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Best morning ever. We’re walking down the hall toward housekeeping, Ellie’s hand in mine, our fingers laced together. More time would have been nice, but we cuddled and slept for a while before my alarm woke us up. We showered together, her laughter filling the steamy enclosure as I soaped her ticklish body and she washed mine. By the time we stumbled out of the shower there was just enough time for her to make scrambled eggs and toast instead of the frittata she had planned. Since I don’t know exactly what that is, it didn’t matter to me. I was just happy to share breakfast with her before walking her to work. Stopping just outside the big double doors she turns to me, her lips curving in a joyous smile.
“I’ll find you at lunchtime,” I promise, brushing a chaste kiss against her forehead when all that I want to do is crush my lips to hers and drag her back upstairs for another round of lovemaking. I’m not ready to share her with anyone else, but I know that I have to. I can’t keep her
locked up in my room forever… despite how amazing that sounds to me right now.
“That’s great. I shouldn’t be too hard to find,” stretching up on her toes she returns my kiss with one of her own, letting her lips linger against mine for a long moment before stepping away. “I do need to go now,” her voice betrays her longing to stay.
“Then go,” I say, rejoicing inside that she kissed me in public, before turning her by the shoulders to face the doors. I cup her curve of her ass and give it a squeeze, making her gasp in surprise. She spins back to face me with flushed cheeks and her rich, dark eyes sparkle with excitement and good humor.
“That doesn’t help,” she teases, stepping forward and pushing the heavy door open.
“Later, angel,” I promise. I shove my hands in my pockets to stop myself from reaching out to touch her again and force myself to take a step back.
“Later,” she repeats in a whisper, stepping through the door with a finger wave before allowing it to fall shut behind her.
I blow out a long breath. Wow. I had no idea that letting her go to work would be so hard. I always want to keep her by my side, and if that isn’t possible, I want to know exactly where she is and who she’s with. I never knew I had caveman instincts, but now that I’ve made her mine the compulsion to keep her safe from anything that could harm her beats in me like a primal drum.
I turn away with another sigh. I can’t stand here all day waiting for a glimpse of her. I’d better go see what Travis is up to and then get back to Geno like I promised. I still haven’t figured out exactly how Dominic was able to override the security system. It’s killing me but will have to wait a little longer. Installing more cameras on the casino floor is on the agenda for today, and I want to make sure that everything we need is set up so there aren’t any gaps in coverage when we switch to the new system. Set up shouldn’t take long, just a few hours. I have a team scheduled to come in tonight to begin installing the new cameras one area at a time. Xavier wants it done before New Year’s when business will pick up again after the holidays. Fortunately, I won’t be needed for that part of the upgrade and will be able to spend the evening with Ellie.
Firing off a quick text to Travis I find that he is, as I suspected since it’s still early, in his room with Faye. She’s recovering well from the beating she took at the hands of Dominic’s man, but he has been keeping a close eye on her. I don’t blame him. I hastily walk through the casino where a few K&S tech guys will be working later. Everything looks like it’s in order. The area is already roped off from the public and boxes of equipment are stacked against the wall waiting for them. Swiping my keycard to access an employee-only staircase I start up the stairs to the security office to finalize the plans for the rest of the day.
Before I’m there my phone rings with the tone I assigned to Geno. I ignore it. I’ll be there in less than five minutes. Whatever it is can wait, I’m sure. There shouldn’t be anything urgent happening. It immediately rings again. “I’m almost there. What can’t wait a couple of minutes?” I grumble into the phone.
“Thought you might want to know I just saw Lawrence,” his tone is disgusted as he says the man's name, “follow Ellie into the housekeeping employees lounge.”
“What?” My voice echoes in the empty concrete stairwell. There isn’t any reason at all for Lawrence to be in that part of the casino, let alone the locker room. A mushroom cloud of rage blossoms inside of me, and with it a hazy veil of red falls over my vision. Geno is still talking, but I can’t hear him through the buzzing in my ears and the pounding echo of my heavy boots as I dash back down the way I just came.
“Call Xavier,” I think I yell the words, but my voice sounds muffled to my own ears. “I’m gonna kill that motherfucker if he laid one finger on her.” I shove my phone in my pocket, not caring if I hung up or not. Doesn’t matter. Getting to Ellie before that fucker can dare to make her cry again is the most important thing in my world.
It’s the only thing in my world.
Chapter 35
Ellie
I’m lost in such a cloud of happiness that even Ms. Smith telling me that the café asked to borrow me for the morning doesn’t faze me. Several of the waitstaff are out with the same bug that knocked my family flat. I don’t even mind the fact that I’ll most likely be subjected to Lawrence’s constant badgering and attempts to humiliate me. At least the Rosewoods left yesterday. Someone put a happy face by their room number on the room assignment board. So, there’s nothing that can ruin the glow of this morning now!
Smiling to myself I push through the door that leads from the employee lounge into the ladies changing room where I pull my little black dress and heels from my locker. As much as I hate the outfit, at least I’ll look sexy when I meet Blake for lunch in a few hours. Stripping off my grey polyester dress I put it on the hanger and slip off my sneakers, happy that I took the time to put on pantyhose this morning so that I don’t have to spend the day with bare legs all the way up to my butt cheeks.
The door creaks loudly, opening behind me. Usually the other girls knock before entering, just in case someone is undressed. I spin to see who it is, clutching the black scrap of fabric against my body in a bid to cover myself. My heart stutters in terror when I meet the leering eyes of Lawrence. He smiles, a dark, twisted slash of teeth and lips, as he flips the deadbolt with a click that echoes through the still room.
“What are you doing in here?” I strive to hide the tremble in my voice but fail miserably. Evil intent gleams in his eyes and I suspect it has always been there. How did I miss it before?
A sly smile dances across his lips and he reaches down to the front of his pants, adjusting himself inside them before taking a step toward me. “I can smell him on you from here, you whore,” he spits venom as he advances.
I back away, attempting to maintain the same amount of distance between us, my mind spinning as I try to figure out how I’m going to get past him and the locked door. I don’t think it’s going to be possible. I’m trapped!
Oh God, please help me, the prayer runs through my head as my eyes dart around, looking for something, anything, that can possibly help me. There’s nothing. Even the benches are bolted to the floor.
Talk to him. The idea comes to me as my bare back bumps against the cold metal of the lockers and goosebumps prickle all over my skin.
“Why are you doing this, Lawrence? You aren’t going to get away with it.” I can hear the plea in my voice and hate how weak it sounds to my own ears. He must be loving seeing me frightened.
He steps closer, until just a few feet separate us, and I have nowhere else to retreat. A glacial shiver races across my skin. “I tried to be nice,” he whines. “Asked you to go out with me like a gentleman and you shut me down. More than once.” His voice rises, losing its petulant edge. “Then he shows up and you’re kissing him in the parking garage and he’s spending the night at your house.” His tone changes again, anger coloring his face and his words, “It was bad enough knowing he was there, but then I heard you. Heard him fucking you!”
He’s raging now, drops of spittle flying from his lips and landing on my face and chest. My knees go weak with fear and acid boils in my stomach. He’s been at my house! I should have kept my mouth shut. I only made him angrier by talking.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, shaking my head. I don’t know what else to say. I already know that it doesn’t matter anyway.
