Page 42 of Autumn Ritual

“Funny, I would have thought your associate wiped the memory of me clean from your brain,” I spat.

Rob pursed his lips. “She wasn’t my associate. She worked in HR.”

“Oh, who the hell cares!” I lowered my voice, but not quickly enough. “Look, you need to go.”

“Why? I bought a ticket to this…shindig. I’m visiting town same as any other sightseer, but I’ve got to say,” he sneered, “I don’t get what the big attraction to moving home was all about. This place is a dump.”

I grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the tent. The oom-pah band blared their brass tune, and I hurried my old piece of trash across the blocked off street to the railing looking over Cedra Cala. The river flowed past the shore, rushing out into the cove before it spilled into the Delaware River.

“First, this is my home. I won’t have you bad mouthing it!” I gave him a little shrug. “And I don’t care if you bought a ticket. You need to leave. Now!”

Rob took a step forward. I dropped my hand and scooted away, suddenly aware that I was alone with him. While that had been the point, so he didn’t get his ass beat in public, I instantly regretted the decision.

“Not unless you’re coming back with me,” he menaced. “We belong together, Sara.”

“Like hell we do! We’re done. It’s over.” It was the biggest mistake of my life. What the hell did I even see in this ass?

Rob tsked. “Is that any way to talk to your future husband?”

I scoffed. “I’m not marrying you!”

He only grinned.

“You must have bumped your head, because that is the most ludicrous plot twist you could have taken.”

“You’re funny, baby.” He advanced. “That’s why my grandpa likes you so much.”

That was all I was to him: a solution.

I pointed a finger at him as my body shook. “You only needed me to collect your inheritance. You don’t care about me. Hell, you probably never liked me!”

His right eye twitched. “We’ll discuss that later.”

Red tinged my vision.

“You can’t marry the hussy you were banging on your kitchen table, because your family won’t approve,” I barked with a disgusted laugh. “That’s why you came crawling back to me. Well, I’ve got news for you, buddy, I’m not interested!”

He grabbed my arm and shook me. “My car is parked down the block. I was going to let you stay—” he shook me again until my teeth clacked together “—so we could break the happy news to your folks, but if you’re going to be a stubborn little bitch, we can just hit the road.”

“Ow! You’re hurting me!” I gasped and tried to wrench away. “Let me go.”

Rob tugged me close and began walking to the edge of the blockade. “Don’t scream, or I’ll make you regret it.”

My ex was crazed. He wasn’t going to listen! The fact that he was willing to kidnap me meant that he probably wasn’t above hurting someone I loved. I remembered that he had a registered firearm, but it was impossible to tell if he’d brought it across state lines.

New Jersey doesn’t have reciprocity with New York.

I mentally slapped the unhelpful squirrel’s comment. Right now was so not the time to revisit gun laws. I needed to get the hell out of here!

I dropped, using my weight against his hold. The pavement scraped against my pants. I pushed the soles of my combat boots against the ground for leverage.

Rob growled in fury and snared my hair.

Before I could scream, a voice cracked through the air. “Let her go.”

“Cam,” I breathed, twisting but unable to see him due to the way I was roughly held.

“Look, this is all a big misunderstanding,” Rob said smoothly. His polished Fifth Avenue upbringing rose to the surface as he hauled me to my feet and condescendingly turned to meet the newcomer.