Shewantedto punch him in the face.
He shifted his weight, eyes darting around the deserted lot. “I came here after you blocked me to try to convince you to see reason, partner up with me to get out of this mess. Which you didn’t.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “You really thought a bouquet a flowers was going to make me okay with you stealing my money? Lying to me? Tricking me?” How had she ever trusted this person with her career? Her entire life? She’d been such a fool.
“You were way too lucrative of all my clients to let it go. So I did what I had to do.” He shoved his hand through his hair. “For the record, I never meant to get in this deep.”
Her heart stammered. So they were both in danger—and it sounded like he’d already spent more of her money. “You’re not going to get away with this. I’ll get a lawyer and?—”
“You better hope Idoget away with it.” Blaine snorted. “You think they won’t use you to get to me? What you owe is chump change compared to my debt. And they’ll get it all, one way or another. We’ve got to work together to fix this.”
“I willneverwork with you again.”
“Come with me. It’s safer if we’re together. Then they can’t use you as collateral.”
“You expect me to trust you to keep me safe? Whenyouput us in this mess?” She backstepped away. “You’re insane.”
His eyes darkened. “Rosalyn, get in the car. We’ll go somewhere safe, make a plan. We need to book you some bigger gigs now that your knee is?—”
“No.” She was done with this. She looked him in the eyes, held her ground. “I’m going home, Blaine. I suggest you do the same.”
On shaky legs, she turned toward her car.
She’d made it approximately six steps before arms wrapped around her from behind, pinning her own arms to her sides. Her bag fell to the ground.
“I said get in the car, Rosalyn!” Blaine lifted her off the sidewalk, swinging her toward his vehicle.
Her legs windmilled in the air and she shrieked. “Let me go!”
“This is the only way.” His arms were a vice around her middle. Adrenaline and panic seemed to be giving him unnatural strength.
But not enough. The second her feet touched the ground again, she kicked back and found traction in his shin.
He cursed and grappled with her as she flailed for freedom. She turned and slapped him and he grabbed her forearms in rough fists, holding tight. “As always, you’re making things way more complicated than they need to be.” He growled, his cheek flushed red from the contact.
“Let go!” She briefly considered head butting him at this close range, but didn’t want to risk the injury to herself. She had to stay sharp.
“Just get in the car.” Blaine panted, his eyes feral. He shoved her toward the Porsche.
Rosalyn swallowed, gauging her next move. He’d already lied and stolen from her—now physical violence. What was next?
Her mouth went thick and dry.God, help me.The prayer tumbled from her anxious mind.
Surrender.
Now? Rosalyn might be new to praying regularly, but that idea seemed like horrible timing.
She struggled against Blaine’s iron grip, but her fight only seemed to make him stronger. He was half-dragging, half-carrying her now. Her bad knee throbbed in protest. A few more steps and she’d be tossed inside the car, where escape would be much less likely.
Surrender.
Then the meaning hit her. She stopped fighting and went limp in Blaine’s arms. Her dead weight caught him off guard, and he faltered in his forward progress. “What are you doing? Stop!”
Fighting her instincts to struggle, she hung as heavy as she could, offering no resistance for him to use as leverage. He couldn’t get a grip on her, and her arms slid out of his sweaty grasp like wet noodles.
She crumbled to the warm pavement.
“Hey!” The word roared from behind, followed by the pounding of footsteps.
