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“I need to be alone right now,” I managed. “I’m going home.”
Carlos’ fingers tightened around my arm, and he tugged me closer. I suppressed a gag as his scent smothered me, saturating the air.
“Let me protect you,” he urged, all softness and false concern.
“You didn’t protect me just now,” I flung at him before I could think better of it. “You didn’t say anything to defend me in there. Stefano could’ve killed me, and you said nothing.” My tone got higher as I spat the accusations, ending in a sharp cry. I felt trapped, like I was drowning and Carlos was holding my head underwater.
His brown eyes widened just before his lips pressed to a thin line. “You’ve had a hard day. You’re hysterical. All the more reason for me to take you home.”
“You’re not taking me anywhere! Let me go.” Tears burned at the corners of my eyes. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to cry in rage or exhaustion or relief. I wasn’t going to die today, but I couldn’t bear to be near Carlos for one more second. I twisted in his grip, but his unyielding fingers dug in hard enough to bruise.
His overly preened brows drew together in a forbidding scowl. “Isabel—”
“Get your hands off her.” The rumbling snarl was pure masculine menace. Carlos barely had time to turn his head before Sebastián tore him away from me.
My shocked gasp was overwhelmed by the heavy thud of Carlos’ body hitting the opposite wall. His skull cracked against the plaster, and his knees buckled. He shook his head hard and struggled to his feet. When his gaze focused on Sebastián, his handsome features twisted into something sour.
“This is none of your business, old man,” he spat.
My savior bristled, his fists clenching dangerously. Despite the warning ripple of his muscles, he spoke low and soft when he addressed me. “Do you want to go with him, Isabel?”
“No.” I rubbed my arm where Carlos’ grasping fingers had bitten into my flesh. Sebastián’s dark eyes followed the movement, and his nostrils flared like an enraged bull when he noted the red marks on my skin.
He rounded on the younger man with a growl. “Get the fuck out of my sight. And don’t come near Isabel again. If you try, you’ll answer to me. Understood?”
Carlos tipped his chin back on a sneer, and for a moment, I thought he would face off against Sebastián. After a few tense seconds, he seemed to cool off enough to come to the sane realization that the mountain of a man would pulverize his pretty face. He rolled the aggression from his shoulders and turned sharply, shooting me one last glance before he stalked away.
I blinked up at Sebastián, the world turning slightly surreal in my emotional exhaustion. I’d feared for my life today. I’d spent prolonged hours waiting for Stefano to arrive and pass his judgment on my fate. The only person who’d shown me any kindness was the taciturn older man who’d barely spoken a word to me in my life.
Even now, he said nothing. He simply pressed the button to call the elevator, then ushered me inside when the doors slid open. Silently, he stepped into the enclosed space with me. I didn’t protest his company. I hadn’t wanted Carlos to take me home because I’d wanted to break down in private. But I felt slightly more at ease with Sebastián’s strong, steady presence at my side. He wouldn’t let anyone hurt me. I didn’t understand why he had chosen to protect me, but I felt safe with him.
When we reached the ground floor, he walked with me to the exit. Although he didn’t place his hand at the small of my back again, I found myself pressing as close to him as possible. Our arms brushed, and he shifted slightly to break the contact.
My stomach dipped, but I lifted my chin and pretended I hadn’t noticed. I was being stupid, anyway, hiding behind Sebastián like a child. I barely knew the man. He owed me nothing, and we certainly weren’t close enough for me to lean on him for comfort.
I expected him to put me in a car and go back up to the meeting, but when I slid into the waiting black sedan, he climbed in after me. I hadn’t questioned the fact that one of Stefano’s drivers would take me home, but shock buzzed through me at Sebastián’s continued presence.
“You don’t have to come with me,” I murmured, even as he closed the car door and directed the driver to my address.
Something awful occurred to me, and my stomach twisted. “Am I under guard now?”
Streetlight filtered through the window to highlight the hard lines of his cheekbones and shimmer in his silver hair. He looked like an avenging angel, my fierce protector.
