His eyes flipped between me and Evaleen. “You were right, Aria. I need to stand up to my mother.”
Memories were coming back to me as he spoke.
“I’m glad. But that doesn’t explain why you are spying on me at Chuck’s Sausage Shack.”
His eyes landed on Evaleen before turning back toward me. “Can we talk . . . privately?”
I glanced around the small restaurant and the only private rooms were the bathrooms and a broom closet. I wasn’t about to go back into a broom closet with him, and a bathroom at lunch hour wasn’t private.
Turning to Evaleen I leaned into her. “Do you think we could use your office or an empty room at Mimir to talk?”
Her eyes widened. “With Hoodie? Are you sure that’s safe?”
“His name is Alex. Alexander Hawthorne.” I took a breath before continuing, “He’s the guy trapped in the tower on top of a mountain.”
Evaleen’s lips thinned. “I know who he is, I just like calling him Hoodie.” She bit her lip and eyed Alexander for a moment before she said, “Okay. You can use Payne’s old office since he isn’t there.”
I waved Alex to follow us toward the front of the restaurant. However, he stopped just before we pushed through the door to the sidewalk.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
He seemed tense and pushed his hands into his navy hoodie. “Um, it’s the outside. I don’t do well in the daylight.”
Evaleen snorted. “What are you a vampire?”
He shook his head and I placed my hand on his arm. “It’s okay, we’re here. Are you allergic to the sun?”
Based on his tan, I didn’t think that could be a problem.
“No, it’s my mother. She never took me out during the day. I’m sure it was more of her lies, but she warned me of bad people waiting to find me and kidnap me for money. So, I never went out during the day.”
“But you’re here now. How did you get here?” Evaleen said.
“That’s one of the things I wanted to discuss with you, Aria. I knew you wouldn’t take my call so I forced myself to come out and find you.”
He’s right, I had been ignoring all of his phone calls.
I nodded. “Okay, let’s get you inside the Mimir building. Evaleen, can you take his arm and I’ll grab his other arm. We’ll be on either side of you. That might help put you at ease.” I smiled up at him.
Luckily, the Mimir building was right next door and we were outside for less than a minute.
Once we were inside, I could feel Alex melt in my grip. I hadn’t realized how tense he was until we walked through the turnabout glass door.
When the elevator opened, there was only one person inside and she stared at Alex with wide, doe-eyes.
“Hello, Jenson,” Evaleen said to the woman.
“Oh, hi, Ms. Bechmann.” She walked back to the corner of the elevator as we walked in.
“Don’t you have to get out of the elevator?” Evaleen asked the woman.
“I just realized I forgot something at my desk,” she said with a ghost of a smile before her eyes snapped up to Alex.
“You’re Grace, right?” Alex said pointing to her.
Her tan cheeks turned pink as she nodded.
“I remember you from when I was here a few weeks ago. I’m Alex.” He pushed his hand to her as she stared at him.
She reached for his hand to shake. “Hi, Alex. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
The elevator stopped and once the doors opened, Grace dashed out.
“That woman is weird. She’s like that with every guy she meets. She seemed especially odd with you, Mr. Hawthorne. I’m sorry,” Evaleen said as we left the elevator and moved down the hall.
Alex shrugged as we entered a large, empty office. It was bare bones with only a desk, a few chairs, and a black leather couch against the wall.
“I don’t think so. She’s just shy. There’s nothing wrong with being shy,” he said.
I don’t know why, but my heart jumped at his words. I figured I would be a little jealous of Grace. It’s obvious she was enamored of Alex, but she appeared to have a delicate nature. I think Alex’s heart goes out to fragile creatures.
“Well, you don’t need to worry about her. She has a boyfriend now. Hopefully, she’ll gain some confidence with that. I’ll leave you two alone. I have a meeting with Edgar Mimir so it might be a while,” Evaleen said as she moved to leave and shut the office door behind her.
I turned to Alex. He sank into one of the black leather office chairs.
“Are you ready to tell me why you braved your fear of daylight to hide behind a plant in a sausage shack? I asked.
SIXTEEN
Alexander
“I’m running away,” I said lifting my head in hesitation to watch as Aria came and sat next to me.
“Running away? What are you, ten?”
“I mean, I’m leaving Chicago. I wanted to get out during the daytime, see if I could do it, and I did.”
My heart was pounding with excitement and fear, but most of all, I tackled something my mother tried to destroy in me. I was always curious why she told me to never be seen outside, keeping me almost completely locked away, knowing I would develop this fear of ever venturing outside during the day?
I had to wonder why? She told me it was because other people might hurt me to get to my money, but that always felt like a lie.
Something passed over Aria’s eyes and she twisted her head away. After a moment, she turned back to me. “I don’t understand. Why are you telling me? Just go if you want.”
Her voice deepened with each word. She was angry. It surprised me. I thought Aria, with her free spirit, would be happy for me.
“Because it’s what you said two weeks ago that made me realize that I needed to get away from my mother.”
Aria leaned back. “I’m proud of you, Alex. If what you say about your mother is true, then it’s a good thing you are leaving. I wish you the best of luck.”
