Chapter 79: #SEVENTY-NINE

NICHOLAS’S POV

I had stopped trying to guess how much time had passed.

After Jayden left me tied to the chair, I remained there for what felt like hours, staring at the same part of the warehouse wall and trying to keep my thoughts from spiraling.

My body was exhausted, my injured leg was still hurting and every time I shifted, the restraints reminded me that I wasn’t going anywhere unless somebody decided to let me.

I heard the bedroom door open and I lifted my head.

Jayden stepped into the main room. There was something different about his expression. He wasn’t pretending to be calm anymore. His face was tight with anger, and he walked toward me without saying anything. Before I could even ask what had happened, he struck me across the face.

My head snapped sideways. "What did you do?" he demanded, grabbing the side of my chair and pulling it toward him. "So you weren’t joking?! You fucking called someone?"

I stared at him, still trying to process the blow.

"I hoped for your sake you were kidding. Not seriously?" he continued, his voice rising as he leaned closer. "After everything I’ve done to keep you here, after everything I’ve told you, you still had to reach out to them. Do you have any idea what you’ve just done?"

I swallowed and tried to straighten myself. "I needed help, you fucking bastard," I managed to say, my voice unsteady.

Jayden laughed, but there was no humor in it. He shook his head and struck me again, harder this time, before stepping back and running a frustrated hand through his hair.

"I was treating you too well," he muttered, pacing in front of me. "That’s the problem. I kept thinking if I gave you enough time, if I made you understand that fighting me wasn’t going to change anything, you’d eventually stop trying to run. I should have known you would keep looking for an opportunity."

He turned toward me again. "And now they’re coming. Oh fuck."

My stomach tightened and Jayden noticed the reaction on my face immediately.

"Yes," he said, pointing at me accusingly. "They’re coming because you couldn’t keep your mouth shut."

I looked at him and said nothing. He walked back over and crouched in front of me. "You don’t understand what you’ve done. You think they’re going to walk through that door and take you home? You think everything is going to suddenly go back to normal because you managed to make one phone call?"

His expression hardened. "You’re leaving."

I looked at him in confusion. "Where are we going?"

"You’ll find out." He stood and began preparing to move me. I tried to resist, but I was too weak to do much. Jayden dragged me out of the chair, and the last thing I remembered was the sudden impact as everything around me blurred.

When I opened my eyes again, I was in a car.

For several seconds, I couldn’t remember where I was. Then I felt the restraints.

My hand was cuffed to part of the seat, keeping me from moving far, and when I turned my head, I saw Jayden behind the wheel. A gun was positioned within easy reach beside him.

He noticed that I was awake.

"You’re finally awake," he said, keeping his eyes on the road. "Don’t make me regret bringing you with me. We’re going somewhere, and until we get there, you’re going to sit quietly. Don’t ask where we’re going, don’t try to get anyone’s attention and don’t do anything stupid. If you cooperate, this trip will be easier for both of us."

I stared through the windshield and I didn’t answer.

Oh shit. What had I done? Why did I have to tell him I called someone? Now—

Jayden glanced at me before returning his attention to the road. "Good."

I stayed completely silent.

The car moved through the city, and I watched everything outside through the tinted windows. People walked along the streets while cars sped past ours. Shops and buildings came and went. At one point, I saw police officers directing traffic, and for a second, I wondered if I could somehow get their attention, but I couldn’t.

The windows were dark enough that nobody outside could see me clearly, and Jayden kept the gun close enough to make any sudden movement feel impossible. I knew that if I tried to shout, he could stop me before anyone understood what was happening.

So I stayed quiet. We got into traffic after a while and had to stop.

Cars were packed closely together, and Jayden repeatedly checked the road ahead while tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. I kept watching the officers outside, wondering whether there was some way I could signal them without Jayden noticing.

There wasn’t still any opening.

Eventually, the traffic began to clear.

The car picked up speed, and for a few minutes everything seemed quiet again. Then the dashboard began flashing warnings.

Jayden looked down. "You’re kidding me." He checked the fuel gauge again, muttered something under his breath and changed direction.

I watched the road ahead change as a filling station appeared a short distance away.

Jayden drove toward it. There were already several cars inside, which meant there were plenty of people around. The moment we entered, I started thinking differently.

This could be my chance.

Jayden joined the line of vehicles and stopped behind another car. He looked impatient, but there wasn’t much he could do except wait. I glanced at the people outside, then down at my hand.

The handcuff was still attached to the seat and I searched the car without making my movements obvious.

Nothing.

Then I noticed something near the side of the seat.

A knife.

My heart jumped and I looked at Jayden. He was watching the fuel attendant so I reached for it slowly and carefully.

I kept my body turned away from him as I worked on the section of the seat where the restraint was attached. I didn’t know whether it would work, and I didn’t know how long I had before Jayden noticed what I was doing, but I couldn’t sit there and wait for him to drive me somewhere else.

The material began to give and I stopped whenever Jayden moved. Then I continued when he seemed distracted again.

Eventually, I managed to loosen enough of the seat material to free the section attached to my hand without actually removing the cuff. Okay, this should be enough.

I wrapped the exposed part of the seat material around my hand with a piece of cloth I found in the car, hoping that anyone who looked at me wouldn’t immediately realize what had happened.

Jayden stepped out to speak to the attendant and I waited as he moved toward the front of the vehicle.

That’s it.

I opened the door and immediately, I ran and I didn’t look back.

I moved toward the rear of the filling station, keeping my injured leg as steady as possible. I could hear people around me, but nobody seemed to understand what was happening. I reached the back area and found a gate.

I pushed through it and continued running.

My lungs were burning, my leg hurt and I could barely think beyond putting as much distance between myself and the filling station as possible.

I didn’t know where I was going, but I didn’t care.

I only knew I had to get away before Jayden realized I’d escaped.

Just as I rounded a corner, someone stepped directly in front of me and I stopped and my heart dropped.

For one horrible second, I thought it was Jayden and I tried to turn around, but the man grabbed me.

I struggled desperately, but he shoved me down. I hit the ground hard, and before I could get back up, he kicked me.

I tried to crawl away, but another kick knocked me back.

Oh fuck.

I couldn’t breathe properly anymore. My vision began to blur as I tried to push myself up, but my body wasn’t responding the way I wanted it to.

Then I heard footsteps approaching.

Jayden.

The man stepped back and Jayden walked toward us, breathing heavily from the chase.

He looked down at me, then turned toward the man who had stopped me.

"Good job," he said, straightening himself. "I knew you wouldn’t let him get through."

The man nodded and Jayden looked back at me. "You really thought you could get away?"

I stared at him, barely able to keep my eyes open.

Oh shit.

He had accomplices stationed around to help him.