Escaping Christian

22: Taken

Squeezing my eyes shut briefly I turned and forced a small chuckle. "I don't think locking the door is necessary."

Christian's eyes darkened a fraction as he smiled back. "Don't want anybody coming in unexpected do we?"

Maybe Vlad downstairs was a good idea after all. "I guess not. I bought you coffee and a few Cuban pastries. What do you think we should do today?"

He didn't answer and for a very vague moment I considered coming out with everything I knew that was going to happen in the next 6 hours.

"Christian?"

Slowly he approached me, his bare shoulders rigid, the muscles on his stomach tensing with every breath. "I'm too impatient right now to play games, Chelsea. How do you know her?"

"Know... who?" Play it out, smoothly. Don't get intimidated.

I blinked and he was in front of me, his hands hovering over my arms. From the look in his eyes it honestly seemed like he wanted to shake all of the answers out of me. But there wasn't any need. He just needed to ask the right questions.

"Did you plan to meet her? Katherine definitely had something to do with it, nobody – not even me – could find that witch without some form of help."

I swallowed.

"Chelsea!" He barked finally gripping onto my arms. "How did you meet her?"

"Katherine and I sought her and Constance out. It was the way Katherine saw it." I admitted. He jolted away from me with a sharp exhale. The look in his eyes almost had me explaining more than I should. I'd seen Christian angry. I'd even seen him disappointed. But never hurt. Betrayed. "I asked you to trust me."

"And I did until I saw you smiling at her. And Vlad, is that how you met him? Through her?"

"Let me explain-" I stepped forward and he stepped away. I easily hid my hurt with a frustrated frown. "Erinna and Constance, they promised me their help. I did this for you Christian can't you see that?"

"Erinna." He murmured more to himself. "After nine hundred years I finally know her name. And it's from you of all people. What was this oh so mysterious plan then, hm? Tell me. Did you really come here for Jennika?"

I bit the inside of my mouth. "No. We knew Jennika was somewhere around here but we came for you. It was the perfect excuse."

"And then what?"

"...The Steinsson's will find us. I don't know when and I don't know how but they will."

And just like that a mask slid over his face. His pupils dilated and I tensed when he grabbed me again, this time crowding me against the wall. I turned my head slightly to the side avoiding his eye. The warmth of his half naked body doing the opposite effect of what he was probably hoping for.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Is Erinna and Constance working for them? Are you now?"

Now, he was well within his right to assume from the little amount of info I'd given him but damn did that anger me. I pushed at his chest but he didn't budge. "Don't insult me. After everything we've been through, you think I'd do that?"

One of his hands moved to the base of my neck but he didn't apply any pressure. He just held it there as if deliberating whether to actually do it. The moment he did that would be it. I didn't ever think he would hurt me. But the deliberation in his eyes...

I curled my fingers around his wrist. "We're going to survive this. Together. Whether you like it or not."

"I'm not so sure about that anymore, little one." He snarled and I flinched at my old nickname. "So they find us, then what? Did you strike your deal with Dante?"