Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

Maddie

Before I even have my bearings, I land in his lap.

He’s sitting on the floor, his back to the couch, his arms around me as he presses me tight to his chest.

For the barest second, I forget that I’m afraid, forget that Vigo has come back to my apartment, and I just feel.

Because this man’s body is the stuff of fantasy. Hard and lean it makes a girl…want.

I think back to my plans and hopes for the evening. Vigo is not a man I could trust my body with, but the man I’m touching...

His arms are wrapped around me, the hold so protective, his cologne and the slight scent of an oaked alcohol fill my nostrils.

I brace myself on his biceps, the muscles rippling under my hands. What would it feel like to kiss a man like this?

“Name’s Roman, by the way.” The deep smooth tenor of his voice pulls me deeper in, my brain completely losing every detail as he overwhelms my senses.

A loud banging on my door interrupts my carnal thoughts and I jump in Roman’s arms. He holds me tighter.

“Shit,” I mutter. “What do I do?”

His hands splay out on my back. “Shh,” he softly whispers.

“Maddie,” Vigo calls, rough and loud as he bangs again. “Open up.”

“He knows I’m here,” I whisper again, my hands climbing up to Roman’s neck. The strong cords of it help calm my racing heart.

“He also knows you were in the doorway when his brother shot two people.”

Excellent point.

“Maddie,” Vigo bangs again. “You forgot your phone in Vinnie’s car.”

I gasp. Did I? I remember giving it to Kate. And then we got distracted by the car in front of my house. “Hide in my bedroom,” I say to Roman as I start to pull up from his lap.

His hands slide to my waist, holding me in his lap. “Don’t. It’s better to ignore him. Vigo is not a man to underestimate.”

I shake my head as I slowly push up. As far as Vigo knows, I believed him about the fireworks. He really could be here just to return my phone. “If I don’t answer, he’ll know I know.”

With a low curse, Roman rises too and does as I ask, making his way down the narrow hall.

With trembling hands, I fully stand. “Coming,” I say loud enough for Vigo to hear.

“About time,” he rumbles. “I thought you might be deaf too.”

Asshole.

I smooth my skirts as I make my way to the door, slowly turning the lock and then I open the door.

Vigo is standing on my top step, his arms crossed. Even his outline exudes the sort of power that has me shrinking back. I clear my throat. “Sorry it took me a minute. I had just undressed.”

I hear him rumble his annoyance before he grabs my arm and pulls it toward him. I gasp out my surprise until the cold plastic of my phone case touches my palm.

I wrap my fingers around it and pull back, eager to get this over as quickly as possible.

But Vigo doesn’t let go. In fact, he uses his grip on my wrist to pull me closer as he steps into my house. “Need help getting that dress back off?”

“I...” I swallow down a lump, the idea of his hands on me makes my skin crawl. “It’s late and I’m really tired.”

But he still holds my wrist in one hand, his other pressing my phone to my palm. His forearm is the only thing keeping our bodies apart as it presses against my right breast. “I dropped off Vincent and Kate.”

He doesn’t further explain as he starts pushing me backwards into the house as I try to make my brain work. “Vigo, if you want to go out again…”

“Nah,” he says as he makes his way inside. “I’d rather just stay now.”

I squeak out a protest. “Oh. But…” I plant my feet, which only means that Vigo’s chest pushes against mine. He finally lets go of my phone to wrap his arm around my back. But that just means that my hand with my phone is trapped between our bodies.

“Hear any more fireworks?” he asks, as he slides the hand on my arm up over my shoulder to grasp my neck. His hold doesn’t hurt but I’m not able to move…at all.

I’m trapped just like one of my broken animals, no place to go, completely unable to defend myself. “No. Why? Was it one of the casinos?”

The tension in his hand lessons and I let out a long breath. Did I lie convincingly enough that he’ll leave?

“Not sure,” he answers, and then he leans in, his lips so close to mine, I can feel the heat of his breath on my lips, and they curl in distaste.

I don’t like his smell, it’s wrong, and I turn my face to the side, still in his arms. That’s what prey does when it’s cornered. It freezes.

