Page 37 of Eternally Bound
“What do you plan to do?” he demanded. “You have no money, no ID, and no job prospects. You have nothing.”
She pointed a finger at him as she yelled at him. “You are wrong. I will have my freedom!”
Lowering his head into his hand, he rubbed the bridge of his nose as he tried to decide what to do with her. He couldn’t leave her here as she’d asked; she’d never survive on her own. But then, maybe she’d smarten up and return to her family if he did drive away. That was if she didn’t get herself killed or raped first. At least if she’d returned to her brother he would have known she was safe. He couldn’t leave her here without knowing what had become of her.
Lifting his head, he met her steely gaze. “I can’t leave you here.”
She grabbed his arms, squeezing them as her fingers dug into him. “You owe menothing, Ronan. Let me do this!”
“I will not leave you here! You’ll never survive in this world. You are too much of an innocent. Some of the human race is as bad as the worst of my kind. The humans may not be as strong or fast as you, but they can still destroy you.”
Kadence contained her rising temper over his condescending words. Shouting at him now wouldn’t help her situation at all. Only reason would break through his stubborn façade. He was right, she was over her head in many ways, but she’d made it out of the stronghold, she would figure this out too. She’d have to take it one day at a time, but she needed that first day in order to start living her own life.
“I am very strong, capable, and intelligent. Icansurvive,” she replied.
“This world will destroy you.”
“No—”
“Enough! You are not staying here and that is final!”
Kadence gaped at him in disbelief. “But—”
He started dragging her forward again, completely ignoring the protests she sputtered. Killean’s golden eyes narrowed to slits as she was pulled past him. Declan held the back door open, a nonchalant look plastered on his handsome face. He barely glanced at her as Ronan pushed her into the SUV, climbed in beside her, and slammed the door.
Kadence was about to scramble out the other side when that door opened and Saxon slid in. He looked completely baffled as he stared at her.
“Where to?” Killean inquired gruffly when he settled into the driver’s seat.
“Head back to the mansion; we’ll figure something out there,” Ronan commanded.
“Leave me here,” Kadence said. “I’m not your responsibility.”
Ronan glowered at her. “Never going to happen.”
She fell back against the seat and hunched her shoulders to avoid touching him and Saxon as she silently fumed over his refusal to set her free. After ten minutes of driving, Ronan slid a blindfold over her eyes. She stiffened at his touch and fought the impulse to slap his hand away. A few minutes later, they came to a stop. Ronan pulled the blindfold off her and climbed out of the vehicle. He held the door for her, but didn’t look at her.
Kadence glared at him as she stepped out of the SUV. Finally, she tore her attention away to focus on the building looming over her. She’d been blindfolded when she’d been led outside earlier so she hadn’t seen it, and she wished she hadn’t seen it now.
The place was a monstrosity. No one ever would have guessed the spartan beauty of the inside by the ugliness of the outside. The mansion towered into the night sky, its peaks and turrets looking like something straight out of a gothic novel. The huge gargoyles on the peaks and outside the doorways didn’t help that image at all. Bars covered all the arched windows, the front door was painted black, and the entire place had been built using a dreary, gray stone. Long wings fanned out behind the building and to the sides of the main structure.
It was the largest building she’d ever seen, and the ugliest.
“Doesn’t meet your fine standards?” Ronan murmured in her ear.
“Really trying to uphold that Dracula image, aren’t you?” she retorted.
A spark of humor crossed his face before he buried it. “Get inside.”
Kadence snorted, but did as he said, mainly because the place unnerved her. She was almost to the front door when it opened. Her hand flew to her heart as she jumped back into Ronan’s massive chest.
Killean’s low laugh came from behind her. “You should be scared.”
She shot him a dirty look, straightened her shoulders, and strode forward. A tall man stood inside the foyer, his hand resting on the doorknob. Gray speckled his brown hair at his temples, and a pair of round spectacles were perched crookedly on the tip of his large nose. He offered her a small smile before sweeping low in a grand bow.
“Good evening, madam. May I take your coat?”
Kadence almost tripped over her own feet when she came to an abrupt halt. They had a butler? Yes, apparently they did, and he was staring at her expectantly. “Um, yeah.” She slid it off and handed it over to him.
