Chapter 17

17

Elena ignored the buzzing of her phone as she paced the living room. She was so irritated with JT at the moment, she wanted to scream, but she wouldn’t. And she couldn’t talk to him. Not right now. If she did, there was a good chance she would insult him.

Anthony wasn’t the only Santini with a temper.

“Hey,” Madison said as she and Charlie returned from the bathroom. She watched her pace for a few moments. “What’s up?”

“Nothing.”

Idiot man. Spends one day with her brother, and he starts having second thoughts. And, it was definitely her brother’s fault. He deserved some of her anger. Most of it. JT had just been getting used to them as a couple. Anthony shows up and makes him feel guilty or that he stepped over some kind of line. Or something.

“Um, you’re pacing the floor.”

“I’m in love with a dumbass.”

Madison said nothing as she watched her. Both Charlie and Madison moved their heads back and forth. They looked like they were at tennis match.

“Ugh, you’re making me sick to my stomach,” Madison said as she sat on the couch. “What has you upset, and why do you believe you’re in love with a dumbass?”

“He tried to cool it off on the phone. Wanted to tell me something.”

“How do you know it was that he wanted to cool it off? Did he say that?”

“No. He eluded to it.”

Madison shook her head. “I think you are assuming, and that is never good.” Madison’s phone went off. “Dante.”

Before Elena could tell her friend to ignore her husband, Madison clicked it on. “Hey, babe.”

Almost at the same time, the doorbell rang. Irritated, she stomped to the door.

She could barely hear her friend talk, as she had walked back into the bedroom for some privacy. She looked through the peephole and found a man dressed in a Marine uniform on the other side. A major, one she didn’t know.

“Whoa, slow down, Dante,” Madison was saying as she walked back out into the living room. “You’re not making any sense. A major is after Elena, why?”

Right then, something turned in her stomach. She swallowed as icy fear slid down her spine. She knew something was very, very wrong.

“Madison, go into my bedroom with Charlie, lock the door, then go into the bathroom and do the same.”

“What?” Madison said.

“Call 911 and tell them there is a dangerous man at the door, a Marine.”

She could hear Dante on the other end of the line jabbering away. There was no longer polite knocking on the door. That was good. If the bastard wanted to draw attention to himself, she was okay with that. It would draw attention to the situation, and more people would call for help.

As she thought about their options, she knew she had to get Madison as far away from whoever was on the other side of the door. Elena took the phone from Madison as the pounding on the door increased. “Dante, are you on your way over?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, Madison will be safe, but hurry.” Elena handed the phone back over to Madison. “Here, take mine, call 911 on there, keep the line open with Dante.”

“I can help you. I’m not unable to fight now.” She knew her friend was talking about her PTSD.

Elena shook her head. “You’re pregnant. You need to make sure you keep you and that baby safe.”

Madison wasn’t about to give up. “Come with me. We’ll be safer together.”

“No. If he has no one to get his attention, he will have more time to get to you.” A threatening growl rumbled in Charlie’s chest. Elena didn’t think she had ever heard the companion pet sound so threatening. “I can handle the asshole until the guys get here. Go.”

Madison nodded as she did Elena’s bidding. The sun had set, so Elena turned off the lights. The major was pounding harder and muttering under his breath. She couldn’t make out the words, but it didn’t sound good at all.

The door blew open, bringing the Major with it.

“Elena Santini, I am here to help you.”

So, maybe he was some kind of demented mental patient. No one would bust through a door like that and announce he was there to help her. There was something definitely off about the guy. She crouched down on the other side of the couch. From what she saw of the intruder, he outweighed her by quite a bit.

“I was sent by Jethro Thomas. He’s a friend of mine.”

Lie. That was easy. No one called him Jethro but her mother. She did sometimes, but it wasn’t something a friend would call him. Everyone who worked with him called him Agent Thomas or JT.

“There was a problem with his last case.”

And she was pretty sure the bastard now moving toward the bedroom door was the problem. He started messing with the doorknob. With his back turned in her direction, she decided to get a good look at him. She inched out, trying her best not to alert him of her location.