“Listen, Vigo, tonight was fun. But I…”

“You listen, Maddie,” I can hear the way he’s talking through gritted teeth. “I meant what I said about you being gorgeous. You’re a looker. But you’ve also got something I want. Now…if you don’t want to end up like Kate?—”

“What?” The single word is out before I can hold back. “Where’s Kate?” Fear washes over me and I jolt in his arms. He tightens his grip again.

“You’re going to let me willingly into your bed, or better yet, I’m going to take you to mine, and then you’re going to sign the papers I tell you to sign.”

Roman was right. I shouldn’t have answered the door.

I swallow down a lump, my heart roaring in my ears. I have no idea what happens next. I’m somehow between Roman and Vigo. Why do I ever leave the house? I should have watched that baseball game with Josh and Lucia.

If I ever see Lucia again, I’m going to tell her that I should have just stayed hidden. Tucked away. “I c-can’t come with you. I have my animals to care for.”

“I don’t give a fuck about your animals.” And then, before I can even react, he’s bending down, wrapping an arm around my legs and lifting me in the air.

I scream, trying to squirm away, but it’s as useless as a baby bird squawking. Until it isn’t.

I feel the air moving a second before the sound of something hard hitting flesh fills the room.

Suddenly I’m falling to the side, my shoulder crashing into the hard floor. I cry out, curling in on myself.

A moment later a hand touches my other shoulder. I scream again, but gentle fingers grip me. “Maddie.”

Roman’s voice helps me draw in a breath and then another.

“Are you all right?” he asks.

I shake my head, trying to decide. “I think so.”

“Come on, sweetheart, we have to go.”

“Go?”

“Vigo’s going to wake up very soon. I only knocked him out, bludgeoning a man to death in your house isn’t going to play out well.”

I start to sit up, testing my shoulder. “You want me to go with you? Just leave him lying in my living room?”

“That’s right.”

I shake my head, my hand still gripped around my phone. I’ve been rather stupid all night, but just this moment, I do what I should have done when I first found this man outside.

“Call nine-one-one,” I say into the phone, which instantly dials.

“What are you doing?”

“Vigo is going to jail for attempted rape,” I say. “I can’t leave my home. I won’t.” Never mind that until Lucia forced me out last week, I’d barely left in months. This has been my home my entire life. I’ve never slept anywhere else. Even when I went to college…

Roman kneels over me, still calm but his body exudes power now. I look up at him, half in awe. “Sweetheart. Hang up. When Vigo doesn’t return, Vincent is coming.”

His words slice through me. Shit. He’s right.

“Nine-one-one. What’s your emergency?”

I only take one second to decide. I lift the phone to my ear. “I made a mistake. Butt dial. Sorry.” And then I hang up.

He takes my hand and I let him pull me to standing and lead me outside. “I need to know where you’re taking me.”

I know I’m in deep trouble.

“My place,” he answers. “I’ll explain on the way.”

I’ve made a few mistakes tonight that can’t be undone. Can I trust Roman? Who knows.

But I can’t stay here and wait for Vincent. I just heard him shoot two people. And I’d like to find a way to help Kate.

So that means I’m going with Roman. “My animals.”

“I know a guy at a vet clinic. First thing in the morning, I’ll have him come collect them. Promise.”

He’s already leading me out the door, his hand firmly around my waist. “Why? Why would you do that?”

“Maddie, if you hadn’t brought me inside, I’d likely be dead.”

That is another excellent point. For a guy with a head injury, he thinks clearly in a crisis.

He helps me into Vincent’s running car and then closes the door. It takes him a few seconds before he comes around to the driver’s side.

Is he all right to drive? But I don’t have time to ask him before he’s slamming the car into gear and squealing away.

He speeds through the Vegas night. I hear a rustling, like he’s reaching into a pocket, before he speaks. “Call Mason.”

I turn to him, my breath catching. Who is Mason and should I be frightened?

“Roman?” A voice comes through the phone.

“Mason. I need you. Now.”

I’m about to find out.