Page 37 of Ash (Dragon Riders MC 3)
I knew I wouldn't make it, though. Not with David and those Daddy Long Legs of his striding behind me.
Fuck being short.
I closed my eyes and tried to still the storm in my gut. I had to keep my head screwed on straight if I was going to think myself out of this situation. I moved my hand around to my back pocket, trying to see if my phone was still there. This didn’t look like a place where I’d have service. But it was worth a shot.
However, I didn’t feel my phone anywhere.
Are you kidding me?
I peered out the window and saw David’s back turned to me. So, I took the opportunity to pull myself up a bit and look around. I spotted my phone in the cup holder up front, but I wasn’t sure if I’d have enough time to snatch it. The fact that it was still with us was a good sign, though. That meant my phone could be tracked.
If I can get to it, though, I can call Ash.
I drew in a sobering breath and reached my arm out. But David turned around too quickly. I ripped my arm back and cast my eyes to the ground, hoping and praying he didn’t see what I’d been trying to do. I closed my eyes and braced for it. For whatever anger he was about to throw my way. But his footsteps circling around the car like a vulture resumed.
And I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Come on, you can do this,” I murmured to myself.
I opened my eyes and tried reaching for my phone again, but it was no use. It was as if David had a sixth sense about when I was moving and when I wasn’t. I mean, the second my fingertips were outstretched, he went to turn around again. And I had to yank my hand back to my side just to keep him from getting upset with me. God damn it, why the fuck didn’t I have a knife on me or something? It wouldn’t take much energy to plunge it into his side and take off for those fucking woods.
The car door opening ripped me from my thoughts, and I watched David slide back into the car.
Before he turned around and sighed.
“You can’t leave me, Hannah. I can’t live without you.”
I scoffed. “That a promise?”
He shook his head. “I don’t get it. Why the hell can’t you love me the way I love you?”
“Because I don’t want to ruin your life.”
He scoffed. “My love hasn’t ruined your life.”
“Look at me, David!”
I pointed to my face and he quickly turned around.
“This is what your love has done to me! I’ve probably got some sort of a concussion, and I can’t see out of one of my eyes. I’m sick to my stomach. My back hurts. You did this to me, David. Your—quote, unquote—love has done this to me. Is that really how you want anyone to love you?”
He whipped back around. “Well, if you just would have listened to me in the first fucking place—”
“Listened to you when? When you told me I wasn’t allowed you leave!? You can’t dictate that about someone else’s life, David. You want to control me, not love me. And I’ll die before you ever control me. You got that?”
He shook his head. “I won’t let you die. That man you’re with? He’s no good for you.”
“Oh, and you are?”
“Listen to me!” he bellowed. “His life is going to get you killed. The lifestyle he leads is going to put you right in the position your own fucking cousin put you in.”
I pointed at him. “First off, I agreed to go along with Slash’s plan. And secondly, Ash is the one that saved me from all that bullshit.”
“Yep. And now, I’m saving you from him.”
I kicked the back of his seat. “Well, I don’t need your saving, you fucking psychopath.”
His hand reached around, gripping my ankle. “Do that one more time and I’ll snap your foot.”
“Why, because you love me so much?”
He shoved my foot away and fell against the driver’s seat.
“David, I know you know this is wrong. When we were together, you were nothing like this. You were headstrong, sure. Stubborn, yes. But you weren’t obsessive. And you certainly weren’t abusive. What in the world happened?”
He snickered. “You left, and my world crumbled, Hannah. That’s what happened.”
“Your world didn’t crumble. You just allowed it to.”
“I was going to propose, you know.”
I paused. “I’m sorry, what?”
He slowly turned around. “Yeah. I had it all planned out. I was going to fly you to that place in Italy you always talk about going to. First-class and all.”
“Wait, are you serious?”
He shrugged. “Not that it matters anymore, but yeah. I’m serious. I had the ring purchased and everything. I had our plane tickets, our penthouse hotel suite booked out. All of it, nonrefundable.”
