CHAPTER NINE
604 Words
Geyserville, Sonoma County, 2days before the k********g…
“W-w-where are you taking me?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper, but somehow the man with sapphire eyes still heard me.
He was typing away on a slim black phone but when he answers, he raises his head to stare at me. “To a private airport, we leave for Scotland today Miss Aurora. Why?”
“Uhm, no reason.” I look down nervously, his politeness making my nerves worse. I’ve only ever been around harsh people with harsh words so I don’t know what to make of this intriguing stranger. “I-I just wanted to know.”
He studied me and my fiddling hands for a couple of minutes before asserting. “Miss Aurora, you need not fear us. We honestly mean you no harm.”
I raised my head to gorge his sincerity and was surprised with how open his expression was, his eyes telling me I can trust him.
“If you mean no harm,” I start slow, confusion taking over my features. “Then why did you buy me from Sara. How can I trust that you were sent by a family I know nothing about?”
Tilting his head, he smiles and shifts slightly in his position so he’s facing me. “I guess you will just have to give me the benefit of the doubt Miss Aurora, and as for your foster mother, we only gave her money because she requested it for your release.”
I glance away at that, not exactly hurt by his words but, not exactly unaffected either. “Your family has waited a long time to find you, and she will stop at nothing to bring you back to your rightful place. I know you're curious about a lot of things, and in due time your questions will be answered.”
“The last time I gave someone the benefit of the doubt, I was almost killed.” I whisper, wrapping my hands around my body to hide the vulnerability I always feel when I remember that unfortunate incident.
For a minute or two, he said nothing and only stared at me, his gaze silently searching mine, before he looked away to brush off non-existent dust on his tailored suit.
“I do not have an answer that will reassure your mind Miss Aurora, all I can say is you should look within yourself and ask if you can trust me.”
Not having anything to say to that, I stay silent for a couple of minutes. Ever since I left the system, I have depended on my instincts to survive. It’s why I endured and stayed with Sara because despite her cruelty I know that my life would be so much safer in her care than me being alone on the streets or back in the system.
She was a means to survive until I could stand on my own two feet and face whatever problem came my way. But sitting alone in this limo with this stranger, my mind is divided in two. On the one hand, something is telling me there’s more than meets the eye with these men and their story, and on the other hand, I feel like I’m safe from danger in his hands.
Biting down on my lip, I raise my head to see him once again staring at me and ask tentatively. “What… is your name?”
He smiles, looking somewhat pleased by my question. “I’m Rider Grey.”
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Mr Grey.” I smile slightly, and he nods his head in acknowledgement.
“You too Miss Aurora, but please just call me Grey.”
- Writer
