Chapter 3

RED

“Stop!” I faced him, and he was seemingly calmer than I was when I had already started to hyperventilate.

“Seatbelt, please?”

“No!” I yelled at him. I was not overreacting. I just didn’t know him, and he was driving my car to God knew where. “You tell me first who you are and what happened back there. And why were you down at my apartment building earlier, and suddenly you were there at the alley when the white van crashed?”

“I will tell you everything once you’re safe.” Once we got to the main street, he pulled the seatbelt and strapped me like I was a child.

Honestly, he could just choke me with his hand or elbow me to knock me out. He was fit and tall, and he just adjusted the driver’s seat to his size.

“You stop the car, or I will call 911.”

“Give me a few minutes.” He breathed deeply. I could see by the way he gripped the steering wheel tightly that he was annoyed. Good, because there was no way in hell I would go with him willingly until he told me something.

“For what?”

He briefly stole a glance at me. “My partner is taking care of the crash right now.”

“You’re stalling. Who are you, people?”

“I work for Mr. Zax Skoll.”

I snorted. “That name again. What does he want from me? How does he know me when I know nothing about him? I swear I never met him before, and suddenly, he takes an interest in me.”

“You met him once.”

“No, I didn’t. I haven’t. I would have remembered that name.” I stared at him. “I Googled him.”

“He’s very reclusive.”

“He’s a Luddite.” I rolled my eyes.

“You could say that.” I heard a hint of humor in his tone when I was being sarcastic.

When he turned right, my heart thudded again. “You’re not taking me to my apartment, are you?” My chin instantly trembled. “Please, whatever it is that Mr. Skoll wants with me, he’s clearly mistaken. You got the wrong person.”

“Ms. Klein, he just wants to talk to you.” His phone suddenly blasted off, and I jumped in my seat.

“Apologies.” He picked it up from his jacket pocket and answered it. “Yeah. What do you have?”

I blinked through my blurry vision as I thought of something terrifying that would happen to me, leaving my father alone waiting, and I might not come home.

This man was driving more than the speed limit, and if I jumped off the moving car, maybe I would still end up dead.

As if he read my thoughts, he locked the door. “I promise, Mr. Skoll means no harm. He just wants a few minutes of your time, Ms. Klein.”

“My father is waiting for me. He needs me to be there because he’s sick. I can’t leave him alone. Please, just drive me to my apartment, and I promise to see Mr. Skoll in the morning.”

“I’m sorry, ma’am.”

“Don’t ma’am me! My name is Red.”

“Okay, Red.” He slowed down as the Skoll Private Airstrip signage came into view.

My stomach sank. My heart squeezed hard. I turned to him, and there was no way I could escape from him, and I knew he had a gun under his suit jacket.

I wiped my tears as he stopped the engine inside the hangar where there was a private jet, and outside was a helicopter ready to fly.

He got out of my car. Then someone opened my door, startling me. It was the other guy earlier with the made-up name, offering his hand.

I unlatched my seatbelt and jerked his hand away. “I need to call my father first.”

“Okay, ma’am,” Axl said.

“Agh! I said, no ma’am.” I glared at him as I fished out my phone from my bag and dialed my father while they were watching me.

Dad picked up right away. “Red, are you on the way?”

I squeezed my eyes closed, thinking of a possible code or something to tell him that I was in trouble, but my mind went blank. I couldn’t think of anything.

“It’s fine, Red. I know you’re with your boyfriend. Why didn’t you tell me you’re seeing someone?”

“E-excuse me?” My eyes widened.

“You’re dating Mr. Zax—”

“Skoll.” I glared at Axl and Clay in anger.

“Yes. His employer, Mr. Fielder, came earlier to check up on me.”

“What do you mean, he came?”

“That you might be worried about me and wouldn’t agree to staying overnight with your boyfriend. I’m fine, honey. Go, have fun. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Dad—”

“Redleigh, I promise I’ll be alive when you get back. Bye.”

I stared at the phone screen as the call ended. I breathed deeply, scowling at Axl and Clay. “What’s so important that it can’t wait, huh? And how dare you lie to my father to make him believe that I’m safe? So, that crash earlier was staged so that you could pretend you were there to save me?”

“No, ma— Ms. Klein,” Clay said, almost regrettably.

“I don’t care, and I don’t believe the word you say.” I looked at the helicopter that I supposed would be our getaway ride. “Since I don’t have a choice on this matter, then let’s get this over with, but if something happens to my father while I’m away, I will sue your asses for kidnapping, and I’ll make sure your employer will not celebrate his next birthday.” I walked past them outside the hangar.

The one-and-a-half-hour ride on the helicopter was filled with silence. Considering how noisy the rotors were, I never talked to them again.

Apparently, Clay was our pilot. It was impressive and annoying at the same time.

As it landed smoothly on the private estate, I helped myself out, still avoiding them, but they never left me out of their sight as they escorted me to where I would be meeting the recluse, faceless Zax Skoll.

I stopped in my tracks to see the biggest mansion I’d seen, similar to a Gothic revival castle with elements of dramatic ornates feature and pointy arches. By the look of it, maybe it was built in the early 1900s or older.

I inwardly groaned, reminding myself that I was here against my will.

The double door swung open. Another tall, fit guy in a white shirt and dark pants looked familiar, like I’d seen him before.

“Ms. Klein.” He smiled. “Welcome.”

I looked at him. “Are you Zax Skoll?”

Still smiling, he shook his head. “No, ma’am.”

Before I could roll my eyes, the two men said in unison, “Don’t call her ma’am.”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Klein. I’m Gillean. Mr. Skoll is waiting for you in his study.” He gestured.

I ignored my curiosity as we walked inside the expansive receiving area. I still got a glimpse of rich architecture, carpeted floor, wood interior, and a classic crystal chandelier hanging from the sky-high ceiling.

All of a sudden, my heart was beating so hard in my ribcage to almost painful, making it hard for me to breathe as Gillean knocked on the massive door. Without waiting for a response from the inside, he pushed the double door open.

I stepped inside. The first thing I smelled was the rich, expensive perfume, like a darker, intense, sophisticated, luxurious, soapy, woody, leathery clean scent. And then the doors shut behind me.

My heart jumped in my throat with a strange and unfamiliar combination of tension and fear, making a flush of heat creep up my neck.

But what I was not ready for was to see the man sitting behind the massive executive oak desk.