I turned my face away, but he didn’t break contact. My heart hammered against my ribs, fear coursing through my veins. It was just as toxic as it had been the night Mathew kidnapped me. Only, this man wasn’t reassuring me that he would take me to Nicola and keep me safe.
He traced the line of my jaw before picking up a lock of my hair. He lifted it to his nose and inhaled deeply. I shuddered, feeling more violated than I had when he’d touched my face.
“You’re very pretty,” he told me. “I can see why Nicola likes you. I’m sure he’d be heartbroken if anything happened to you.”
A soft knock sounded against the door. “Emily?”
“Nicola!” I gasped out his name, too breathless to scream for him.
A loud bang echoed through the bathroom as the door flew open, the wood splintering around the broken lock. Nicola slammed into the man who’d been threatening me, his momentum taking them both to the floor.
I shrieked when strong arms grabbed me.
“It’s me,” Mathew said. “I’ve got you.”
He picked me up, cradling me against his chest as he turned me away from the violence. Nicola brought his fist down on the man’s nose. I saw blood spray, and I hid my face against Mathew’s neck.
“Don’t kill him, Nicola,” Mathew warned as he carried me away. “We can’t draw first blood.”
Mathew rushed through the restaurant. His big body shielded mine as he held me close, his huge arms protecting me. Several patrons exclaimed and a few stood to gawk, but Mathew didn’t seem to care. He was completely focused on getting me away from the man who’d scared me.
“Wait!” I twisted in his arms when cool night air kissed my skin. “Nicola.”We couldn’t leave him behind. “That man had a gun.” My panic spiked, and I squirmed against Mathew’s hold.
“He won’t use it,” Mathew promised me. “They were just trying to send a message. Nicola will be fine.”
“You can’t know that!” I continued struggling, but his arms were iron around me.
“He’s already behind us.”
I listened, registering heavy footfalls racing toward us. I craned my head back to look over Mathew’s shoulder.
“Nicola!” I practically sobbed his name as relief ripped through me.
“I’ll drive,” Nicola told Mathew as he caught up to us. “You cover her.”
Mathew nodded, shifting me slightly so he could open the back door. He slid inside with me, placing me on my back along the seat. I heard Nicola slam the driver’s side door, and the car lurched forward. Mathew leaned over me, his weight pressing me down into the leather as his body covered mine.
“That’s it,” he said, his voice low and soothing. “Hold on to me. You’re safe.”
I didn’t realize my fingers had curled into the front of his shirt, and I was holding on to him for dear life.
Mathew’s huge hands started roving over my body with shocking gentleness. “Did he touch you? Did he hurt you?” Despite his gentle hands, his words were a rough growl.
“N-no,” I stammered, my teeth clicking together. It was so cold in the car. “He just said…” I trailed off, shivering at the memory of the man’s hand on my face.
“What did he say?” Mathew prompted.
“He knew my name. He said his friends had pictures of Nicola and me together. He said Nicola would be upset if anything happened to me.”
Nicola’s harsh curse floated back to me, and the engine roared as the car picked up speed.
“We’re through the gates,” he announced a few minutes later. He must have smashed the speed limit to get us back to the estate so quickly.
Mathew finally sat up, pulling me with him so I sat in his lap. He held me close and placed his hand on the side of my head, tucking my face against his chest. My fingers were still fisted in his shirt, but he didn’t seem to mind. He rubbed my chilled arms with his free hand, and he stroked my hair with the other.
“It’s okay, godess. I know that was scary, but you’re safe now.”
I nodded against him, soothed by the deep timbre of his voice. I was so rattled by what had happened, I didn’t even register the strange fact that I was feeling comforted by Mathew. Just a few hours ago, I’d found him frightening.
But there was nothing scary about the way he held me, warming my chilled skin with his body heat. Tears spilled from my eyes, wetting his shirt.
“You can cry,” he assured me. “Hold on to me and cry. You’ll feel better after.”
I let the tears flow freely as I purged the residual fear from my system. I was safe in his strong arms, and I didn’t have to be afraid of him anymore.
Nicola had been right all along. Mathew only wanted to keep me safe. They’d both warned me that if I tried to leave the estate, their enemies would find me. Until now, I hadn’t really understood the threat. I’d believed that Nicola was somehow involved with the mafia, and I’d heard him loud and clear when he’d told me that he had enemies.
“Do you want to be murdered? Or maybe they’ll just rape you. Or maybe they’ll pass you around until they get bored, and then they’ll kill you. “Mathew’s blunt description of what their enemies might do to me thundered through my mind, sending shockwaves of panic shuddering through my body.
“You’re very pretty. I can see why Nicola likes you. I’m sure he’d be heartbroken if anything happened to you. “The scarred man’s words layered over my memory of Mathew’s warning, and my cheek burned where their enemy had brushed his knuckles over my skin.
I buried my face against Mathew’s chest, as though his steady heat could melt away the taint of my attacker’s touch. Suddenly, this world of mobsters and mortal danger was very real. The gates that guarded Mathew’s estate felt less like the bars of a cage and more like a defensive barricade.
Any fantasies I’d entertained about quickly returning to Nevada evaporated. From now on, I had to trust Nicola and Mathew to keep me safe.
We would remain on this estate indefinitely. Together. The three of us.