“I said,” he spoke from between gritted teeth. “What the fuck are you wearing? You look like a whore.”

She gasped and a tear escaped. She swiped at it with her free hand and said defiantly, “I don’t care what you think. We aren’t together, Volkan.”

He ignored her as his eyes landed on a car turning into the alley. As it came closer, Yasmin spotted Henry at the wheel.

“No, I’m not going with you,” she said insistently, still trying to free herself.

“You don’t have a choice,” he said grimly.

Yasmin looked around frantically. There was no one in the alley outside the nightclub except for them. “Help!” she called. “Someone help me!”

Volkan swung her around, pushing her back against the alley wall. He covered her mouth with his hand. “Shut up, you little idiot.”

She mumbled ‘fuck off’ against his hand and he narrowed his eyes at her.

“I’m not kidnapping you, Yasmin,” he said, giving her a shake before removing his hand from her mouth. “I’m sending you home where you will remove this offensive outfit and go to bed. You have a long flight tomorrow and need your rest.”

“Oh,” she said, deflating. Wait, did he say long flight? “How do you know about my flight?”

“Same way I knew today was your graduation day,” he replied, his dark eyes on Henry as he rounded the car to open the back passenger door open for Yasmin. “I know everything about you.”

“But we’re not together. Why do you care what I’m doing or how I’m dressed? How do you know so much about me? I don’t like this, Volkan.”

“Right now I don’t care what you like or don’t like.” Volkan marched her toward the car. He put one large hand on her head and pushed her down into the dark interior. He hunched down to look into her face, taking her chin in hand and running his thumb over her bottom lip. “But there will come a day when I will care very much.”

“I don’t like when you say things like that to me,” she whispered, then leaned away from him, setting her back against the seat and staring stonily forward. “You’ve ruined what should’ve been a celebration. I just want to go home.”

He said nothing for a moment, then he said, “Soon, küçük olan, soon you will be home.”

His words were ominous, like the ones he’d spoken after her graduation ceremony. He closed the door and stepped away from the car. She wondered why he wasn’t coming with her. After all, this was his car and Henry was his… whatever Henry was. Bodyguard, driver, shadow puppet.

Yasmin pressed the button to open the window and called out, “Where are you going?”

“To have a chat with your handsy friend,” he said grimly, turning his back on her.