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“Someone fucking talk to me,” I demand, malice in my tone.
“This way.” The girl is back, leading me to a door marked ‘employees only’. I follow her down a corridor and into an office with security and a few men who think they’re in charge but are about to be taken apart by my bare fucking hands.
I don’t sit in the offered chair, I don’t allow them to keep Rue’s guards out, nor the kind girl that I now see Marco has a hold of. As small as the office is, it’s about to be even more cramped when I explode.
“Someone start fucking talking.” The men around me share looks, but it’s the girl who surprises me again.
“What’s her name?” I spin to see her wrench her arm out of Marco’s hold. “She came into my store, well, my mom’s store. I helped her pick out the outfit she’s wearing, but she didn’t talk, which was fine; I’m always told I talk too much to keep anyone sane, anyway. So, I did all the talking for us both, but I don’t know what to call her.” Did she even take a breath in that explanation?
“Rue, her name is Rue Gambino.” As soon as I can make it legal, I will.
“Rue, so pretty, just like her.” Marco growls something in the girl’s ear, making her roll her eyes at him. “Right, well, I’m Marleigh West, and honestly, you’re going to be mad.”
“I’m already mad, Miss West, so please, get on with it.” I grind my jaw and feel Rue shutting down in my arms, reverting to that timid girl I found in the tower.
“Yes, well, like I said, I helped her shop a little, then she went into Macy’s Boutique.” The way she says the name with a sneer makes it clear she doesn’t like the place. “They’re rude there. Really snotty. I didn’t see what happened, but I imagine they made Rue feel like crap, and the next thing I know, Rue is running, tears on her cheeks, blood dripping down her hand, and then-” She swallows and glares at the men behind me.
“And then…” I prompt.
“They tackled her.” I don’t hear anything else. White noise invades my senses, and despite the girl in my arms, I plan to snap everyone’s necks that touched my girl. “Two of them.” I barely hear the words as Marleigh holds up her fingers.
A sheen of mist covers my vision, and I recognize it as the vision of blood. Their blood. “Boss,” Marco’s voice cautions as I see him move the girl behind him. “Think of Rue.”
“Don’t fucking say her name,” I growl. This animalistic need to kill anyone who has ever thought to touch her fills me with a primal intensity I can’t control.
“Sounding a little feral, boss.” Marco’s looking at me like I’m about to rip his head off. “Calm him down, little miss.” I realize he’s talking to Rue now, and I don’t fucking like it.
“Take me home, Nick.” The words are barely above a whisper, filled with pain, physical and emotional, and I am torn. Kill the men who hurt her or take her home. Comfort her.
The answer is simple—Rue before everything and everyone.
“Get her number,” I snap at Marco as I nod to the girl. “I want them,” I tell Sarge, nodding at the security guards who tackled Rue. “And someone find me the bitch who harassed her, and the owner of that fucking store!”
Leaving, I expect my orders to be carried out. With Marco in charge, I have no doubt they will be. Bruno follows after me, taking my Range Rover keys as I toss them to him. Sitting in the back with Rue still in my lap, she’s trying to bury herself inside my shirt before we even take off.
Tugging the material up, I wrap it over her, and I can hear as she begins counting my heartbeats. Bruno keeps looking back at us but doesn’t say anything.
“Tell me what happened,” I demand of him. I need to know why she’s bleeding.
“It was like Marleigh said. Rue was nervous about shopping, so I showed her to Marleigh’s store. She charmed Rue, then we moved on to the next store.” There’s a glint in his eye, an anger he hadn’t let show before. “She was feeling a little more comfortable, so we gave her a bit of space. Sarge stayed at the entrance; I followed her around. She picked out a couple of dresses, then the viper came along and had Rue practically fleeing to another side of the store.”
“The blood, Bruno. Why the fuck is she bleeding!” It’s all I really care about.
“When Rue was touching a shirt, shifting through the racks, the woman snuck up behind her, started bitching that Rue didn’t belong there, then ripped the dresses out of her hands. The hanger must have cut her palm.” My hands flex on her ass, fingers likely going to leave marks.
“The security?” I suspect what happened now.
“Rue grabbed a scarf to stem the flow of blood as she ran from the store.” His head shakes as he remembers. “We’d have paid for the fucking thing after we ensured she was safe, but the fucking banshee screamed for security, and they cut Rue off before Sarge or I could reach her. Body slammed her into the ground; both landed on top of her.”
I can only bob my head when he finishes. If I do more, I’ll be instructing him to turn the vehicle around so I can pop a couple of bullets into their brains and call it a merry fucking day.
“We flung ‘em off as quick as we could.” I understand his need to defend himself, but it’s not necessary. I have no doubt they did everything they could to ensure her safety. It’s my own guilt that plagues me now.
“Call Marco, have him ring the doc, ask her to come to the house. Get Winston and George to prepare a warm bath and the fireplace, as well. And food. Finger food that she can eat anywhere.” He nods, and I listen as he speaks to Marco first, then places a call to Winston.
As we arrive at the estate, Winston and George are at the bottom of the stairs leading to the open doors of the house. Kane and Brock are prowling around the property like caged animals. I’m glad to see that her protection detail is taking this assault as a personal attack on them. Even if two of them weren’t there.
“Sir.” Bruno opens the door for me, and all four men come forward at a brisk pace, concern and anger lining each of their faces.
