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I felt it wrapped around me, soothing in a way that I’d hadn’t experienced in a long time. But when I opened my eyes, blinding sunlight assaulted my senses. It was too bright. Too harsh. Too much. I clenched my eyes shut again, shifting away from the warmth until a cool breeze tickled my skin.
Thoughts and images raced through my mind, brutal and violent as if I’d been through a war. And my body ached, every muscle stretched to capacity. When I dared open my eyes again, I blinked several times to try to focus on anything. The world was hazy, just like the smooth edges of a dense fog had become suffocating.
Then my mind’s eye became clear, the images no longer shadows that were morally gray.
Phoenix.
His handsome, chiseled face appeared in front of me, only I knew the apparition wasn’t real. I jerked up, my head swimming as a wave of nausea rolled through my stomach. Suddenly, the warmth turned into icy claw digging into my skin as I finally remembered what I’d just been through.
Only it was no longer dark.
I pressed my hand to my lips as tingling sensations coursed through every muscle. He’d undressed me. He’d given me a… bath. Wait a minute. Had I dreamt that had occurred? I peered down at what I was wearing, shifting soft sheets in the process. I was in an oversized tee shirt and sweatpants cinched at the waist. They were obviously men’s clothes, ill-fitting but warm.
The bath hadn’t been a dream.
As I thought about what I remembered, I realized for a brutal man, he’d been gentle and caring. That threw me as much as the fact he’d saved my life. Right? Twice. The ache in my head throbbed just behind my eyes. Where was I?
I threw back the covers, shifting to the edge of the bed. I had to know where he’d taken me. As I glanced around the room, I expected to see bars on the windows, handcuffs secured to the headboard, every nicety stripped away since I was his hostage.
The room was beautiful, one wall painted in deep purple, rich in color like a perfect petunia in summer. The furniture was light in color, ornate in design, the comforter and sheets a lighter shade of the accent wall. I carefully rose to my feet, swaying back and forth for a few seconds, still woozy. There were two windows, both with rounded arches. Mediterranean in appearance. And the art on the walls was vibrant and alive, a beautiful coastline with colorful buildings close to the shore. That’s when I realized I was inside his house.
Had he taken me to Greece? No, that wasn’t possible. Was it?
Very carefully I made my way to one of the windows, peering outside. There was green as far as the eye could see, a spectacular flash of vibrant colors dancing across the pristine landscape. The day was bright, the sun high in the sky, yet the horizon was ablaze in color, rich tangerines and deep fuchsias. There were no other structures that I could see, just a gorgeous fountain on one side, a glittering pool of deep turquoise on the other.
I almost laughed seeing a cabana and pool house, a dozen lounge chairs lining the exterior of the pool, the turquoise cushions matching the six huge umbrellas. The outside seemed like a resort.
Not a prison.
As I moved around the bed to where the light sheer drapes were blowing in the breeze, I realized what I’d thought to be a window was a set of French doors. There was no reason for me to be cautious, but I was, folding my arms as I headed through the open space onto a gorgeous balcony, iron railings covered with flowering vines, the petals crimson, dazzling in color. There was a gorgeous marble table with four chairs allowing the perfect picturesque view of the grounds. If I didn’t know better, I’d say this was a taste of paradise.
As I scanned the perimeter, I was able to notice a huge garage with six bays, aggregate tile leading up to the carriage doors. Three SUVs, all black in color and similar to the ones I’d seen while fleeing St. Louis were lined up in front of the house, all freshly washed and glistening in the sun.
From what I could see, the estate was huge, the two stories sprawling over several thousand feet. Did that make me feel any better, protected from the monsters who’d tried to end my life? No. The ugly truth formed a pit in my stomach. I should be more frightened of the man who’d saved me than any stranger.
I should be.
But I wasn’t.
I remembered I’d been in Phoenix’s arms several times as he carried me to safety, whispering soft words of comfort. Then the bath, dressing me in warm clothes. Why had he gone to that extreme? Nothing made sense any longer. I was trapped in a beautiful cage, held prisoner by a savage beast and my heart still raced every time I thought about him. There was no doubt I’d lost my mind.
As I leaned over the railing, I noticed there were several workers outside carefully tending to the flowers. The light breeze floated their incredible fragrances across the balcony, and I took a deep breath. There were too many sensations, too much information that I’d yet to process. Then there was him.
The man with the soft hair that I loved running my fingers through.
The one with the sensuous deep voice, so rich and husky that I melted every time I heard him speak.
The brute who enjoyed being rough, almost every kiss ripped with passion.
And the killer who I’d witnessed gunning down at least three of the men in the street.
Yes, they’d wanted us dead but that didn’t make it any better.
He was a brutal crime lord and I’d fallen into his shadow.
I couldn’t ignore who or what he was any longer. Although there were several questions nagging at the back of my mind, the one requiring the first answer was what he had planned on doing with me. Damn it. This was crazy. Shivering, I turned around only to find him leaning against the open doorway leading into the room.
He appeared like a Greek god in his short-sleeve shirt and light-colored trousers. I allowed my gaze to fall from his sculpted face to his open shirt, then to the colorful sleeve, the ink somehow more vibrant in the bright light of the room.