First thing she noticed was that the man was a mess. He had his uniform on, but no self-respecting Marine officer would look like that, at least not outside a war zone. It hadn’t been washed in a few days. Twigs hung from the sleeves, and he wasn’t wearing a cover. A sure sign there was something very, very wrong with the man.

He stepped back from the door, and she saw his hand raise up as if shoot the doorknob. Damn.

She rose up and came at him. He turned with an almost comical surprised look on his face. She used as much force as she could as she brought her hand down on his arm. It had the desired effect. He dropped the gun. She didn’t stop her forward motion. Elena slammed into the man, sending them both tumbling to the ground.

“Bitch,” he screamed.

She ended up on top and had the advantage of being able to untangle herself from the major. She was up and on her feet, moving away from the bedroom door and toward the entrance to her apartment. If she could lead him out of the apartment, that would mean he would be moving away from Madison. Plus, outside, there were people. People meant witnesses.

Her hopes were dashed the moment she felt his fingers wrapping around her ankle. With a jerk of his hand, he brought her down on the ground. Her head smacked hard against the foyer floor. She blinked as stars appeared in front of her eyes. Pain radiated from the spot that got the brunt of the hit on the floor. It was so strong she almost vomited.

I have never met such a pain in the ass as you. Why didn’t you just go off the road?”

He seemed to be talking to himself. He continued muttering, but she couldn’t make out the words after that one. Suddenly, what he said hit her. He was the bastard who ran her off the road. He still had his slimy fingers wrapped around her ankle. She pulled her foot back and smacked him in the face. Twice. The crack of bone filled the apartment. Blood spurted from his nose as he screamed. Still, he didn’t let go of her leg. She pulled her leg back to hit him again, but he swung his free arm around and she saw the gun.

She froze, her blood turning to ice. All the air backed up in her lungs as terror wound through her system. Elena stifled the scream that was lodged in her throat. She was worried that if Madison thought she was in trouble, she would come out. The guys should be there within a minute to two, depending on when they had actually left.

“Yeah, I thought that might get you under control.”

She would not let him shoot her. Not now. Not at this point in her life. She had no idea who he was, but she did know that he wanted her dead. Fuck it. She would not take this lying down.

Using what little strength she had left, she reared up and head butted the man. They tumbled back together, and the gun went flying out of his hand again. This time, she straddled his chest and punched him in the face. He was already bloody, and her hit to his nose just made it worse. She was still hitting him when she heard JT shout behind her.

“Bastard,” he roared. He came rushing behind her. Hands were on her, and she realized they were Anthony’s. As he pulled her away, JT grabbed the man who had attacked her.

“Where are you hurt?” Anthony demanded as he picked her up.

Dante was pounding on the bedroom door yelling out Madison’s name.

“I’m not hurt. Not really. Get JT off the man.”

Anthony set her on her feet and looked her in the eye. Apparently deciding she was okay, he yelled out, “JT, I think the blood is his.”

JT stopped in mid-punch, and his head whipped around. This was not the man she knew. His face was a mask of anger, and his eyes were filled with murderous intent. He stood and came to her, pulling her against his chest. She heard Dante talking to Madison and Charlie, and she sighed with relief.

Sirens sounded in the distance.

“I can’t breathe,” she said, telling the truth. All of a sudden, the room seemed to be spinning. Her head was throbbing.

He gave her some space. “All the blood is his?”

She nodded, then felt another roll of nausea turn over in her stomach. She swallowed and tried to keep herself from throwing up.

“There’s blood on the back of your head,” Madison said from behind her.

She turned to face her, and the room spun so fast she faltered.

“I think you need a doctor,” JT said, but he sounded like he was in a tunnel far away. When did he get so far away?

She shook her head, which was a mistake. She swallowed the rise of bile that clogged her throat. “No.”

JT opened his mouth to argue with her, and she just couldn’t take it. She bent over and threw up on his shoes.