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“Are you here of your own free will, doll?”
“It’s complicated,” she said.
“Well, that’s a no.” The Viking sighed, disappointed, clearly not wanting to believe his friend would cross the lines and boundaries this man seemed to respect.
He stood and extended a hand to help her up. “Let’s go. We aren’t doing this.”
“But... where are we going?”
“I’m getting you out of this building, and then we’ll figure it out from there.”
He clearly planned to fight his way out with her or cause a massive scene. It might be the only way he could manage it if Quill was watching from the screening room.
She allowed herself to be dragged down the hall, back toward the big room with all the dungeon equipment and bird cages.
Saskia tugged to try to get her hand out of his grasp, panicking. “Wait, no!”
He stopped in his tracks and turned, concern clouding his face. “I’m not going to hurt you. I don’t know what he’s done, so I realize that may be hard for you to believe, but I’m trying to help you. If you can just trust me for a short period, you’ll see. You will be safe.”
The Viking continued to pull her along with him into the main lower level room. Quill was no longer in the screening room. He was in this main room, occupied with the two blondes who’d thrown themselves at him in the lobby.
He hadn’t even been watching? What if she’d needed him? But, then again, if he knew The Viking well, Quill knew her boundaries would be respected. Even just looking scared had prompted the stranger to ask all the appropriate questions. He hadn’t laid a hand on her in private. Except for the one gripping her hand, trying to drag her out of there.
Saskia wasn’t sure where it came from, but the panic rose out of her clear and sharp. She didn’t think The Viking would hurt her. She believed he might actually be able to get her out, but seeing Quill against the wall playing with the blondes he’d restrained... Fuck. She had to be crazy, but she didn’t want to leave him.
Presented with a real choice, finally, she chose.
“Let me go, I want to stay.”
“No, you don’t. You’re just scared.”
“RED!” she shrieked.
He let go of her immediately, and everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and stared in her direction, a few casting disdainful glances his way. The music abruptly cut off.
“Don’t tell me what I want!” she shouted. She shook with rage and pent-up adrenaline. She glanced over to see Quill whispering to a man in leather. The man went to work to free the chained blondes, and Quill moved toward Saskia, eating up the path that cleared for him in long powerful strides.
He stood in front of her and faced off with The Viking.
“What the fuck, Ari? You know I wouldn’t just leave a girl with anyone else but you like that. What the hell do you think you’re doing with her?”
“She looked too scared to me. I was getting her out of here.”
“Sheisscared. She’s new. I thought that made you a good choice. Did you think I kidnapped her? How would that work exactly?”
Saskia could lay out the process for everyone, but she’d made her choice, and explaining that The Viking was basically right about things wouldn’t improve her situation—especially given that she’d decided she wasn’t willing to be separated from Quill.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t think,” Ari said.
“No. You didn’t think. Do you see the collar? Should I have had my name put on it?”
Which one?
“Kane, I’m sorry. Really. It was just a reflex.”
“Saskia, we’re leaving.”
“What about my money?” Ari asked.
