Free Saving Me (Finding You #3) by Amanda Mackey

nothing else I could leave as a sign. I knew if I wasn’t home in the next hour, Kyle would come looking for me and discover it.
    I tried to stall for time, anything to keep me from getting into a car with the man I despised most in the world.
    “Wait! My purse!” It sat on the kitchen bench and carried my cell. I needed it.
    “Leave it! You won’t be needing it.” With that he shoved me into the foyer, slammed the front door, and pushed the button for the elevator.
    I prayed that Kyle would come to the apartment looking for me, find the necklace and my purse, and know I was in trouble. Just how I was going to get out of this mess, I didn’t know.
    In the basement we walked past my Lexus and stopped at a black SUV. For an instant it looked familiar but then I dismissed it, realizing how many of them were driving around Los Angeles.
    John opened the door and flicked the gun in a “get in” motion. He stood and watched me buckle up before running around to the driver’s side and climbed in, locking the doors from the inside.
    Before turning on the engine, he turned to me, gun aimed, and said, “You’re looking fine, sweetness. Mighty fine.” His onyx eyes roved over my body, hovering on my breasts. “I’m going to take care of you as I always have.”
    By this point, I was shaking. “Please. You don’t have to do this. Let’s discuss things rationally, as adults.”
    “Oh, we’ll discuss things as adults all right. Patience, darling.” His smile was sickening enough, but when he licked his bottom lip seductively, I nearly lost my breakfast.
    I felt nothing but hatred for him. It was hard to believe I’d been in love with him once. So long ago.
    There was nothing even remotely nice about his face now. It was a permanent mask of evil.
    John made sure to keep the gun aimed at me with one hand and managed to start the car and back out of the parking garage with the other. The dark, tinted windows would hide us from view of passersby.
    I really felt screwed and wondered how anyone would find me and where on earth he was taking me. Back to Australia? I didn’t see how that was possible. He wouldn’t get past security with his weapon. No, John had this all planned out. He knew exactly where we were going. I shuddered harder.
    When we were on the road, John asked “So, did you miss me?”
    I couldn’t believe just how messed up he was. How could he possibly think I’d been pining away for him after all this time? “You tried to kill me!” I kept my eyes to the front, still not able to look at him.
    “Now, now, darling! You know that’s not true. A man’s got to show his wife her place. You do wrong by me and there will be repercussions. Obey the rules and everything will be sweet.”
    My voice was barely above a whisper. “What did I ever do that was so wrong?” Apart from marry you, I thought, but didn’t dare say it.
    I could feel his eyes bore into me for a second before he looked back at the road. “You didn’t fucking obey me! That was a word in our marriage vows, if you remember? You didn’t take them seriously! I was out working all day, putting a roof over your head and food on the table and all I asked in return was dinner on the table when I got home and sex whenever I Goddam asked for it! Was that too much to ask? Huh? You made a mockery of our marriage and of me. Well, I’m here to change all that.” His hand gripped the gun tightly.
    The air in the car was thick. I wondered if he’d totally snap and shoot me where I sat. Maybe that would be better than having to endure what he had planned for me. I knew it wouldn’t be good. It had never been good.
    I slouched down into the seat, wanting to disappear. How could I ever survive another round of this? It would totally break me. After everything I had already endured it just didn’t seem fair.
    Thoughts turned to Kyle and Daniel. Were they starting to get concerned yet? Had Kyle tried calling my cell to see how I was doing? He would