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CHAPTER2
Ava
“You’re safe here. Take your time and finish your meal,” he added softly.
I don’t know why, but I sat back down. Maybe it was the warm kindness dripping from his every word, or the way he didn’t make a move to get up and stop me like I expected him to. As my back brushed against the leather of the seat, I glanced down at my half-eaten slice and reached for another bite.
Would it hurt if I just stayed a little longer?
I ate the rest of that piece in silence. I hesitated when I began on the second, starting when the roar of a car sped by on the street. There was another squeal of brakes, followed by the loud blare of a horn that left me frozen. I stared toward the window, not seeing anything except for the distressing flicker of a lamp post.
It felt like an ill omen.
I took a deep breath. My hands shook as I reached for the wineglass. I gulped down a large mouthful and glanced back to the man in the corner.
He was still watching me. What if he was connected to Anthony somehow? What if he had some way to tell him I was here, and his job was simply to keep me here until the mafia came for me? I stared down at the fine tablecloth, studying the intricate way the threads knitted together and blinking back tears at the utter chaos my life had turned into in a matter of hours.
The man in the corner remained where he was. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone.
It could have been an innocent gesture. For all I knew, he could just be a very well-known customer, or he could even be the owner of the place, but it was also a distinct possibility that I’d had the misfortune to stumble into one of the businesses in the city that Anthony had his paws in. Mafia families were well connected. They had their hands in police, business, gambling, drugs, the works.
Would just getting out of the city be enough? How far would I have to go? Was it even possible for me to start over somewhere or would I be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life?
I closed my eyes. I needed to go somewhere else. I could sneak into the back entrance of the campus library and hide out there for a while until I figured something out. With increasing haste, I finished the second slice of pizza and gulped down the rest of the wine. The man seemed preoccupied, so I stood up and slunk to the door as quietly as I could.
The waiter that had taken care of me was nowhere to be seen. When I glanced around, I saw that the place was deserted. I slipped my phone out of my pocket.
No wonder, it was nearly four in the morning.
Which meant I was here all by myself with the man in the corner.
I pressed onward toward the door and he cleared his throat. I stilled and I kicked myself for it.
“You’re safe. I promise you that whoever you’re running from will not find you here,” he rumbled, and I started, unable to help glancing back at those kind blue eyes. His biceps flexed as he took a sip of his drink and I bit the inside of my cheek. If he got close to me, I wouldn’t be able to fight him off. He could snap me like a twig.
“Come. Sit down with me and tell me your story,” he coaxed, and I wanted to do what he asked, but I resisted it. How could I trust a random stranger at a time like this? What if this was all a ploy just to keep me here until Anthony arrived with the explicit intent of raping and murdering me as soon as he was finished with me?
“I can’t,” I said hoarsely, and I moved toward the door again.
“You’re safe here. You’re safe with me,” he repeated, and his words undid me. All the panic, fear, and stress hit me like a freight train and the tears I’d been trying to hold back all night broke free. One after another poured down my cheeks and I physically crumbled. I probably would have curled up into a ball on the floor if not for the thick strong arms that suddenly surrounded me.
His muscles seemed even more enormous up close. I couldn’t pull away. Honestly, I really didn’t want to. It felt so nice to be held like this. He towered over me and pressed me close. My cheek brushed against his chest, and I gave in, letting myself be completely encircled by him. His heartbeat thumped noisily, like a constant soothing drumbeat that I tempered each breath to match.
I don’t know why it mattered, but I hoped he wouldn’t think I was insane. I shouldn’t have cared. He was a perfect stranger, but somehow here in his arms he felt like so much more.
He held me for a while. I don’t really know how long, but it felt like forever and a day until my tears began to dry. I blinked away the last of them, suddenly more self-conscious than ever now that all that emotion had forced itself out.
I sniffled, his scent capturing me in its clutches.
It was a heady aroma. Hints of citrus, ginger, and sandalwood surrounded me, holding me captive in a tenuous promise of safety.
“It’s alright. You’re okay. I’ve got you,” the rumble of a voice echoed. The way his tongue rolled reverberated through me, a soft soothing violin song that finally was enough to make me relax in his arms.
“I don’t even know your name,” I mumbled anxiously.
“My name is Cyrus,” he replied calmly. He pulled back just a hair, enough to slide his finger beneath my chin. Gently, he lifted it enough that my eyes met his. “Now, tell me yours,” he whispered.
The breathy sound of his words made my heart leap into my throat.
