I narrowed my eyes, not moving.
“You’re going to be glad you rushed.”
I should have known better.
The second a man like Alois Müller saystrust mewith that tone—low, final, not asking—you don’t get answers.
You get dragged.
I barely had time to rinse the toothpaste from my mouth before he was moving again—fast, efficient, already halfway through whatever plan he’d decided I didn’t need clearance on.
“Shoes,” he ordered, tossing them toward me without looking.
I caught them out of pure reflex. “You are unbelievable.”
No response.
By the time I’d shoved my feet into them, he already had my bag slung over his shoulder like it weighed nothing, his phone in his hand, texting someone with the kind of clipped focus that told me this wasn’t spontaneous.
The car waiting downstairs wasn’t ours. Not the team SUV. Not anything recognizable. Black. Sleek. Quiet in a way that felt expensive.
I stopped short on the sidewalk. “Absolutely not.”
He didn’t even slow down. Just reached back, caught my wrist, and pulled me forward like this was already decided. “Get in.”
“Where are we going?” I demanded, digging my heels in just enough to make a point.
He glanced down at me, expression flat, unreadable. “Get in the car, Bea.”
No explanation.
No softening.
Just… that.
God, I hated that it worked.
The city blurred past in streaks of gray and gold, early morning Manhattan still waking up around us. The streets weren’t empty, but they weren’t loud yet either—like the entire place was holding its breath before the day hit full speed.
I crossed my arms, pressing back into the seat. “Kidnapping is illegal, just so you know.”
Silence.
I turned my head slowly.
He was watching the road like nothing in the world could touch him. Elbow braced against the door, fingers resting lightly at his jaw, completely unaffected by the fact that I was one inconvenience away from committing a felony.
“This is insane,” I muttered.
Still nothing.
I huffed, shifting in my seat. “If I end up in a ditch somewhere?—”
“You won’t.” The words cut clean through me.
Not sharp. Not defensive.
Certain.