Chapter 5 – BODHI
BODHI
As the sedan pulls away from the curb, Kozlov’s parting words still hang in the air like poison.
Saturday. Theirs to dispose of as they please.
I force myself to look relaxed as I settle into the leather seat, but inside, my bear is tearing me apart.
My mate is terrified, exactly what that asshole wanted. And she has every right to be. She just learned she’s going to be sold, and there’s nothing I can do to ease her fears. At least, not yet.
Emma slides as far from me as possible then presses herself against the window.
The driver twists in his seat, his flat gaze sweeping over both of us. “You’re just the courier, Lennox. Behave yourself.”
I take note of his scarred face, his build, and the bulge of a weapon under his jacket.
He’s one of Kozlov’s men, paid to report everything.
Not just a mere chauffeur. The partition rises with a soft hum, but I’m not foolish enough to think that means privacy.
There could be microphones. Cameras, even.
Every word we say will undoubtedly find its way back to his boss.
My bear demands I snap the driver’s neck, drag Emma from this car, and run. We could disappear into the mountains. Run and never look back.
But then what? Emma might never forgive me if my actions get Jake killed. Chase’s operation would be blown, and the other women, potentially lost. Then Emma could spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder, hunted by Kozlov’s men.
No. We do this the smart way. The patient way.
Even if it’s killing me.
Emma won’t look at me. Just stares out the window at the passing city lights.
I force my gaze away, locking my hands in my lap when the urge to pull her close becomes almost irresistible. My bear pushes forward, wanting to comfort her, to pull her close and tell her everything, that I’m here to save her.
But instead, I sit in silence, letting her believe I’m one of the monsters, while my mate curls herself against the door, radiating terror and fury.
The car takes a turn, and momentum slides her slightly toward me. When our thighs brush for just a second, heat shoots through me at the contact. The truth slams into me, knocking the breath from my lungs.
Mate.
My fists close as I fight the urge to reach for her, to bury my fingers in her golden hair, and press my lips to hers.
She jerks away like I’ve burned her. Using one hand on my leg to push herself back to her side of the seat, she presses harder against the door.
I bite back a groan when her palm slides high on my thigh, heat flaring through me.
Awkward silence hangs between us.
“Are you okay?” The question comes out quiet, but even I can hear how inadequate it is.
She whips around to face me, green eyes glistening with unshed tears.
“How could I possibly be okay? I’ve been kidnapped, and I’m about to be sold to the highest bidder.
” Angrily, she wipes at her eyes. “Being inexperienced never made me popular before, but apparently, I’m a real catch in fucked-up psycho land. ”
Her cheeks pink as she grips the edge of the seat, looking ready to bolt the first chance she gets.
“Stupid question.” I wince at my own idiocy and hold my hands up in surrender.
She turns back to the window, arms folded and chin lifted, but I catch the way her lower lip trembles slightly before she gets it under control.
“I really am sorry.” The words come out before I can stop them.
She lets out a bitter laugh. “If you expect me to believe that then you must be dumber than you look.” She’s quiet for a moment, then adds softly, “If you were really sorry, if you had a decent bone in your body, you wouldn’t work for a man like this.
And if you really meant it, you’d find a way to let me out of this car. ”
It’s not an accusation, but more like a challenge. We stare at each other, neither willing to back down.
“I won’t do that.” I eventually admit.
She scoffs. “I can’t leave anyway, not until my brother’s safe. But you proved my point. You’re just like the rest of them.”
The fire in her eyes stirs the beast inside me.
I am nothing like these men, and very soon, she’ll realize that.
I watch her reflection in the dark glass as we drive.
The city thins out, and high rises give way to lower buildings that stretch into darkness, broken only by the occasional gas station or late-night diner.
Every cell in my body recognizes her. The mate bond is a living thing now, a tether in my chest, that pulls taut with every inch of distance she puts between us.
The curve of her jaw. The defiant set of her shoulders, even now. There’s steel underneath the fear, and something about that makes me want her even more.
The road hums beneath us as miles pass.
She keeps her face turned to the window, and I keep my eyes on the road ahead, giving her what little privacy I can in this enclosed space.
We’ve left civilization behind completely now. Nothing but trees press in on either side, the headlights occasionally catching the flash of animal eyes in the undergrowth before they disappear.
I can’t stop looking at her, checking on her.
Emma’s eyes are starting to droop, lids heavy, head dipping forward before she catches herself and straightens.
She must be running on adrenaline ever since they took her. Kidnapped, terrified, paraded in front of predators and probably barely sleeping through any of it. Her body is demanding rest whether she wants to give in or not.
She fights it, of course. She doesn’t trust me or this car, and she doesn’t want to be vulnerable for even a second.
Her fingers grip her arms, nails digging in, trying to use the pain to keep herself awake.
But her eyes slide shut again, staying closed for a beat longer this time.
Her head nods forward, then jerks back up.
She blinks rapidly, shifting in her seat, and changes position to face forward, like that might help.
Between one breath and the next, she loses the battle. Her rigid posture softens, some tension draining out of her shoulders. Her head droops, chin tucking toward her chest. And then, slowly, inevitably, she slides toward me.
Her head comes to rest against my shoulder, and everything in me goes still.
I should wake her. Push her gently back to her side of the seat and maintain some distance between us. That’s what a professional would do. That’s what the man she thinks I am would do.
But I don’t move. I barely breathe as her hair brushes against my neck.
Her body is warm against my side, relaxed in a way it hasn’t been since I first laid eyes on her. The furrow between her brows has smoothed out some, and in sleep, she looks younger. Softer.
This should have been different. Finding your mate is supposed to be sacred, but instead, I’ve met mine while she’s being sold. She thinks I’m one of her captors, and I have to let her go on believing it.
Kozlov has poisoned this. I add it to the list of things I’ll make him pay for later.
Her hand slides from her lap before landing on my thigh, fingers curling into the denim.
I bite back a groan.
Through the partition, I catch the driver’s eyes watching in the rearview mirror, taking notes. I don’t care. Let him report. Let him wonder.
Moving carefully, I shift so she’s resting more comfortably against me.
The car’s climate has dropped, goosebumps rising on her bare arms. I shrug out of my jacket without waking her and drape it across her shoulders.
Emma burrows deeper, her body responding instinctively to my scent, her cheek pressing into my shoulder.
A small sound escapes her, something between a sigh and a murmur, and my bear rumbles with satisfaction.
She trusts me in sleep in a way she never would awake. At least, not yet.
I enjoy every minute and memorize every breath, every small shift of her weight, and the way her fingers twitch against my leg, as if she’s dreaming.
This is all I get of her… for now. This stolen moment while she doesn’t know who’s holding her.
The car begins to slow, and I close my eyes, bracing for the pain of being separated from her once more. Of perhaps never having a moment like this with her again until I get us safely home.
Gates appear in the headlights, wrought iron and imposing, and flanked by stone pillars topped with security cameras. Beyond them, a long driveway winds through manicured grounds toward a huge, imposing house. It looks more like a fortress than a home.
My bear doesn’t like this. It’s isolated with no hidden approach for Chase and his team. Extraction won’t be easy. Not without coming in all guns blazing.
Emma stirs against my shoulder, and my bear calms. We’ll figure it out. Whatever it takes.
Her fingers stroke my thigh, then go still, and I feel the exact moment awareness starts to creep back in, the slight tension returning to her body, changing her breathing.
I should move her before she wakes, spare her the embarrassment, but I don’t.
I give myself three more seconds. Three more breaths of her warmth against my side, of her hand on my leg, and her hair brushing my neck.
Then I brace myself for the moment she wakes up fully and remembers I’m the enemy.