Corrupt

Chapter Twenty Seven

Ayla

WHEN THE CAR reached the lobby, I almost moaned in relief. I waited impatiently as the door opened, and the first chance I got, I leaped forward.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding until we were outside. I had a moment of dilemma when I saw Silas was nowhere to be found. Instead, Vince stood at the curb, holding the door of the Phantom open.

Kade breezed past me and I stare at his back in disbelief. He slid inside, leaned back on his seat and stare straight ahead.

A part of me wants to run on the opposite direction and see his reaction, but for today, I'm facing his wrath, head on. I climbed inside the car and slumped back into the seat beside him, my stomach churning and my palms damp. The car move into motion and from the corner of my eyes, I saw Kade reach his hand between our seats to press a button.

"To the estate, Vince." He commands then press another button and I was startled when the glass partition suddenly turn like a wall, giving us a full privacy.

I looked over my shoulder and caught a glimpse of the wrath of Kade Sinclair and I could barely swallow pass the lump in my throat. However, he's never looked more beautiful than in this dazzling light. He's like a dark angel, biblical in power and in wrath. His gaze is locked on me and me alone. Those green eyes crawl over every inch of me, searing my skin. His upper lip tightens, baring his teeth.

"I know you're mad—" I started.

"No, Ayla." His voice whipped with anger, sending me recoiling from my seat. "I'm fucking livid."

I feel the first stabbed of hurt when he didn't used his pet name for me. He picks up the glass of amber liquor from the cabinet between us, toss it back and continues to watch me aloofly.

This is Kade, I tell myself. He's mad. Annoyed. Maybe he has a right to be, maybe not. But I know he won't hurt me.

"You seem to have an impression that you can do whatever you want behind my back." He crushed some ice between his teeth, making me shudder. His voice was gruff and thorny.

"I was going to tell you." I said, surprised that my voice sounds a lot calmer than I feel.

He inspects me with his piercing eyes like he was trying to see beneath my words. His jaw stiffened. So did his fist around the glass.

"Yeah? And when is that?" Then I sucked in a breath when he leaned on his elbow between us and invade my space. I could feel his breath against my neck, tickling my sensitive skin.

"Maybe I've been too lenient with you."

The terror that surge through me is nothing like I've ever known. I want to scream, I want to squirm, but I refuse do it. Kade is a predator. If I show the slightest hint of fear, it will ignite his instinct to hunt.

"Come on. Don't do this," I whisper, as I try to cajole the crazy out of him. "Sorry, OK? I was going to tell you when you get back. Besides, it didn't make sense if I go back and forth from your house to campus. It's too damn far."

His brows furrowed, his lips thinning into a hard line.

"You have work too..." I added and I hate that my voice dropped to a whisper, but I kept my stare trained on him.

He clutches my chin with his thumb and forefinger, angling my head back so he can invade my face with his intrusive gaze. My heart palpitates harder and faster. No matter how many excuses I come up with, no matter how much I like to think I have control over this situation...I don't.

"You're not going to stay in that dump place and that's final." He squeezes my jaw hard before letting me go.

My chest heaved as I tried to stem the need to sob, to scream. I don't know. This wasn't just about me keeping things from him. His anger came from something darker, something more dangerous. I knew that for certain. This was about his need to control the world around me.