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I spend a few minutes going through a rack of dresses. They’re cute, in pastel colors that I love. Plus, I have a feeling Nick will love the style. I found two dresses, one in a light green and the other in a beige, before being approached by a woman.
“Can I help you?” I shake my head no. Thanks to the girl at the other store, I, at least, know what my size is. She huffs when I turn my head. I can feel her eyes on me, but she must back off because Bruno’s body heat increases as he moves closer.
“Everything alright?” From the corner of my eye, I notice him glaring at the woman.
“Fine,” I muster up before moving to another section of the store, away from any other customers. Bruno gives me my space, and somehow, I get lost in the mannequins and racks of clothes. I’m not worried, not yet; I’m sure they’ve kept me in view, and that’s why they haven’t come looking yet. I’m just short, so I can’t see over all the displays to locate them.
“Really, I must insist you don’t touch anything. Clearly, this store is above your reach.” The same woman from before catches me off guard.
I see how her eyes glare across my body, disapproving of my outfit and how I look. Nick doesn’t seem to mind, and it’s the one thing I keep holding onto. He doesn’t care, so why should I allow how anyone else feels about me to affect me?
“Do you have money to pay for these things?” She rips the two dresses out of my hands; the hanger from one has a broken piece, and it slices open my palm. I cry out at the jarring pain just as blood begins dripping onto the floor.
“Rue?” I hear Bruno’s panicked voice and race towards him, not realizing I grabbed a scarf on my way to put pressure on my hand. “What the fuck happened?” His booming voice carries, and Sarge is charging his way over.
“What the hell?” he shouts just as loud. Blood is trickling down my bare legs now and leaving a trail as I rush out of the store. Immediately, an alarm goes off, but I don’t stop moving. I can’t.
I hear shouting, and a second later, I’m tackled to the ground. My entire body cracks off the linoleum floor, and pain erupts in every bone of my body.
“Take your fucking hands off her!” Sarge’s voice is filled with rage. The weight is lifted off my back, and I instantly curl up into a ball. Not wanting to move or see what’s happening, I keep my eyes closed and pray for Nick to get here. I need him more than my next breath. In his arms, nothing bad ever happens.
CHAPTER 12
Nick
“I don’t care, Adonis, I want a fucking meeting with the man! He’s not just going to let her go.” Nobody would. Not if they got even a whiff of my girl, Rue. She’s the type of woman men kill for. And make no mistake, I will fucking kill for her. Even if that means going to war with Theias Lorde and, in conjunction, Adonis as well.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m working on it. My brother is not so easy to track down. He enjoys the cat and mouse games.” With a heavy sigh, Adonis hangs up, and I slam the receiver down so violently that it shatters the entire phone.
“Fucking hell.” I toss the machine at the door, ripping the cord from the wall, just as Marco walks in.
“Damn, boss, who shit in your cornflakes?” I know I’m grumpier than usual, and it has everything to do with Rue being out of the house.
Shopping.
What the fuck was I thinking, sending her away without me?
I wanted her to get a taste of freedom. Of independence. I wanted her to know there is a world beyond the walls in which she’s been confined her entire fucking life.
Before Marco can say another word, my cell rings. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I lean back, close my eyes, and bark out, “What!”
“There’s been an incident.” Sarge’s stern voice is filled with rage.
I’m on my feet, snapping my fingers at Marco, and on the way to the garage before I speak. “What kind of fucking incident?”
“Just get here,” he snaps, hanging up on me.
“I’m going to commit murder today, Marco. Get the lawyers on the line.” I have no doubt I’ll be mounting someone’s head on a wall before the day is done.
I screech to a stop at the building’s main entrance and see a distraught young woman wringing her hands and looking around. Startled as I approach her, she eyes me warily. “Are you Nick?” I nod. “Follow me.” We take off at a jog. Marco is still on the phone. He’s called other people, but I wasn’t listening, too worried about Rue to concentrate.
I notice Sarge and Bruno standing in the middle of the mall as I approach, but what ignites my vision with white-hot rage is the diminutive form lying on the floor, knees to her chest and face buried behind her hands—one of which is wrapped in some fabric soaked through with blood.
I want to commit murder right here, but I don’t know who to direct the inferno whooshing through my veins on, so I settle for crouching next to my girl.
“Little girl-” She scrambles into my arms before I’ve finished speaking, sobs racking her body painfully.
Standing, Rue’s legs wrap tightly around my waist, and her arms strangle around my neck as she buries her face in my throat. Sarge and Bruno have kept people at bay, but the more I move away from the crowd, the more she whimpers.
