Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 62994 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 315(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62994 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 315(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
“I don’t give a damn if she comes willingly. She’s in danger. I will not let this play out with her alone in that apartment, waiting for him to strike again.”
Davýd studies me for a moment, then nods. “I’ll send the car.”
He’s about to rise when I add, “And make sure she’s handled gently.”
He freezes, then smiles faintly. “Of course.”
I move to the window, staring down at the city. Somewhere out there, she sits in darkness, trembling because a man I should have killed just breathed the same air as her again. The idea claws at me. It undermines everything I am. I have spent decades ensuring the people I care about live untouched. I’ve never allowed weakness. No soft spots. No vulnerabilities.
Until her.
A woman I spent one night with. A woman whose name I didn’t even know until three days after she disappeared from my bed. A woman who should have meant nothing to me.
Still, she got under my skin, and now she’s mine to protect. I head for my apartment, hoping to meet her there.
It takes twenty minutes for my phone to buzz again.
She’s here.
Keep her entertained. I’ll be there in 5.
When I enter my apartment, she stands between my men, untouched, unrestrained, but clearly brought here against her will. Her eyes blaze with anger even through the fear. Her cheeks are flushed from the cold. Her jaw is tight. And when her eyes land on me, they narrow.
Her voice is sharp enough to slice steel. “What the hell is this?”
I stop a few feet from her. “This is for your safety,” I tell her sharply.
“And you couldn’t have just called me?” she accuses. “Who the hell even are you?”
The men beside her tense, not used to hearing me spoken to like that. I ignore them.
“Are you finished?” I ask quietly.
“No,” she says with an incredulous laugh. “Not even close! I was just lounging in my apartment when some strange man told me he’s your friend and basically kidnapped me. Who does that? Are you insane?”
Despite myself, something almost like amusement shakes loose in my chest.
“Apparently.” I smirk. “But your attacker came back, and I felt I needed to step in.”
Her jaw goes slack at that.
“How…” she trails off thoughtfully. “How did you even know that?”
Her expression falters for the first time. Fear flickers. But then she straightens her spine again.
I snap my fingers to dismiss my men, and they quickly make themselves scarce. This isn’t a conversation I want an audience for.
“I’ve been keeping tabs on you,” I finally tell her, softening the blow as much as I can.
“What does that mean?” she asks, crossing her arms.
“I have a security detail,” I answer honestly. “I’ve asked them to trail you.”
That really upsets her. Her face turns a shade of red so deep it’s almost purple, and her voice goes shrill.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” she screams. “You had no right to do that! For how long?”
“It doesn’t matter,” I tell her sharply, shutting down all arguments. “You’re out of harm’s way now, and that’s what counts.”
“No, that isn’t what matters,” she screeches. “This is a total invasion of my privacy. You could have just called me and asked me out like a normal person. I didn’t ask for your help.”
“No,” I say. “But you need it.”
She opens her mouth to retort, but I lift a hand and step closer.
“Don’t bother denying it. I know you were threatened. I know he waited for you. I know he approached you in broad daylight. And I know he will try again.”
She swallows hard. Her hands curl into fists at her sides.
“You were spying on me,” she says again, venom in her tone.
“I was watching your back,” I correct. “A distinction you should appreciate, considering you’re still breathing.”
Her eyes shine with a mix of anger and something else. Something like helplessness she doesn’t want me to see.
“What happens now?” she asks through clenched teeth. “Are you going to make me some kind of prisoner?”
“You aren’t a prisoner,” I tell her. “But I’m having your things brought over. I’d like you to stay here until the threat is neutralized.”
“I’m not moving in with you,” she says abruptly. “Absolutely not.”
“It’s not a question,” I say evenly.
Her jaw drops. “Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
“Unbelievable,” she mutters, turning away before spinning right back, because apparently she is incapable of ending an argument where it should end. “I’m not letting you lock me up in your tower like I’m Rapunzel.”
“If Rapunzel were being hunted, the tower would have been a wise choice.”
“That’s certainly one way to look at the story,” she fumes. “But I bet Rapunzel would have liked to be asked.”
“Well, her life wasn’t in imminent danger.” I shrug. “I’ve seen enough situations like this to know that it usually ends badly. I’m not arguing about this.”
She glares like she wants to claw my eyes out. “You don’t get to control me.”