“The private airport, John C. Tune, off White Bridge Road.”
She tried to talk as she drove, tried to ask questions. But Josh kept telling her there would be time for them to catch up later, and to pay attention to her driving.
Traffic was light. Twenty minutes later, they were on a small jet, buckled in, the plane in the air, and she finally saw his hands relax.
“Now can we talk?” she asked.
“Not just yet.”
The excitement and drama was turning to annoyance. She -wanted answers. She wanted a lot of things.
“Just tell me this. Why?”
He held her hand, tracing his fingers along hers. The familiarity was disconcerting. It felt so right, and so very wrong. Josh gestured to the pilot. “Please, baby. Not until we’re safe. Alone.”
He handed her a bottle of water, which she drank greedily. When she put it down, he pulled her close, into his arms. Stared into her eyes. Put his hand on the back of her neck. Her heart started to beat like crazy. She wanted this, so badly.
Slowly, he brought his lips down on hers.
Her eyes closed immediately, and she fell into the kiss. This was bliss. She didn’t care, didn’t care about any of it. Just being able to spend five more minutes with him was heaven.
Her heartbeat was off. Wrong. It was going faster and faster until she could barely breathe. She opened her eyes. Josh had stopped kissing her, was watching her thoughtfully. Her head began to swim; the walls of the plane started to close in on her. She had just enough time to register—he’s drugged me—before the world went black.
CHAPTER 63
Aubrey woke to sunlight. It took her a full minute to get her eyes open. Her head ached and her mouth was bone-dry.
The events came rushing back. Chase. The TBI. The sprint to the train station. The plane.
Josh.
She swung her feet onto the floor. She was barefoot, and the floor was a whitewashed honey oak. She didn’t recognize it. She did, however, recognize the voice.
“Good morning, sleepyhead.”
He was sitting in a chair four feet from the bed. He shifted, set down a newspaper, and smiled.
“Where are we?” she managed.
“Someplace safe. Head hurt?”
She put a hand to her forehead. “It’s splitting.”
“Yes, I was afraid of that. Drink some water. It’s by your right hand.”
She turned her head carefully and saw the tall clear glass. Water became the most important thing to her. She gulped it down.
It didn’t make her head hurt any less, but it did help her tongue, which was practically glued to the top of her mouth.
“What’s happening? Am I dreaming?” she asked, setting the now empty glass down on the table.
He didn’t leave the chair.
“Oh, Aubrey. It’s a very long story. One which we will have plenty of time to discuss. But for now, I think it’s best that you rest.”
It was all hitting her now, the reality of her strange new world. “Not good enough, Josh. I want to know what’s happening. I want to know where I am. And where the hell you’ve been for the past five years. You bastard! You left me all alone.”
His voice sounded odd to her cottony ears. “I would never hurt you, Aubrey. Don’t you trust me?”
Did she? She looked around the strange room, at her husband’s strange face. This man, whom she’d promised to love, honor, and obey until death did they part? Death had parted them. Her obligation ended at death, right?
This man, who’d taken advantage of her. Who’d drugged her. Who’d whisked her away from her life. This man, who let her spend five years praying he was alive somewhere.
The love of her life. The destroyer of all she held dear.
He’d been as good as dead for five years.
And now she was supposed to trust him?
She sat up straighter, tucked her legs beneath her.
“No. I’m afraid I don’t trust you a bit.”
He laughed then. It was mirthless, and short.
“I can’t say that I blame you.”
“You have to tell me what’s going on. Did you hurt Chase?”
Josh’s new face froze. “Five years apart, and you’re worried about him? God, Aubrey, I thought you’d be happy to see me. Happy to see that I’m alive. I just saved you from them. I saved your life. Allen was coming for you.”
She heard the desperation in his tone. This wasn’t going how he’d planned. And Josh was a planner, always had been. When things didn’t go along their appropriate path, he always got upset. And she needed him clear and focused right now so she could figure out what the hell was happening.
Amazing how quickly they fell back into their old roles.
“Josh, I . . . Of course I’m happy to see you. I’m still in shock. Please, tell me, what’s going on? Where are we? And what did you do to Chase?”
“Fuck Chase,” he spat, and she recoiled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so hostile. It’s just that . . . Aubrey, you don’t know what it’s been like. I’ve missed you so much.”