She smiled though it didn’t seem sincere. Her gaze focused on her twisting fingers.
My mind filled with a thousand words, jumbling together for all that I wanted to explain, but I knew it would be too much. So, I started with one thing.
The seed she planted when she walked into my bedroom the very first time.
“Come with me,” I said, taking her hand in mine.
She gasped and in that second her eyes gave me her answer. It was stark and surprising, but I smiled anyway. Her truth was the answer I longed for and something she wasn’t ready to accept.
“No. I can’t leave. No.” Aria shook her head and pulled her hand from mine.
The more she fought, the deeper I dug in.
“Why? What’s stopping you? You don’t have a job to get to. And I would make sure you were provided for.”
Aria stood and pushed the chair back in the process, causing it to tip back.
“I’m not a pet, Alex. I don’t need a sugar daddy.”
“Aren’t sugar daddies supposed to be older? How old are you, Aria?”
I knew her age. There was a lot I knew about Aria. When you’re attracted to someone from afar for three years, you spend a lot of time Googling them.
Just thinking that made me realize I sounded like a stalker. Maybe she doesn’t need to know I’ve been lusting after her for all those years.
“I’m twenty-nine. Why? How old are you?”
“I’m twenty-six,” I said and stood from the chair to face her.
“You’re younger than me. Does that make me a cougar?”
She crinkled her nose, warming my chest. I wanted to wrap her in my arms and kiss her everywhere.
“I think you would have to be much older than me. At least ten years older. Not three years.”
“Four years. I’m four years older than you.”
“I may be a recluse, Aria, but I know simple math and twenty-nine minus twenty-six is three.”
“I turn thirty in June. I will be four years older
than you in a little over a month.”
“Who’s to say I don’t have a birthday later this year?” I said knowing I didn’t.
But she didn’t need to know that.
She waved her hands at me. “Three years, four years, that doesn’t matter. I’m still not coming with you, Alex. I have a life here. Chicago may not be a paradise island where we can sip mai tai’s on the beach and make love in a room with the sounds of waves crashing in the distance, but . . . wait, what was I arguing about?”
The more time I spent with Aria, the more I learned what she liked. That’s something you can’t Google. As much as she complained about not wanting to be bought, she sure liked nice things and good food.
“I can make that happen,” I said as the corner of my mouth tipped up. “And just think, I could feed you shrimp caught fresh from the ocean and grilled before us on the beach.”
Her eyes were like saucers as she stared up at me. “I do like shrimp.”
I took a step closer, placing my hand on her shoulder before dipping my head to the side of hers. “You know what I like, Aria? Pie. They make a great key lime pie in the Keys. I like other flavors, too. But when I find that perfect pie—as if it was created just for my tongue—mmm, it makes me want to lick the whole thing.”
“Yes. That does sound good,” she said, her voice but a breath.
I lifted my hand to her neck. My nose dipped, tickling under her ear and it took every ounce of my restraint not to bite her. But I didn’t. I held firm until her chest pushed against mine. Her breathing picked up the more I inhaled.
“I’d love to have pie with you, Aria.”
“So much yes right now.” Her fingers gripped my shoulders trying to pull me closer.
But, again, I held firm. I wanted to give in and let her do what she wanted to me, but I needed something more from Aria. A promise.
I straightened my back and stood to my full height. It surprised her but she refused to let me go.
“Then come with me. Let’s find that perfect island together. No more cold Chicago winters.”
That’s when she gave in. Her eyes widened and her lips—they were the key—spread into a breathtaking smile. Full of as much hope as I felt.
But then one person ruined everything. As she had for most of my life, my mother walked in to take control.
“What on earth?” Aria said as her head turned toward the door my mother walked through moments ago.
She was surprised by mother’s appearance but I wasn’t. My mother had spies everywhere. This wasn’t the first time I tried to leave my home during the day. I once talked an old friend, someone I thought was a friend, into coming to a gallery showing by a new artist with me.
Turned out that friend was one of my mom’s spies. My mother showed up there too. But not before the true beauty of the night captured my heart.
My mom’s gray eyes narrowed on Aria. “Alexander. What are you doing here?”
My instinct was to push Aria behind me, protect her from the woman who used my love like candy. When she had a sweet tooth, my mother would visit me only to chew me up.
I wanted to lie to my mom and never tell her what I was planning, but it was time to face her. Despite my promises long ago to my mother, I needed to do this for me. Even if it meant breaking those promises. She broke enough promises over the years.
“I’m leaving. I won’t marry whoever you picked out for me. This isn’t the middle ages, Mother.” I turned my eyes to find Aria’s mouth wide in surprise. “I’m only here to tell Aria that I won’t need her to paint the mural anymore. In fact, she might be coming with me,” I said before I looked at Aria.
Not wanting to overstep my bounds I asked, “If you’re interested?”
She chewed on her bottom lip. And after what felt like forever, Aria grabbed my hand and smiled up at me. “Yes. I’ll come with you, Alex.”
There was an ache in my chest and a burn that prickled and twisted throughout my body. It was almost too good to be true. This beautiful, amazing woman wanted to be with me.
Noise disrupted my joy and I turned to see my mother clapping her hands.
