A Lovely Obsession ( Billionaire Romance Novel )

Chapter 2

Nora's POV:-

I try to run, but Derek is on me in seconds. I feel desperation and adrenaline kick in. I try to knee him in the groin, but he dodges me. I punch and claw at him anywhere I can, but it's like he's incapable of feeling pain.

The other men close in trying to restrain me, but they all halt when Derek barks out an order.

" No one will touch her except me." He grabs both my wrists and pins them above my head.

I try to scream, but he grabs me by the throat. I feel my vision dim as I struggle to breathe. I can vaguely hear him say something to the other guys before he lets me go.

I feel my legs crumble, and I nearly fall on my face before I am jerked upwards. The next thing I know, I am thrown over a muscular shoulder and carried away. I make some weak attempts at trying to pry myself from his grasp, but it's completely futile.

He tosses me into the black van as if I weigh nothing. I land on one of the leather upholstered seats. Derek slides in beside me, his hip bumping against mine, and I almost fall off the seat if not for him grabbing me just in time. He pulls me close, his side pressed against mine.

The doors to the van close, and we start moving. I try to lunge at the door handle, but Derek's arm around my waist has me pinned in place.

" It's better if you cooperate. " He says in his trademark drawl. He flashes me the gun at his belt hidden beneath his jacket.

" I promise I won't say anything. Please let me go." I plead. I know it's against my nature to beg for anything. But right now I am too desperate to care about my pride.

" Oh, I will. Once I am sure you have gotten the message that I am not someone to be messed with." He smiled languidly at me as if we were just having a normal chit-chat.

" Do you think I have some sort of death wish? I just saw you nearly kill a man. Do you seriously believe I am going to try to get in your way? I know you're too powerful for me to do anything against you. I just want to go home, please. " My voice cracks at the end.

I am thinking of my grandmother and sisters. If something happens to me how will they deal with it? Should I tell him that I am the only breadwinner for my family? Would that inspire some feeling of mercy in him? But the thought of mentioning my family in front of a psychopath like him sends apprehension trickling down my spine.

" So a good girl like you is going to keep her mouth shut and not report to the police that she saw a man getting kidnapped? " He pulls a lock of hair behind my ear and my breath hitches at the contact. He traces his finger around the corner of my eye and that's when I realize that I was crying.

" I am good at face reading Nora. I know a do-gooder when I see one. You're going to go home and once you know you're out of immediate danger you will be hit by a pang of conscience. You will try to play hero and rescue my 'victim'. You will go to the police won't you, little ice princess?" He says softly caressing my cheek. If I didn't know any better I might have mistaken this scene for a seduction, not a kidnapping.

" The moment you contact the police I will know. And I will have you 'disposed' off before you can even think of testifying in court. The law enforcement and the judiciary are all in my pocket. A few phone calls and bribes would resolve the matter. But I don't like being inconvenienced and what's the point of putting in so much effort when I can simply put a bullet in your head." His voice hardens at this point.

His hand wraps around my throat but he doesn't try to choke me. His thumb caresses my pulse point and I am embarrassed at him knowing just how fast my heart is beating right now. He seems to have some weird fixation with my throat.

" Why don't you do it then? Put a bullet in my head?" I know I should be begging for mercy instead of antagonizing him but I am genuinely curious. Is he going to torture me first? Bile rises in my throat at the thought.

" I plan on giving you an incentive strong enough for you to behave. What is it that you fear more than death?" I feel terror crawl through my veins that only amplifies when one of his henchmen sitting in the front passenger seat hands him a tablet. Derek turns the screen toward me and I start hyperventilating when I see what's on it.

It's showing live footage of my house. I can see Nigella come back from one of her evening classes. Her blonde hair the same shade as mine tied in a ponytail, her bag slung on her shoulder. A sob leaves my throat when I think of how innocent and fragile she looks right now.

The door opens and I see my grandmother her hair up in a bun wearing a pink floral dress. She looks exactly just as I saw her last time. Which was only a few hours ago. Except it feels like it's been ages.

I feel Derek's predatory stare bore into my skin.

" Sweetheart if you ever feel like going to the police you should know that it would not take me long to end the lives of your loved ones. In fact I might leave you alive for a little while so you can enjoy their funeral. I have a vengeful streak. If someone causes trouble for me I make sure to pay them back in kind."

I want nothing more than to put a bullet in the chest of this monster threatening my family. But I can also feel the realization slowly set in that trying to mess with him is futile. He's the apex predator and I am way below him in the food chain.

" I got your message. If you intend on killing me do it just now or let me go." I say quietly.

He doesn't say anything. A few minutes later the car stops and the door slides open. I realize we are back at Gotham Hall where the charity gala is being held. I quickly stumble out of the van.

I nearly end up falling on my face again and it's Derek's arm around my waist that stops me from an embarrassing fall. I am disconcerted at the strange feeling of electricity that surges through my veins as I feel Derek's arm steady me.

" Remember I will be keeping an eye on you." He says his voice soft as silk.

I stumble away from him as fast as I can. I needed to get to the main hall where the auction was being held. I need to be among people. I needed to see a familiar face. Even my asshole ex-fiance would do.

I find Kevin busy flirting away with the same redhead he had been glued to all evening. He didn't look like he was upset about my breaking off our engagement. Finally, his eyes fell on me as I entered the ballroom.

" Nora baby where were you?" He quickly plasters a fake smile on his face.

I guess he seemed to remember that our engagement was his father's idea and he would be at the receiving end of his anger if he didn't patch up with me. Before I could say anything he wrapped me in a tight hug. I was shocked at this display of affection.

" Nora I am so sorry for being such an asshole today. " He murmured not letting go of me even though I didn't hug him back.

Just then I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise. I lifted my eyes and they collided with gray ones filled with suppressed fury. Derek was looking at us and while he wasn't scowling or even frowning the heat in his eyes sent chills up my spine.

He was staring at Derek, particularly where his arms were wrapped around my body. It looked as if he was plotting Kevin's murder. I quickly extricated myself from Kevin's grasp.

" Let's not do this right now Kevin. We can talk once the function is over." I tell Kevin who's frowning at me.

I notice that the weird expression on Derek's face has disappeared. In fact he's smiling faintly at me. There's approval written on his face. Approval for what I don't know. Somewhere my mind registers the fact that he didn't seem to like Kevin's hands on me. I try not to ponder over that too much.