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Grabbing the phone off one of the tables, I call down to the front desk. As soon as Duncan picks up, the pounding begins again. “Duncan, it’s Birdie. Someone is trying to break in. Will you call the police and the Marshalls?”
“Yes, Miss Birdie, of course. Stay on the line with me.” I hear him make the calls, and from the sounds of it, my men are ripping into him. “Police will be here in a few minutes. The Marshalls will be here shortly as well. Are you alright?”
“No. I don’t know what to do,” I whisper. Even I can detect the fear in my tone.
“Do they know you’re there?”
“I don’t think so. They’ve been pounding on the door for a while, but I haven’t answered. It’s one of Carl’s friends, I believe.” Biting my nail, I feel anxiety creeping up my spine when the noise starts up again.
“Patio door is locked?” I mumble to him my confirmation. “Perhaps a chair under the door handle will help?”
“Good idea.” Grabbing one of the chairs from the dining table, I try to quietly slip it under the door handle. Glancing through the hole again, I see Carl and his creepy friend.
“Oh god,” I hiss as they stand there arguing.
“The misters are only a couple of blocks away,” Duncan tries to reassure. When I notice the friend entering Carl’s apartment, I have a terrible feeling in my gut. Backing away from the door, I keep an eye on the patio.
“I think they’re going to try coming in through the balcony.” Vicious and Chaos both made that jump; these men could, too.
“Remain calm. I’m relaying everything to the brothers and the police.” It helps some to know people are aware of what’s happening. I just wish they’d get here sooner.
“Duncan,” I whine when I see a shadow through the curtain. “He’s on the balcony. What do I do?” I could hide, but it’ll be obvious that I am. They must know I’m here because they wouldn’t leave when I didn’t answer before. “I think they’ve been watching the building. They must know I’m alone.”
“Hide, Miss Birdie.” I can hear the person outside jimmying the door. It won’t take him long to smash through the glass and enter. Running down the hallway, I close all the doors quietly as I pass them, hoping he’ll spend so much time searching that everyone will be here before I’m found.
“Tell them I’m going to the nursery.” I’d jokingly said the room directly across from ours would be the perfect nursery, so I know they’ll understand. There are dozens of boxes in the closet, I can hide behind them.
“Remain silent.” Like I didn’t know.
Shutting the door behind me, I slip through the boxes and in behind a towering stack of them. Crouching low, I remain silent and still as I hear the patio glass shatter. Fear infuses me.
CHAPTER 12
Vicious
I’ve always been teased about my name. My entire life, I’ve been pegged as a devil child because the woman who birthed me thought Vicious was a good choice. I’ve been a troublemaker, the muscle behind mine and Chaos’ operation for years, and never has it bothered me before. Never have I given it a second thought.
Until now.
Until Duncan’s call to say that our woman had called him, terrified, because someone was trying to break into our home. One we vowed to keep her safe in. For the past couple of weeks, she’s been our princess in a tower, and there hasn’t been a safer place for her.
Now, it’s crumbling to the ground, and I’d like to follow the ashes to hell.
“You’re not stopping me this time,” I growl out to Chaos as the car screeches to a halt in front of our building. We’d gone out to search for the perfect ring to propose to Birdie with. It’ll have no meaning if we don’t get to her in time.
“Gentlemen! They haven’t found her yet. Might I suggest the elevator to the tenth floor and then the stairs?” Duncan is a good man who is about to earn himself a lifetime salary for a few minutes’ worth of work for what he’s done today.
“She okay?” Chaos asks as we approach the elevator.
“Better knowing you’re here. One of you should take the balcony.” Nodding, we slip into the car and wait for the short ride up. Typically, it takes seconds, now it feels like hours.
“I’ll take the balcony; you go through the front door,” Chaos tells me. “Hearing you coming will scare the shit out of them both.” In agreement, I dart out as soon as the panels slide open and head for the stairs.
Taking them two at a time, we pause at the door to listen before opening it a sliver and glancing down the hallway. The entrance to our place is slightly ajar, and we can hear cursing followed by crashing. They still haven’t located her.
“Give me thirty seconds,” Chaos says as he opens the door to Birdie’s old place and slips inside. Bracing my hands on either side of our doorframe, I try to slow my breathing down and force any thoughts of our woman being hurt out of my mind. It works for a second before I hear Carl calling for her.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are, little bird. We won’t hurt you.” He follows up with a snickered “much,” and I lose it.
