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“Stop,” I cried. “You are hurting me.” I yanked my arm with all my might, still not gaining enough leverage against him to break free.
At least this time he paused for a second and loosened his grip. His gaze flicked back to me as he said, “I need to get you out of here.”
He pulled me back in through the same door he had emerged from. The elaborate room was beautiful, like everywhere else in this hotel, but what surprised me the most was the absence of the woman who had been taking notes.
“Where is the woman who was helping you?” I asked.
“Gone,” he grumbled.
My feet tumbled one after another as he took me to the back of the room. I stumbled past plush cream couches and elegant white walls. All of it passed in a gauzy blur, as he yanked open yet another door. This one led up to a staircase I hadn’t noticed on my way up.
“Will you at least tell me where you are taking me?” I asked as he let go of my arm and waited for me to ascend the stairs.
His jaw clenched, that uniquely chiseled jaw making an appearance once again. “Do I have to spell it out for you?”
I blinked. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears. “Well, I think explaining me your plan at least once would be helpful.”
My feet were firmly planted on the ground. Earlier, he had spoken in hypotheticals. I wasn’t going to tell anyone, and he made it seem like he had taken care of the woman. No one was around us, and, as far as I knew, no one had followed us. The urgency wasn’t warranted yet.
His frown deepened.
When he opened his mouth, he spoke extremely slowly like I was a child.
Flames licked my insides.
“We are taking you back to your home.” Each syllable was fully formed on his tongue, and my urge to scream at him rose with each vowel. When I supplied no response, he continued, “You turnedgold, Carmen.”
I stopped. “Yes, but only you and that woman know.”
Antonio made a sound that sounded like he was spitting out burnt food. “Each interview is recorded.” His beautiful face twisted into a snarl. “I knew Artistas didn’t attend academies, but I didn’t realize that you didn’t speak basic Spanish.”
My cheeks went hot. Maybe it was because I was exhausted, or maybe because I have been through every heavy emotion from terror to rage.
Without thinking, my hand swung up from my side and connected hard with Antonio’s rock solid cheek. The slap reverberated up my arm, causing my shoulder to pop, but the satisfying sound made any pain worth it.
Antonio’s eyes darkened. His gaze trailed up and down my body while his nostrils flared.
My heart sped up. What would he do now?
I took a step back just as his top lip curled into a sneer. “Don’t you ever hit me again,” he growled.
I blinked, holding my breath. What the hell was wrong with me? He was going to have me killed.
His spine straightened. “Do you understand?” he asked.
“I-I’m so sorry,” I stammered while nodding.
As if mere words could make up what I had done.
His large form neared me and my heart skipped several beats. There was no world in which I walked out of here unharmed—whatever would happen next would be my fault. I felt his warmth leeching off him and washing over my skin. Every muscle in my body went taut when I flinched.
A second later, Antonio opened the door just behind me. The fresh outdoor air filled the room in seconds, replacing the acrid smell of my fear.
The breath that escaped my body was shaky when I slowly peeled my eyes open.
The ex-Campeón was in front of the open door. The inky darkness was mixed with the artificial golden lights from the lightbulbs. Stars glittered in the sky, and the smell of the sea, which I hadn’t noticed earlier, wafted over me. Antonio watched me with his brows furrowed. “I called a car when I sent Maria home,” he said slowly.
Ice coated my body as more fear returned. Would that car really take me home? I nodded and took a step forward, expecting him to move out of the way. He did not.
