Free His Dark Desires: A BWWM Billionaire Romance by Nina Evans

wrong?” I asked.
    “Kristin’s missing. And she left this note.”
    James held up a white piece of paper. Across the top, written in red ink, was a two-word sentence.
    Die, bitch.

M y stomach churned as I sat in the passenger seat of James’ car. This roller coaster I was on… well… I just wanted off. How much could I be expected to take? I knew this was equally hard for James. To be such an alpha, needing to be in control all the time, and to be so powerless over this situation. At least he still had power over me. I would do almost anything he asked, and I knew he would do whatever it took to keep me safe.
    We arrived at the hotel, and James pulled through the circle drive near the front entrance. After grabbing my suitcase from the trunk, James and I went inside and the valet drove off with the car.
    After entering the room, James set my suitcase on the bed.
    “Your only job is to get your suitcase unpacked and hunker down. You are not to go anywhere beyond the front lobby. I don’t even really want you going there, but I know you’ll get antsy if I forbid it.”
    I sat on the corner of the bed and glanced out the window that overlooked a dying field.
    “What about you?” I asked.
    “Don’t worry about me. I’ve contacted the authorities. And all I have to do is get a few things from the house and I’ll be right back. I shouldn’t be more than a few hours.”
    I huffed out a breath. “I still don’t understand why you couldn’t get what you needed before we left.”
    James sat next to me on the bed. “Sweetheart, like I explained, I wanted to get you out of the house asap. I also want to check out a few places I think Kristin might be hiding out, and I definitely don’t want you with me for that. Just stay put, watch some tv, and I’ll be back before you know it.”
    I didn’t want James to leave me alone. I was sick with worry. He had said that he wasn’t sure just how volatile Kristin was with this disease. He didn’t know enough about it, or her overall condition and state of mind, to know for sure what she was capable of.
    “Alright,” I grumbled. “But if you’re not back in three hours, I’m going to go looking for you.”
    James glared at me, and I knew I had overstepped.
    “Okay, okay,” I said. “But I will call you. Very harassingly until you answer.”
    James laughed and kissed me on the forehead.
    “My love, I will anxiously await your harassing phone call in three hours exactly.”
    I smiled as he stood up off the bed. Before leaving the hotel room he looked at his watch.
    “It’s eleven am. I’ll call by one o’clock and let you know what’s going on. Order some lunch from room service. Whatever you want. Tonight I’ll get us some filets, sound good?”
    I fell back on the bed, my arms spread-eagle style. “Sounds heavenly,” I sighed. I heard James chuckle and then the door closed behind him.

    O ne-fifteen …
    I paced across the room again, chewing anxiously at my fingernails. That was one thing that drove James nuts. He’d always slap my hand out of my mouth and I would pout. Then he’d start tickling me and I’d laugh till I cried.
    I looked at my watch again, wondering if I should just go ahead and call him. I knew there was probably nothing to worry about, but I was still learning that delicate balance between listening to my gut and avoiding the whole melodramatic thing.
    I could send a text. Yes, that’s what I’d do. He did say that he would call at one, so it was his fault for falling down on the job.
    I picked up my phone and sent the standard How’s everything going message and went to the bathroom. Phones were like pots of boiling water: a watched phone never beeps.
    I came out of the bathroom and checked the screen. Nothing. After fifteen minutes of mind-numbing channel surfing, I sent another text.
    Still nothing ten minutes later. My mind went through all the possibilities. He had found her and they were talking and he didn’t want to be