“Aww, that is sweet, but I’m afraid you can’t run off with your little love, Alex.”
All I cared about was that Aria wanted to be with me. My mother could make fun of me or spread lies about me or Aria, and it wouldn’t matter. The only important thing was that we were going to be happy together.
“Don’t even start, Mom. I told you I’m not marrying Alexa Dorton,” I said feeling emboldened with Aria at my side.
My mother told me when I was a kid that I am destined to marry into a powerful, politically connected family. I met Alexa when I was a kid. She was sweet and as nervous as me. We planned to run away together, not so we could be together, but to get away from our controlling parents.
My mother rolled her eyes and waved her diamond-cluttered fingers at me. “You can’t run away from your destiny, Alexander.”
I stood there and stared at my mother. What sort of fantasy world did she live in?
“It’s done. None of that matters anymore because we’re leaving.” I tried to make my way past my mother, pulling Aria along with me.
“You can walk out and break my heart like that, Alexander? After all I protected you from. I’m the one that gave you everything. If it weren’t for me, you would be lost out there in the world with the worst life. Maybe no life at all.”
I stopped and looked over at my mother.
“What are you even talking about, Mom? You think sheltering me, making me scared to step outside in the daylight was protecting me? The most it ever protected me from was mosquitoes. Bravo,” I used the slow clap on her, “you saved me from malaria.”
“And West Nile virus. Oh, and also the Zika virus,” Aria said.
We both turned toward Aria. She shook her head. “But you aren’t a pregnant woman so you don’t really need to worry about Zika.” Aria’s eyes lowered to the floor and she frowned.
“You are right, Ms. Dixon. He doesn’t need to worry about that or you, for that matter. Since you are already married.”
Another one of my mother’s lies. She really thought I was that naïve, that stupid, that I would believe Aria was married just because my mother said it.
I shook my head. “How can you lie like that and then look at yourself in a mirror?”
There was a tug on my sleeve and I glanced down at Aria.
“Alex, she’s not lying.”
SEVENTEEN
Aria
“Aria, you’re married?” Alex said as his voice cracked.
No one knew about it and I had hoped no one ever would. Even Morgana didn’t know about my marriage.
“Yes.”
“Alex, you should come home with me. I can tell you everything. Never believe a woman who is only after your money. Besides, you already know that she’s not the woman meant for you.” Alex’s mom sneered at me.
Just a few weeks ago she was practically begging me to be with her son and now, it’s as if I turned into a lost beggar child from a Dickens’ novel.
“No. This doesn’t involve you,” Alex said to his mom.
I thought he was going to storm off when he pushed past her, leave me behind for good. It’s what I wanted, right? Be free of this family and all its crazy. But now I didn’t want to leave Alex. Something about running away with him to some far-off locale sounded exciting.
That’s what I wanted. Excitement. Part of why I missed working was the stimulation. When things were busy, I came home from work exhausted but happy. Now there was no exhaustion, only boredom.
Maybe adventure was the key.
It surprised me when Alex grabbed my wrist and tugged me along. We kept walking until we were inside the elevator moving down. That’s when the silence took over. I kept glancing at him but his head was down, his brow wrinkled.
Some may see him and think he was deep in concentration, but I knew better. Alex was angry. And as much as I wanted
that irritation directed toward his mother, I knew it wasn’t. It was because of me.
I was about to speak, to explain, but the doors opened and he pulled me with him. His fingers tightened around my hand as we went through the turning doors and stepped into the cool, windy May sidewalk. A black car with tinted windows sat out front and Alex walked over to open the door.
He waved for me to get inside but I stood my ground.
“Aria, I need to speak with you. Please, get inside.”
I folded my arms refusing to go anywhere until I got answers. “Where are you taking me?”
He’s mad at me, fine. He has every right but that doesn’t mean he can pull me around like a rag doll. Expecting me to do go wherever he wants as if I have no say.
“Somewhere safe. Somewhere to talk.”
My shoulders shook with laughter. “And where would that be, Alex? I am coming to notice that no matter where we go, your mother seems to show up.” I waved my hand back at the large, metal and glass Mimir building. “Just take me home.”
I was getting tired of this crazy world he inhabited. As much as I sought the adventure with him, I also wanted it to be carefree, not full of worry and confusion.
I moved to the car and stepped inside. Once we were buckled in the car took off.
“To garage number one, Ben,” Alex said to the man driving the car.
“That’s not taking me home.” I turned toward Alex, his eyes still set on the front of the vehicle.
“No, it’s not. But there is something there that not even my mother knows about.”
Or maybe there was nothing there. Maybe he could get rid of me and no one would know about it.
I may have known Alex for a month and a half, but what did I really understand about him? Maybe this was all a way to lure me into believing him. What if there’s a reason no one knows what A. Hawthorne looks like? What if he plans to hurt me, or worse.
Gazing over at him, I noticed the curves in his arms as he flexed his muscles. To say the man was built was an understatement. He could break me in half easily.
“Don’t worry. Where we’re going, my mother won’t be able to find us.” Alex finally turned to look at me. His eyes narrowed as if they were measuring me. Probably for my grave.
One Wild Ride Page 9
