my head.
"Could you call your dog off?" I asked. "I don't like being put under pressure."
Axel tilted his head slightly, and the gun was removed from my forehead. My assailant gave me a rough push and I nearly stumbled on my heels as I made my way to where Axel stood.
His head was still titled as he studied me. I felt queasy under his gaze. Those dark eyes had the power to make anyone feel uncomfortable. I willed myself to be confident, raising my chin, but once the side of his lips pulled up in a cold smirk, my head involuntarily went down.
I sighed, "How did you know I'd be here?" It was a question that had been at the back of my mind ever since I saw him.
"Your brother seemed to think you're a bit predictable," he said. "He knew you'd flee, and so I had my men stationed here."
I watched as the man who had a gun pressed to my forehead moved to my car, squatting and running his hand under as if searching for something.
When he stood, there was a small object in his hand, and I watched, furious, as he dropped the object into Axel's open palm.
It was a tracking device. Julian had my fucking car bugged. "The moment your disloyal brother saw you move, he alerted me." Axel chuckled. "Funny, isn't it?"
My teeth clenched hard as I muttered a curse. "Fucking Julian." I was going to kill my brother. A coward, that's what he was.
"Yes, yes. Fucking Julian, but that's not the focus right now, is it?"
Axel stretched his hand out and I flinched as he began to stroke my cheek with the back of his palm. I tried not to stare at his face, wanting so badly for him to take his hand off me.
His hand moved to the base of my neck, stroking it gently with his thumb. The contact made me want to lean into his hand but I held my ground.
But then, with a sharp inhale, Axel's hand wrapped around my neck tightly and he pushed me hard against the nearest car. I gasped as my back made contact with the metal, but that was the least of my problems.
Axel Blackwood was choking me.
"I should just fucking kill you right now. Tell me why I shouldn't."
He squeezed harder, cutting off my airflow and I clawed against his hand, scratching and pulling and slapping but all to no avail. He was going to kill me.
"Axel-plea-please," I whimpered, noticing how light my head felt and how dizzy I was becoming.
He added a little more pressure, leaning forward so his head was beside mine. "Say that again, Remira. I want to hear you beg for your life," he growled.
I felt tears stream down my face. "Please," I choked out. My voice was barely audible to me, but I supposed he heard it, because he let go of my neck.
All of a sudden, I was hunched over, coughing, breathing hard, and throwing up all over the ground. Black spots clouded my vision and I felt my knees becoming weak.
Axel Blackwood was going to be the end of me, I was sure of it.
He crouched down so he was at eye level with me. His eyes blazed with fury and something else, something that I couldn't place but knew I didn't want to find out what it was.
And then he said, "You have no idea how much it turns me on to watch you squirm."
My body shook with fury and I spat at his face. He was a fucking bastard. That's what he was. A fucking, evil bastard who got hard by watching people in pain.
Chuckling, Axel swiped his hand over his cheek, he tutted. " Careful, Remira. You don't wanna do anything to piss off your husband-to-be, do you?"
A mirthless laugh escaped my mouth. I'd finally caught my breath, but the effect of his hand on my neck still lingered. I wanted to claw at my neck until my skin peeled off.
"I will never get married to you, you sick bastard!" I yelled.
The sound of a gun being cocked came from my right. I'd even forgotten that his men were around watching the spectacle that was going on.
"We'll see about that." Heaving a bored sigh, Axel stood to his full height and signaled his men. Two of them came over and he said two words.
"Take her."
All of a sudden I was lifted to my feet, kicking and screaming as these men bundled me up and forcefully pushed me into a nearby vehicle. One of the men got in the backseat with me, pointing a gun to my forehead again, while the other got behind the steering wheel.
I rolled my eyes, chuckling mirthlessly. I knew they weren't going to shoot. If Axel wanted me dead, he'd do it himself. But I decided to humor them.
"We'll see about that."
Those were the last words he said to me. But he was wrong. I would only be marrying Axel Blackwood over my dead body.
But I couldn't shake the feeling that I was the wrong one. That I was doomed whether I got married to him or not.
I guess we'll see.