A Debt Repaid (The Debt Duet 2)

“I won’t punish him … if you come home with me without a fight,” Easton adds.

Goose bumps scatter on my skin. I should’ve known there’d be a threat sooner or later. I jumped to conclusions too soon, thinking he’d finally be a better man. That he’d finally be that boy I remembered from my father’s wedding when we were young … but that boy is probably dead by now. Easton buried him a long time ago.

“You mean, if you can do anything you want to me,” I say, turning my head so I no longer have to look at him.

He leans sideways, and whispers, “You ran away from home.”

“I ran away from you,” I snap back, looking straight at him. “From your fearmongering and dictatorship.”

“Did you just compare me to a—”

“Yes, I did,” I say, folding my arms. “You chased me away.”

His nostrils flare, and his lips part, twitching as he gnaws his teeth, but then he retracts his fangs and sits up straight. “If you feel that way, I will accept that.” He turns toward the road again so he can see what he’s doing before we drive off the road and into a wall.

I frown and lean back into the seat. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “Did you just say you’ll accept my feelings?”

He sighs. “I’m not going to repeat myself, Charlotte.”

Well, I’ll be damned. I look out the window and smile to myself. Maybe he has changed after all.

“What did you do to the notebook?” Easton asks.

I glare his way before responding. “I threw it away.”

I don’t look at him directly, but I still catch his reaction from the corner of my eyes. And oh boy … was it worthwhile.

Easton suddenly shifts the topic. “That man … did he touch you in any way?”

“Deion?” I mutter, and a blush appears on my cheeks at the thought. “No. He’d never.”

Easton grabs my chin and makes me look at him. “Tell me the truth, Charlotte.”

“I am. We haven’t done anything,” I say.

“But you lived with him in his house for quite some time, didn’t you?”

“Yes, but he’s a dad,” I say, making a face. “Why would we …?”

“Because he’s a man,” Easton explains. “And men do these things.”

I jerk away from his grasp. “Deion’s different.”

“You think he is, but he’s not. And the mere fact he took you in …” Easton balls his hands into a fist, and I can’t help but notice how scrunched up his face looks.

Is he … jealous?

“Oh my God,” I say, laughing a little.

“What?” Easton says, taking his eyes off the road shortly.

I rub my lips with my fingers to hide my laughter. “Nothing.”

“Don’t do that,” he says.

I raise a brow. “Do what?”

“If you’re going to act like a brat all the way home, I’m going to have to remind you of the rules … and that involves your ass turning bright red on my lap.” The groan that follows makes my pussy clench.

Fuck. I forgot how seductive he can get when he’s pissed off at me and just how much my body responds to it. It’s only gotten worse since I last saw him.

“You’re mine, Charlotte. Don’t ever forget that. You gave your life to me.”

“You took my life,” I correct.

“I didn’t kill you,” he says.

I look straight into his eyes. “Locking me up is the same thing.”

He blows out a breath through his nose. “I never wanted to lock you up, but if I didn’t, you would’ve escaped.”

“And I did escape,” I retort. “So what was the point?”

He takes another big breath and turns his head away, nostrils flaring. He knows damn well I’m right, but he won’t admit it. You can chain me up and keep me trapped, but it won’t ever stop me from trying to escape.

Suddenly, he stops the car in the middle of the road and presses a button. The doors unlock. “Get out then.”

My eyes widen. “What?”

“You heard me. Get out.”

“But—”

“You wanted out, right? Then go.”

I frown, flabbergasted by his proposal. Is he for real? Or is this all a joke?

“Leave,” he growls.

I grab the handle and open the door and put one foot outside onto the pavement. But my body refuses to get up from the seat. No matter how much I push myself to go while I can, to leave this man behind and never look back … I can’t.

My body won’t let me even though my brain tells me to walk. Freedom is within my grasp. He’s handing it to me on a golden platter. I should take this opportunity before he changes his mind.

But then why won’t my legs move?

I shudder as I suck in a breath and stay put, wind brushing past my leg.

This man took everything from me.

But this same man saved Ashanti from my father’s minions too. He brought her back unharmed and let both of them be as he promised. No monster would do that.