Emily
Even though my blood was boiling and pounding in my ears like a drum, my skin was as cold as the tiles behind me. There was a sharp pain in the center of my chest where my pounding heart had banged into my ribs.
My assailant’s leering mouth twisted the nasty scar on his face, and his hot breath scorched my numb cheeks. His bony frame crushed against mine, the edgy joints of his body forcing me down. My side was slammed by the rifle he’d used to intimidate me into quiet.
As the realization of my impending death hit me like a bolt of lightning, my whole body stiffened. If I made a false move, a bullet would rip through my guts.
He got very close, and his scratchy stubble scratched my cheek.
Very attractive, I must say. His greasy words dripped down my neck and left a nasty trail. I can see why you and Nicola get along so well. Believe me, if anything were to happen to you, he would be devastated.
His face was a bloody mess as he drew away from me after painting my flesh with his body heat. His shattered, sharp teeth bit through his thin lips, drawing blood.
The action had been taken by Nicola. When he came to my aid, he shattered the man’s jaw.
Sickened by the sight of his mangled face, my stomach dropped like a rock with the weight of horror. I looked around the little bathroom like a madwoman for the guy I loved, the one who could save me.
Yet Nicola was noticeably absent. All by myself with this huge guy, I had no chance of evading him.
He repeated, “You’re extremely lovely,” this time with a roughness in his voice that could only have come from ill hunger. “Perhaps I’ll borrow you from each of my buddies until they’re bored, and then I’ll murder you.”
There were dark, vague shapes of tall men developing in the shadows at the room’s edges.
More substantial than the rifle that had been jammed into my side, a second hard length slammed into my hip.
My scream reverberated off the tiles of the bathroom and into my eardrums, making me feel like a caged animal. The darkness surrounded me, running icy fingers across my skin.
The name Nicola formed in my mind as I screamed for him to save me.
“Emily! Awaken. ” Unlike the cold, grabbing claws of my unseen assailants, the muscular fingers that curled around my shoulders were warm and calloused.
As soon as I opened them, I met my savior’s piercing, blue gaze.
“Nicola!” I called out his name while sniffing deeply at his warm, manly aroma, and I buried my face in his chest.
His constant warmth seeped into my chilly body, yet the darkness clung to my consciousness like icy, evil tendrils. I clung to him, trying to find stability in his strong arms as I fought to break out of the nightmare.
A loud boom ripped through the room before I could even recognize Nicola’s thumping heartbeats underneath my ear. When my assailant pressed his rifle into my side, I imagined the agony. I screamed as my nightmare overtook the actual world and the fear that had just began to subside resurfaced.
“Christ, Mathew! ”
There was an explosive eruption from Nicola. He hugged me closer to his heart, the weight of his strong arms comforting against my trembling body. He pressed a gentle kiss on my forehead and muttered, “It’s alright, angel.” The danger is over; you may relax.
“There was a lot of yelling” In spite of the fact that the gruff growl was meant to make me tremble, I immediately recognized Mathew’s deep baritone.
My eyes scanned the room for my other ferocious rescuer as my face rose from Nicola’s chest. In my dream, I didn’t have any desire to see Mathew, but now that his presence filled the room, I couldn’t wait to see him. I needed confirmation that he really existed. That these two very powerful guys were really coming to protect me as they had promised.
When I finally laid my eyes on Mathew, I felt my stomach drop and my chest tighten. His chiseled physique was much larger and more menacing than I had anticipated. His naked chest and firm abdominal muscles coiled with rage. A pair of baggy black sweatpants were all he had on him. His enormous bulk was clearly on show.
A chill ran down my spine as I saw his tall figure expand to fill the doorway, but I let out a shaky sigh of relief instead.
“It was a nightmare.” I was drawn closer to Nicola’s strong physique as he spoke to Mathew in short, sharp tones.
Mathew’s icy gaze softened, and the fierce scowl that had been plastered on his rugged face softened. “Godess, you had a nightmare, right?”
As he approached me, the world became more distinct. At the time, Nicola and I were sleeping in Mathew’s room.
After removing me from the potentially fatal situation at the restaurant, Mathew brought me here and nestled me under the soft duvet to keep me toasty while I recovered from my unsettling experience with their adversary. When I woke up, I was fatigued and trembling from the terrifying experience, and I hardly recalled falling asleep in Nicola’s arms. My night terror was probably brought on by the lingering fear I felt after being surrounded and threatened by a mafia.