Chapter 3: No Way Out
954 Words
Elena’s breath caught in her throat.
Damian Blackwood.
Even after a year, the sight of him sent a chill down her spine.
He stepped out of the black SUV, looking exactly as she remembered—tall, powerful, and utterly lethal in a crisp black suit. The sunlight glinted off his sharp features, his dark eyes locked onto her with a gaze so intense it pinned her in place.
He had found her.
She swallowed hard, her fingers tightening around the coffee cup in her hands. This couldn’t be happening. Not here. Not now.
For a fleeting second, she considered running. But where? Willow Creek was a small town, and Damian had always been a hunter. He wouldn’t have come all this way unless he was sure she was here.
And once Damian Blackwood set his sights on something, he never let it go.
“Elena.” His voice was smooth, deceptively calm.
Her heart pounded.
She forced herself to take a step back, her instincts screaming at her to keep her distance. “What are you doing here?”
A humorless smirk tugged at his lips. “I could ask you the same thing.”
Every muscle in her body tensed. The town square was quiet, only a few people walking around, completely unaware of the storm brewing between them.
She needed to stay calm. If she showed fear, Damian would pounce.
“I live here now,” she said, forcing her voice to be steady. “This is my home.”
Damian’s smirk faded. He took a slow step toward her.
“No, Elena. Your home is with me.”
Panic twisted in her gut. “That’s not true.”
“You’re my wife.” His words were sharp, unforgiving. “You don’t get to just disappear.”
A lump formed in her throat. He was furious, and she didn’t blame him. She had abandoned him on their wedding day, left him humiliated in front of the entire world. He had every right to be angry.
But he didn’t know the truth.
He didn’t know that she had left to protect him.
Her fingers trembled as she set her coffee down on the small outdoor table beside her. “Damian, you need to leave.”
He let out a dark chuckle. “You think I came all this way just to leave?”
The air between them grew thick with tension.
She should have known it wouldn’t be that easy.
“Elena.” His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. “Get in the car.”
She shook her head. “No.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “That wasn’t a request.”
Panic surged through her veins.
She turned on her heel, ready to bolt, but she barely made it two steps before his hand wrapped around her wrist, firm and unyielding.
“Let me go,” she hissed, trying to yank free.
His grip tightened. “Not this time.”
Her pulse raced. The few townspeople around them were starting to glance their way, their faces filled with mild curiosity. To them, this probably looked like nothing more than an intense conversation between lovers.
They had no idea she was trapped.
“Elena, don’t make a scene,” Damian warned.
Her throat was dry. She knew she couldn’t overpower him. And if she screamed? He’d still take her, and she’d only embarrass herself in the process.
Taking a shaky breath, she met his gaze. “Please,” she whispered. “Don’t do this.”
Something flickered in his expression. A shadow of something almost like regret. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by cold determination.
“Get in the car,” he repeated.
This time, she knew she had no choice.
Her feet felt like lead as she allowed him to guide her toward the SUV. Every step was a death sentence, dragging her back into a life she had fought so hard to escape.
The driver opened the door, and before she could even think of resisting, Damian helped her inside—though “helped” was a generous term.
The door slammed shut beside her, and a moment later, Damian slid in next to her.
She was trapped.
The vehicle pulled away from the curb, taking her away from Willow Creek—the only place she had ever felt safe.
Silence filled the car, thick with tension.
Elena kept her gaze fixed on the window, watching her new life disappear behind her.
“I searched for you for a year,” Damian finally said, his voice low and controlled.
She bit her lip, refusing to respond.
“Do you have any idea what you put me through?”
She turned to face him then, her own anger sparking. “Do you have any idea what I went through?”
His jaw clenched. “Then tell me. Tell me why you ran.”
Her throat tightened. She couldn’t.
She couldn’t tell him about the threats. About the danger that still lurked in the shadows.
Because if she did, he would never let her go.
She looked away, her silence answer enough.
Damian exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through his dark hair. “You should have known I’d find you.”
Her heart ached. A part of her had always known this day would come.
She just hadn’t expected it to hurt this much.
Damian’s voice softened, just barely. “You’re coming back with me, Elena. Whether you like it or not.”
Tears burned at the back of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.
She had run once.
But there was no running now.
Because Damian Blackwood had finally caught his runaway bride.
- Writer
