Ruined By My Brother's Best Friend (by Silverwriter) novel Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I was exhausted. Literally and emotionally.

It had been almost a week, a whole week since I was forced to see the man who had clouded every sense of my being since the day I met him. One would think I would've moved on from that night by now, but no. If anything, it had only intensified my restlessness and left me trapped in my own thoughts. Too many thoughts.

It was currently 10:00 p.m., and I was still at work. I wasn't supposed to be here, but I had no choice. I was trying to make up for the mountain of work I'd neglected while obsessing over a certain someone. That engagement party had rattled me so badly that I hadn't gone to work for two whole days. Two days.

As someone who had only recently been promoted from intern to full-time employee, that was a big deal.

But who was I kidding? The moment I got back to my apartment that night, I had cried myself to sleep.

My phone rang again, and I groaned before grabbing it from my desk and leaning back in my chair. It was Archie. He'd been calling nonstop for the past three hours ever since he'd learned I was still at work. It was the first time he'd contacted me since I'd abruptly left his engagement party. We hadn't spoken or seen each other since then. He'd kept his distance, undoubtedly hurt and upset.

But apparently, my snitch of a best friend, Sierra, had informed him that I was still at the office despite my explicit instructions not to.

I finally answered. "Hey," I greeted.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Archie snapped.

Okay. Fair enough. I scrunched my nose. "Well, hello to you too."

"Don't get smart with me, Arabella."

I rubbed my temple and sighed. "So now it's no longer Bella?"

I was trying to sound playful, but even I knew it wasn't working. There were too many unsaid things hanging between us.

"Why are you still at work?" he asked, completely ignoring my attempt at humor.

"I still have a lot of edits to finish. I'm behind schedule," I explained, hoping he'd let it go.

"It's pouring outside," he shot back. "And it's late. Why don't you just finish everything at home?"

Because I'd probably cry myself to sleep if I went home. But he didn't need to know that.

"I'll just end up falling asleep, Archie. Don't worry. I'm fine."

"Don't piss me off, Arabella." His voice sharpened. "It's ten at night and you're still there with no intention of leaving anytime soon. It's not safe." I heard keys jingling in the background. "I'll come pick you up."

My eyes widened. "No!" I shook my head even though he couldn't see me. "You don't need to do that, Archie. Like you said, it's raining. I don't want you driving all the way here, then to my apartment, then back to yours. It's not safe."

He exhaled heavily. "Then how exactly are you planning to get home?"

I tensed. "I'll book a ride."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea. With this weather, there probably won't be many available."

Fear slowly began creeping into my chest as I clasped my hands together and looked around. The traffic had thinned considerably and most businesses were closed. There were also almost no pedestrians so the emptiness made everything feel worse. The longer I stood there, the more paranoid I became.

Finally, I stepped back into the rain. Anything was better than standing around waiting for something bad to happen. My hands trembled as I quickened my pace, but then I suddenly noticed headlights behind me. Shakily, I glanced over my shoulder. The lights remained fixed on me.

I walked faster. So did the vehicle. My grip tightened around my purse and for a brief moment, I considered running. But the pavement was slick, and I knew I'd probably slip and crack my head open before I got anywhere.

My heartbeat thundered in my ears as I closed my eyes briefly and whispered a silent prayer. Without wasting another second, I doubled my pace, tuning out everything around me. Just as I was about to turn a corner, a rough hand seized my arm and yanked me backward.

I screamed just as pure instinct took over and I kicked, clawed, and fought with everything I had. The man dragged me off the sidewalk toward a waiting car effortlessly. Everything happened so quickly and I was too busy struggling to notice anything else.

Then suddenly, the rain stopped. No. My abductor was holding an umbrella. He pulled me beneath it as he dragged me toward the vehicle before shoving me into the passenger seat. The door slammed shut immediately then he rounded the car, got into the driver's seat, and started the engine.

My heart pounded wildly, then strangely, I went still as the realization finally hit me. I'd been kidnapped. And whoever this man was, he was bigger, stronger, and much faster than me. My fight was hopeless.

Slowly, I looked up, but then I froze again. My breath caught in my throat as I stared at the man sitting behind the wheel.

I shook my head. No… No, this couldn't be happening. I had to be hallucinating. He wasn't here. He couldn't be. It had to be the dizziness, the exhaustion or the cold. That was all this was. I was seeing things.

"Do you have a fking death wish?" His furious voice thundered through the car.

And as darkness began creeping into the edges of my vision, I knew I wasn't hallucinating. No one else had that unmistakable Russian-British accent.

Then everything went black.