“Yeah. The distillery is in Edinburgh.”
“That’s nice…” I wanted to ask if he was taking me, but I didn’t want to bring it up.
“Are you ready to talk about last night?”
I thought that was buried. “No.”
“Too soon?”
“No. I never want to talk about last night.”
He drove down the country road, passing small houses with acres of land and crops. It was a cloudless day, and the sky was a clear blue. The sun shone through the window and hit both of my thighs, making them feel warm. “We’re going to be together for a long time. You may as well make the best of it.”
“Make the best of it?” I asked incredulously.
“Yeah. I could be your friend if you gave me a chance.”
“Sorry, I’m not friends with criminals.”
He smiled like he had a comeback sitting in the back of his throat. “But you’re related to one?”
That jab hurt. “I didn’t have a clue, and you know that.”
“But you still love the guy, right?”
“Of course.” I was offended by the question.
“Even though he breaks the law every single day?” he asked. “Even though he kills people?”
“He doesn’t kill people,” I said defensively. I purposely looked out the window to avoid his gaze. In reality, I really had no idea what Joseph’s criminal activities included. All I knew was stole intelligence from Crewe and tried not to pay for it. He tried to cheat a man out of four million dollars. That was the extent of my knowledge.
“And you know this, how?”
I didn’t. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“Too bad,” he said. “Your only relative lied to you. He got into a bad business even though he knew you could be used against him. He did it anyway. Me, on the other hand, I’m always honest. You’re gonna get the truth from me even if you don’t want to hear it. I’m the most trustworthy guy on the planet. You can always depend on me to deliver my promises. I’m a pretty powerful ally to have, Lovely. You should take advantage of that.”
He must have struck a nerve because I suddenly felt lonely. I took his words to heart because I knew they were true. I even said them myself. Crewe was the only man in the world powerful enough to protect me. Only if he allowed me to leave would I escape. If he didn’t let me go, I should make the best of the situation.
“So talk to me.”
“Why do you care?”
He turned on another country road, his thick tires blowing up dust from the side of the road. The engine roared to life as he hit the gas and got back up to top speed. “Because I care about you.”
“We have different definitions of the word.”
“You’re like a pet, Lovely. I want to take care of you so you’ll last a long time.”
So I was just a toy in his eyes. “I’m gonna get old and wrinkly one day.”
He turned to me and winked. “You’ll still be pretty damn hot. I can tell.”
I rolled my eyes and ignored the charming comment. I knew he would be a good-looking older man. He had all the right features to stay beautiful. When he was older, he might even be sexier.
“So, tell me about your dream last night.”
He was going to apply pressure until I broke. Since he was the only person in the world I socialized with, I was at his mercy. If I hadn’t had him for companionship, I would have gone crazy months ago. “This a two-way street.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Then it needs to be a two-way street. If you want my friendship, you have to give me yours. That’s how it works.”
He focused on the road like he was considering what I was saying. “Interesting arrangement.”
“Wow. You must not have any friends if the concept is foreign to you.”
“I don’t,” he said simply. “Looks like you’ll be my first.”
I was the prisoner, but I actually felt bad for him.
“How does this friendship thing work?”
“Friends are always honest with each other.”
“Done,” he said quickly. “That’s easy.”
“They trust each other.”
“Hmm…I’m not sure I trust you not to kill me just yet.”
If I could get away with it, I probably would. “As long as you have that transmitter, I’m at your mercy.”
“True. And you know you can trust me?”
“In what way?”
“My intentions are always clear. I’ll never surprise you. What else?”
“That’s about it…other than genuinely liking each other.”
“Well, I know I like you.” He winked again. “What’s not to like?”
“And I…don’t absolutely despise you.” That was the best I could do.
He grinned. “Wow. We’re really making progress here.” His hand moved to my thigh, and he gave it a squeeze. “I think that’s the nicest compliment you’ve ever given me.”
“Don’t get used to it.”
“So tell me about your dream.”
“I’ll tell you if you tell me what happened with Josephine.”
He turned to me with his eyebrow raised. “What makes you think I’m gonna share that with you?”
“We’re friends. That’s what friends do. I tell you something, and you tell me something.”
He shook his head. “I’m not telling you that.”
“Why not?”
“It’s none of your concern. That’s why. Ask me something else.” His foul mood suggested I shouldn’t push any further.
“What’s your favorite kind of ice cream?”
He looked at me like that was a stupid question. “Is that really your question?”
“It doesn’t seem like you’ll answer anything more personal…”
When he realized I was being serious, he answered. “I’m not a big fan of ice cream, but if I were going to choose, it would be chocolate.”
“Wow. I feel like we’re best friends already.”
He chuckled then turned right again. In the distance was his villa, sitting on a small hillside with tall trees surrounding it. “Tell me about last night.”