CHAPTER FOUR
The only thought that crossed Locke’s mind as he led her to the car was getting away from that place as soon as possible. Explanations would have to wait, as would unlocking her handcuffs, which upon reflection was not a bad thing. The good doctor may have kept her eyes downcast or avoided glancing in his direction while he was looking, but he knew without a doubt that she was searching for an opportunity to escape. And he couldn’t allow her to do that. Not only would her life be on the line, but everything he had worked for, fought for, would be destroyed.
Luther’s men stayed close as they escorted them to his vehicle. He knew those fuckers too well. They would try once more to track him down, but he wasn’t about to give them that pleasure.
His black AudiR8 was parked just outside the door, ready to go. He unlocked the door and helped Doctor Freeman in, mindful of her head and balance. When he fastened her seatbelt, he felt her gaze on him, and noticed she stopped breathing for a moment. Ignoring the staring goons, Locke closed her door before going to the driver’s side, slid behind the wheel and roared away.
He was glad silence remained in the vehicle because as soon as he turned out of the street and away from the industrial area of the city, he immediately spotted the expected tail.
Locke crushed the gas pedal and the doctor tensed, reminding him that he would need to offer an explanation of some sort. “We’re being followed. Your friends want to know where we’re going, and I have no intention of allowing anyone else to join us.”
“They are not my friends.”
He was glad that although low, her voice was strong with a hint of anger. Good. That was something he could work with.
Another turn, and it was obvious those fuckers wouldn’t let go that easily. And that made him smile. “Hang on, I’ll try to lose them.”
She turned her head toward him. “How do I hang on with my hands behind my back?”
Tessa’s sarcastic comment showed the doctor who’d teased him at the hospital was starting to appear.
Not answering her, he took two hard left turns, cutting through the traffic among a chorus of horns. The sleek R8 responded like a charm. He had put some distance between them, but not enough to lose them yet.
Locke was done playing, he made a tight turn and accelerated. He didn’t want to be noticed by the cops. Not with a tail, and a woman handcuffed in his passenger seat.
Weaving through the commercial streets, he was approaching an area he knew particularly well and realized his idea would work like a charm.
After two sharp turns, he accessed a smaller alley before putting the car into reverse. Accelerating backward, Locke flung his arm to prevent the doctor’s face from hitting the side window. Shutting down the engine and lights, they waited. Locke senses were on high alert. His ears listening for any sound, waiting, and he could feel the doctor’s body, tense and shivering as he kept his arm across her torso.
He fought to keep his eyes forward, although he would have preferred to look at the woman beside him. She had distracted him from the very moment she had pushed aside the blue curtain at the hospital. It had been like a kick in the guts to see her on the dirty concrete floor, beaten but still fighting. His reaction had been pure instinct, and buying her hadn’t been cheap, nor a perfect solution.
All he wanted now was to take her to his place and explain the situation. Even though she probably wouldn’t like it.
Locke was about to check if the coast was clear when two dark sedans sped past them. Releasing the doctor, he waited a second and started the engine before carefully moving forward, making sure it wasn’t a trap before roaring in the other direction. It was for the better, otherwise they may have had to remain hidden in that alley for a long time.
After a few detours, and certain nobody was behind them, Locke went straight to his apartment.
The building he owned appeared as he drove deeper into the city. It appeared as an innocuous five-story structure, gray with clean lines, like many of the surrounding structures from the industrial era that were slowly being transformed and revitalized. He had kept the outside understated. The real money had been put inside.
Pushing a button on the console, a large door slid up and he drove in, barely slowing down. The entire first floor had been converted into a spacious garage he was proud of.
From the corner of his eye, he saw the doctor taking in this new bit of information, and the several cars already parked there. Not all of them were his, but she didn’t need to know that. He parked near the elevator, and left an empty slot on the passenger side, knowing he would need to fully open the door to help the doctor out.
Now sitting in complete silence, Locke didn’t wait for her to ask questions and got out of the car. Opening her door, he crouched and helped her pull her legs out. Only then did he put his arm around her waist, watching her head as she finally stood.
He was reluctant to remove his arm from around her. His body responded to the way she felt under his hand, the same way as at the hospital. Reacting without thinking first wasn’t like him at all. And this attraction wasn’t meant to be. A woman like her would never understand him, or his needs and wants. And happy ever after was not a concept he really understood.
“The building is secured and soundproof. There is no way for you to escape or leave without my authorization.”
The doctor lifted her chin in defiance, her hazel eyes bright, almost fiery. In the bright light, Locke could see bruises slowly forming on her skin underneath the fascinating sprinkle of freckles on her cheeks. “You’re telling me that because I’m your prisoner?”
“No, so you understand the situation. It may not appear so, but this place is like a fortress. Nobody can come in without me knowing. You’re safe.”
Confusion passed in her delicate features. “So, I can leave? Now?”
Locke felt bad dampening what seemed to be her only wish. “You will be free. Just not now. I’ll explain everything soon.”
He turned her and produced the key Luther had given him, setting her free. When he saw the bruised and bleeding skin there, he wanted to massage it, touch it, but she snatched her hands away. She examined them, and it was easy to see her body tensing, her first instinct to run as far as possible from him. Not giving her time to make the decision to run, he grabbed her arm and steered her toward the elevator. The door opened the second he pressed the button and Locke gently moved her forward. Once the door closed, he entered a security code on the high-tech panel and released her. His fingers tingled, and he rubbed them against the fabric of his jeans as he looked in front of him, the elevator swiftly moving up.
