Chapter 227 - 227: You’re Trying to Disgust me

Andrew stares at Avery's lips and then licks his own. His eyes filled with l.u.s.t, and Avery feels her stomach churn. She presses her lips together and turns her face away from him.

"You're really trying to disgust me, huh?" she asks, as she looks out the window. 

"Drive faster," Andrew commands the driver.

Though the car is already going at eighty miles per hour, it shoots forward. The trees on the side of the road blur with the mist and speed. The road turns sharply in many places, and Avery grits her teeth as the car goes careening around bends. She starts to feel sick, and she can't tell if it's Andrew or dangerous driving.

"Do you notice a difference?" Andrew asks, casually. "I've had the route to the mansion changed. It's even harder to find now."

Avery looks out the window, but everything looks the same to her. She realizes escape will be even more difficult, and Evan's men will have no idea how to find her. She feels tears of frustration well up in her eyes, and she takes a deep breath and forces them to go away. She doesn't want Andrew to see her cry.

"Turn around and take me home," she says.

"Oh, have you changed your mind?" Andrew asks.

He uncrosses his legs lazily and orders the driver to turn the car around. The driver slams the brakes, and Avery falls forward in her seat. The car turns around, and Andrew leans toward her and puckers his lips. Avery pushes him away.

"I don't trust you, Andrew," she says. "I won't do it until I see the Howel mansion gates."

"Do what?" Andrew asks with a teasing smirk.

"I don't want to say it out loud," Avery snaps.

"I won't make you say it then," Andrew says. He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, "I'm just going to make you do it." 

Avery presses her lips together as the car races back down the road. She's hoping that Evan's bodyguards will recognize Andrew's car and help her get away from him before she actually has to kiss him. She stares at the lush scenery and felt a flood of relief when she recognizes the road that leads to the mansion.

There's a small traffic jam at the gates of the mansion. Several servants are sitting in pickup trucks outside the gate. The beds of the trucks are loaded with lanterns, flowers, and something that looks strangely like a cupid statue. Andrew clears his throat and grabs Avery's arm. Avery pulls on the door handle and tries to open it, but it's still locked. She turns to face Andrew, and he winks at her.

"You're not getting out of this," he says.

He stares intensely into her face, and she feels herself blush. His eyes are liquid with desire, and he stares at her with uncomfortable intensity. She wants to look away, but she feels like a bird staring into the eyes of a snake. She knows it's dangerous, but she can't move.

"Do you want me to make the first move?" Andrew asks.

"No, just close your eyes," Avery answers.

"Close my eyes?" Andrew asks. "Why are you acting like a shy teenager? It's not like this is your first kiss. If you're nervous, I can start."

He leans in slightly, and Avery leans back. His lips are slightly redder than Evan's. She looks at them and reaches out for the door handle behind her in desperation. The door is still locked. She swallows hard and tries to convince herself that Andrew's red lips are part of a realistic-looking statue, but his eyes creep her out.

"Will you please just shut your eyes?" Avery snaps. "I thought someone as experienced as you would know that it's weird to kiss with your eyes open."

Andrew smiles and closes his eyes. Slowly, Avery leans in until she can feel his hot, sweet breath. At the last minute, she tilts her head to the side to peck him on the cheek. Even though Andrew's eyes are closed, he seems to know what she's going to do; he turns his head, and her lips brush his.

Avery jerks her head away and falls backward. Her back slammed into the locked car door and the car rocks. She gasps for breath and rubs her sore back, wondering if the metal door handle will leave a bruise. She looks nervously at Andrew and sees that his face is wrinkled with concern. He reaches a hand to help her, but she shakes her head.

"Don't touch me," she says.

Andrew holds his hand awkwardly in the space between them. There's a sharp knock on the tinted window, and Andrew pulls his hand away. Avery rolls the window down, and two of Evan's bodyguards look into the car. They seem surprised to see Avery.

"Would you mind opening the door for me?" Avery asks the men.

One of the bodyguards runs around the back of the car and pulled the door open. Avery climbs out of the car, rubbing her aching back. She nodded her thanks to the guard and walks toward the mansion gates. She doesn't look back to see what the guards say to Andrew. 

Evan's helicopter flies over a rocky beach. Strong waves smash against the rocks and send seafoam spraying into the air. The helicopter lands with a bump, and Robert swings the doors open before the propellers even stop spinning. Evan hops out, and the wind wh.i.p.s his hair and his clothing.   

"Be careful, sir," Robert shouts. "I've heard reports that Mr. Clifford's men are around here as well."

"Andrew's here?" Evan asks, feeling his blood pressure rise. 

"No, just his men," Robert answers.

"Where's the fisherman?" Evan asks.

"In the village past those palm trees," Robert says, pointing halfway down the beach.

Evan looks down the beach and sees a small village of whitewashed houses. They have red roofs and small windows. A thin line of smoke rises from one of the chimneys. Evan walks toward that house and throws the door open as if he owns it. His bodyguards follow him in. A fisherman with a leathery, wrinkled face jumps back in shock and fear.

"Tell me what you saw," Evan says. "Tell me about the man they pulled from the sea."

"I didn't see much," the fisherman says in a raspy voice. "The sea was really rough, and a storm was blowing in, so I had to come back to shore earlier than normal. I saw some men in dark clothes, pulling another man out of the water. The man was stained with blood, but I didn't get a very good look at him."

Robert shows the man a photo of Charles and asks, "Did the man look like this?" 

The fisherman studies the photo and slowly nods.

"Did you see which direction they went?" Evan asks.

"No, but I heard them talking about hospitals," the fisherman says. "They said something about surgery and the name of a hospital. Maybe General Hospital? It was hard to hear, the wind was really blowing, and the sea was loud."

"Did you notice anything particular about the men in black?" Evan asks.

The fisherman shakes his head. Then he stops and looks at Evan's men. He squints as if he's trying to remember something, and Evan feels his temper rising. Does this old man recognize my men? Evan thinks. Is it possible they betrayed me?

"What is it, old man?" Evan snaps. "Speak up!"

"It's something about their uniforms," the fisherman says. "Can I take a closer look?"

The man approaches the bodyguards and looks at the embroidered thistles on their shirts. All Howel family bodyguards wear a shirt with the family symbol on it. The man strokes his old face and squints.

"What is it?" Evan asks impatiently.

"I think the men had something like this on their shirts, too," the old man says. "But it was dark, and I couldn't tell what it was. I did find something strange on the beach, though."

He hobbles across the room and opens a small wooden box. He digs around inside it and pulls out a bronze bullet. Evan grabs it from his hand and holds it up to the light. The name "Clifford" is scratched neatly into the side of the bullet.

Robert's phone beeps loudly, and Evan turns to glare at him. Robert looks at the message, and his face pales.

"Sir, I just got a message that says that Mrs. Howel just returned home in Andrew Clifford's car," Robert says.