“Because nothing from the life you led with him comes into our home or near it,” he says. “Phone?”
“I didn’t grab it,” I say honestly. “Does he really sell women?”
“Yeah,” he says, opening the passenger seat door.
“Why did you make a deal to buy me then?” I ask.
“Because it was either me or he’d sell you off to someone else,” he says before shutting the door. When he gets in and starts the SUV I sigh.
“So, you thought you’d be the noble one and kidnap me yourself?” I ask.
“Stella,” he sighs.
“What? Done talking already,husband?” I say with anattitude.
“Watch your mouth, little star, before I make use of it a different way,” he says.
“Whatever.” I roll my eyes at him and cross my arms as I look out of the window. After a second, he pulls back onto the road and continues driving. My car is fully engulfed in flames. That should piss me off, but I think I’ll trust his reasoning. People in this world don’t do random shit like that for no reason.
We are no more than a few hundred feet when an explosion rocks the vehicle. I gasp and turn around to see that it was my car that exploded. “What the fuck was that?!” I ask, nearly screaming at him.
“You’re welcome,” he smirks.
“Did my dad do that?” I ask after a long silence.
“Yes,” he says. “My intention was to get you away from him, knowing he was going to use you as a pawn somehow, but the only way to actually protect you would be to marry you. Making that deal just gave him a reason to be stupid and try to get me out of his way. I believe he knew you’d run so he rigged your car to explode. Once you put it into drive again, it would have gone off. I think his hope was that I would end up in the car or one of my men would be so that when it exploded, it got rid of you and whoever else was nearby.”
“Why me?” I ask. “What the fuck did I do?”
“It’s not about what you did, Stella, it’s about what you didn’t do. You didn’t want to be a part of his lifestyle. You didn’t include yourself in the things that he did. You didn’t put up with his bullshit. You’ve never blindly followed his lead, and you questioneverything. You are a threat to him, so he wanted to get rid of you. Your mom ran because, she too, was a threat but taking you would mean she’d get both of you killed.”
“How do you know this?” I ask.
“Because I am the one who gave your mother a new identity,” he says. “Once I know that I have taken care of your father and any associates of his that might harm you, I will happily divorce you. Until then, you belong to me.”
“I don’t belong to anyone,” I grumble.
“Right now, you belong to me. Unless of course, you would rather belong to your father or one of his associates. Don’t think for a second that he won’t rape you like he’s done all the other girls,” he says seriously.
“What does that mean?” I ask. “To belong to you?”
“It means you sleep in my bed. You eat meals with me. You go where I go. In return for your cooperation, I will provide you with whatever you want or need.”
“Whatever I want?” I ask.
“As long as it does not endanger you, yes,” he says, but then pauses. “Or me... since there is a real possibility that you may try to kill me in my sleep.”
“I have nothing,” I say.
“I know. I have someone getting you some clothes and other basic stuff that you’ll need. Beyond that, just make me a list or I can just give you my card and you can have it delivered to the house.”
“Fine,” I sigh and lay my head back.
When we pull up to a gate, I open my eyes and sit up. “Is this your house?” I ask.
“Our house, and yes,” he says as he types in a code, letting the gate open. We drive through and park in front of a massive, gorgeous house.
“Is this the part where I get shackled in the basement?” I ask sarcastically when he opens my door.