Chapter 16 Chapter Fifteen
ARA
Thayne looked like someone had stolen something very dear to him and he'd come to retrieve it.
For a split second, the first thing that the voice in my head yelled was RUN!
But I was too exhausted to move that fast. Time moved slowly as Thayne approached, and I wondered what exactly Thayne had come to do.
How had he figured where I was? He must have seen the post I'd been forced to make. Hell, if he hadn't, I was sure his PR agent would have told him.
A huge crowd was forming, and I hated that I was being thrust into the spotlight again after being so roughly kicked out of it.
When Thayne reached me, he made sure to tower over me, and I was forced to look up at him. His security provided an impenetrable circle around us, and I suddenly realized there was no way out now.
“What do you want?" I asked him, looking around me but seeing only broad shouldered men in black suits.
"I want you, Ara. It's simple.” Thayne answered, his beautiful green eyes scanning my face.
I laughed under my breath. “You want me? No, you don't. You want something in exchange for Neil's debt, and it just happens to be me.” I snarled in his face.
"I publicly announced that Madison was behind the accident. I got here as soon as I learned what they'd done to you at the hospital.” It'd been only two days and at least eleven hours, but I missed the sound of his voice.
Uh. I was a traitor to myself and my sisters.
"My sisters are missing, and I need to find them before it's too late.” I said in a low whisper, but Thayne heard me.
“Then let me help you." Thayne said, stroking my face. What was he doing? Didn't he know all of this was being captured on camera?
Thayne behaved like the weather. One minute he was hot, in the next, he was cold and unfeeling.
“By helping me, you mean getting myself surrounded by the sharks in your wicked world again? No, thanks. I can find them on my own."
"Ara, you need me.” Thayne insisted.
"I don't! Don't try to make this about me. Your father poisoned me right after the accident. Do you know how -”
"I made him pay.” Thayne said quickly, breaching the remaining space between us so that my chest was nearly grazing his abs.
“What?"
“He won't be interfering anymore. I stepped up and challenged him." Thayne's expression grew fierce as he said this, and it just made him look all the more like he'd been born to look like a Greek god with anger management issues.
“What are you talking about?" I asked him, not understanding what he was talking about.
"He touched what was mine, and I got the board of directors to retire him. Ara, we don't have the time to discuss this,” he said, grabbing my hand and opening up my fist.
“You retired your father? I don't care! I care about my sisters, I need to go now. Tell your sec…. Wait, what are you doing?” But it was already too late.
He'd slipped a ring on my finger when I wasn't looking.
I immediately began to tug it off.
“What's this madness that has come over you? You can't just do things like this.” I yelled, getting ready to toss the ring over the shoulder of the security whose back was turned to me.
"Oh? Listen, little lamb. That ring is the only protection you have from my father, and it officially seals our arrangement and makes it original.” The softness in his voice was gone, and I began to feel foolish for even thinking that Thayne cared enough to come find me in the streets instead of sending his men to do it.
"I'm not interested in your fucking arrangement.” I snapped.
“You have only ten minutes until my PR agent makes a press release about us. Slip that ring on, and I'll help you settle all of Neil's debt.” He sounded exactly like he'd done back when he'd stormed into my mother's restaurant with his oversized security.
He was offering me an opportunity to be free of Neil's debts in exchange for my freedom?
“Nine minutes, little lamb." Thayne's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. He'd come here for a transaction. He wasn't even trying to pretend otherwise.
Just why was he hellbent on making me his?
"Will you find my sisters?” I asked.
"New York is my city. If I want something, I get it.” He boasted.
I looked at the ring and sighed. If this would be the price I had to pay to get rid of Neil's debts, then I guess it was nothing compared to my sisters being sent off to pedophiles and drug lords across the season.
But I'd already done it once. But it hadn't ended up nicely.
"What about Madison?” The question flew out of my mouth before I even remembered my brain-to-mouth filter.
“I have her taken care of. You have only five minutes left, little lamb." Thayne warned.
“Boss, we gotta leave now. Throng of journalists heading our way.” One of his escorts spoke from behind him.
I slipped the ring on and waved it for him to see.
"Deal.” The word pained me as I said it, but I would cry about that later.
The rest of everything happened really quickly.
Soon, I was in the backseat of a red Porsche with Thayne sitting right next to me.
Fear gripped me hard, and Thayne seemed to notice.
The last time I was in a car, Madison happened.
He reached out as if to put his hand over mine but he dropped it right before it could make contact.
“We're safe, Ara. I promise you, no one will be making any more direct attempts on your life.” He sounded so much different from the man who had stolen my freedom a few minutes ago with just one expensive diamond ring on my finger.
I said nothing. I remained silent throughout the ride, ignoring the weight of the outrageously expensive ring sitting on my ring finger.
No doubt everyone would imagine we were back together.
We arrived at a different penthouse, and Thayne immediately assumed the role of the loving fiancée once we got out of the Porsche.
Just for show, I reminded myself.
I wondered what the social media would think once our pictures together went viral again.
I'd made a post announcing our breakup only hours ago. Now we were back together. Would people really believe it?
Would Madison increase the tempo of her fight-back this time? Would Thayne's retirement of his father change anything?
Would this even end well? Thayne had power, but his father was terrifying.
During the elevator ride up, I kept a reasonable distance from Thayne. If he noticed it, he didn't mention it.
He was too busy with making and returning calls, dishing out orders over the phone, keeping in touch with Sasha who had announced we were back together across Thayne's social media pages.
The moment the elevator doors slid open, I leaped out of the elevator, eager to get away from Thayne.
He made me feel different things all at once. I couldn't decide if to stay mad at him or play along.
I stopped abruptly in the hallway when I saw the two girls who'd just emerged from the elevator opposite us. They were accompanied by two heavily built security dressed in casual outfits.
“Millie, Mollie?" I called out in disbelief.