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But whatever promises were between us are long dead.
“You will not play whore to me, Serenity. Do you understand me?”
A shiver plays down my spine. I drag in shallow breaths, too afraid to even share the air with this dangerous man I need beyond anything in the world right now.
Meeting his gaze, I nod. “I understand.”
He straightens to his full height. “I can see you’re dead tired, but by my estimation we’ve got about twenty minutes to figure out where to hide you.”
“I…I thought about leaving the state.”
“No good. Like you said, they’ll find you. These people have no bones about crossing borders and breaking rules. I have a buddy—”
“Why not you?” I blurt.
He starts to shake his head and stops. “You’re right. I can’t rely on anyone else to do this. There’s only one answer left.”
“What’s that?”
“I have to be the one to hide you.”
Chapter III
Heath
As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I know them to be true. Some things can be handled by our men. But this? No way—the situation is too delicate.
If I send Serenity off with Big Ronnie or Killer Sebastian—two of the most loyal men my family’s ever seen—they’re gonna fuck it up. Get her killed. Bring the wrath of the entire Stepanov family down on us.
We’ve been waiting for a war like this, but none of us are truly prepared for it. That’s why the Connollys and Stepanovs have been dancing around each other for so long.
Not to mention Serenity in the hands of anyone but myself would end badly—for the other guy. Because the minute one of them laid hands on her, I’d gut him.
And they would want to. Those curves are far too alluring. In fact, I’m surprised no man has claimed her by now. Married her and planted a baby in her womb.
I eye her. “You have to come with me. We’ll go to the cabin up north, stay for a few days.”
She stares back, looking stunned and beautiful. She doesn’t even know what almost hit her. But if she did, she’d have her hands over her ears rocking in the corner in terror. If she hadn’t managed to escape, the Stepanovs would not be kind.
“Don’t move from this room. I’m going to get dressed and gather some things.”
She gives me a jerky nod, and as I turn to walk out of the kitchen, I see her hand shake when she raises the coffee to her lips.
In my room, I throw on the first shirt I see and stuff a duffel bag with enough clothes to get me through a few days while I figure out what to do. On top of my clothes, I toss in a few handguns and ammo. When I zip it up, I glance at the clock.
Seconds are ticking by.
I head into the maid’s room and ransack her drawers. Since it’s her night off, she has no say in what I take for Serenity.
I stride into the kitchen, and Serenity hops off the stool. “The cabin’s very remote. We’ll have to stock up on provisions before we go.” I drop my bag and pull open a drawer to find a stash of grocery bags. Thrusting one at Serenity, I say, “Fill this whatever food you can.”
Without a word, she snatches the bag from my hand and rushes to the refrigerator. She gasps at the amount of food on the shelves. “You have so much food.”
“I have a lady who stocks it and cleans the house too. Take whatever you like to eat.”
She shoves food into the bag like a homeless man digs through the trash.
Then I realize she’s so thin because she’s hungry.
