CLAIMED BY THE BILLIONAIRE: The secret I kept in Paris

Chapter Two

Eva's POV

"Help," I rasped, my voice barely a whisper against the roar of the rain hitting the underside of the car, but then the glass of the side window shattered completely, and a pair of heavy boots hit the mud right next to my head.

"Don't move, you're going to bleed out if you keep thrashing like that," a deep, commanding voice snapped, and I looked up to see a man with eyes as cold as the storm prying at the door frame with his bare hands.

"The door is jammed, I can't get out, please don't leave me here," I cried out, my fingers clawing at the seatbelt that was cutting into my shoulder, but he didn't answer, he just grunted as he put his weight into the metal, the hinges screaming until the door ripped off and flew into the darkness.

"I’m not leaving you, now give me your hand and stop crying," he said, his tone more like an order than an offer of comfort, and he reached in, his large hands certain as he unclipped the belt and hauled me out into the freezing downpour.

He didn't put me down, he just tucked me against his chest and started climbing the muddy slope, his breathing steady despite the steep incline and the weight of my body in his arms.

"Who are you? Where are you taking me?" I asked, my head spinning as I looked at his sharp jawline and the expensive black coat that was now ruined by my blood and the grime of the ditch.

"I'm Lugard, and I'm taking you somewhere where you won't die in a ditch over a man who clearly isn't coming for you," he replied, his grip tightening as we reached the road where a massive black SUV sat idling, its headlights blinding in the dark.

"How do you know about him? How do you know about Ken?" I whispered, the pain in my hip flaring as he set me into the heated leather of the passenger seat, the warmth of the car making my skin sting.

"I saw the papers in the wreckage, Eva, and I saw the way you were driving like you wanted to hit something," he said, slamming my door shut and walking around to the driver’s side, his movements fast and predatory.

"He cheated on me, he threw me out in this, he didn't care if I lived or died," I said, the words spilling out as he accelerated down the road, the engine roaring with a power that made the whole car vibrate.

"Then he’s a fool, and you’re a fool for letting a man like that drive you into a tree," Lugard said, his eyes fixed on the road, his hands relaxed on the wheel as if we weren't flying through a hurricane.

"I have nowhere to go, my life is in that house, everything I own is with him and Sarah," I sobbed, covering my face with my hands, the blood staining my palms.

"You have me now, and I don't lose things that I find, especially not things as interesting as you," he told me, his voice dropping into a low, dangerous register that made the hair on my arms stand up.

"I need a hospital, Lugard, please just take me to a doctor," I pleaded, looking at the way the city lights were blurring past us, but he didn't slow down, he only pushed the car harder.

"My personal physician is already at my penthouse, you don't need a waiting room, you need me to make sure you stay awake," he commanded, reaching over to grip my chin, forcing me to look into his dark, intense eyes briefly.

"Why? Why are you doing this for a stranger?" I asked, my breath catching as his thumb brushed against my lower lip, his touch surprisingly hot against my frozen skin.

"Because I decided to, and usually, when I decide on something, it becomes mine," he said, pulling into a private underground garage and killing the engine, the sudden silence of the car feeling heavier than the crash itself.

He got out and opened my door, lifting me back into his arms before I could even try to stand, and he carried me toward a private elevator that opened with a quiet chime.

"I'm not a prize you found, I'm a person, and I just lost my entire world," I told him, pressing my face into his neck because I was too weak to fight the way my heart hammered against my ribs when he held me.

"Your world was small, Eva, I’m going to show you a bigger one, but first, we're going to get you cleaned up," he said as the elevator doors opened directly into a sprawling penthouse that overlooked the entire city.

He walked straight to a massive bathroom, setting me down on a marble counter and turning on the shower, the steam quickly filling the room and clouding the mirrors.

"I can do it myself, just leave me alone for a second," I said, trying to slide off the counter, but he stepped between my legs, his hands resting on my waist to keep me pinned in place.

"You can barely stand, and you're still bleeding, so stop fighting me and let me help you," he muttered, his eyes dark with an obsession that I didn't understand but couldn't look away from.

"Is this a kidnapping? Am I your prisoner now?" I asked, my voice trembling as he reached for the buttons of my soaked blouse, his fingers brushing against my skin.

"Call it what you want, but you're not leaving this room until I say so," Lugard replied, his gaze dropping to my lips as he leaned in closer, his breath warm against my ear.

"You're arrogant and you're terrifying," I whispered, but I didn't pull away, my body betrayed me by leaning into his heat, seeking the only solid thing left in my crumbling life.

"I'm the man who saved you, and that means you belong to me now, Eva," he said, his voice a final vow as he pulled the wet fabric from my shoulders.