Page 38 of Unlocked Desire: Vol One
I nod to my raven before returning to the balcony, where I continue to survey her beauty.
Kevin and I aren’t the only ones whose attention she’s caught tonight. Men approach her but leave without a fuss when she waves them off. One guy glances up at where I’m standing, and my icy glare is enough of a deterrent for him to mind his own business. Raven turns to where the man stood seconds ago, losing her balance and landing on her hands. I sprint down the stairs, desperate to reach her as if my life depends on it.
Chapter 2
CLARISSA
“You alright?” the crazy guy from earlier asks.
He’s the kind of guy a sane person would fear, but not me. I’ve been around enough predators to know that even though this guy is crazy, he won’t hurt me. How he came down like a ton of bricks on that perv from earlier tells me as much.
“I think I twisted my ankle or something.”
His arms sweep under me, lifting me like I’m no heavier than a cotton ball. He cradles me in his arms, rushing us away from the crowd down a small, dank corridor. This is probably the part where I get chopped up into tiny pieces and left for the vultures, like the victim in a horror movie.
We reach a black steel door, and he places me gently on the ground, still holding me up with one arm while he punches the buttons of a keypad. The door slides open.
“Whoa, this is a pretty lush-lookin’ office,” I say, taking in the brick walls, dark mahogany table, and rich brown leather furniture.
He shrugs, placing me on the large sofa. “I like to be comfortable here. It’s where I spend most of my time.”
“I should scream, shouldn’t I?”
“Only if you want me to hurt you.”
Fear races through me. “You’d hurt me?”
He smiles. “Probably not.”
“Probably?”
“I can’t say I never would. If you asked me to, I’d say yes.”
He removes my shoes, catching me off guard with his gentle touch as he rolls my ankle to examine the damage. It’s a shocking display of tenderness from a guy who seemed capable of murder not too long ago.
“You’re a little fucked up, huh?”
He glances at me, his eyes churning like a deep blue ocean in the middle of a storm. “You don’t know the half of it.”
I shiver from his stare and his touch.
“Looks like it’s twisted. Keep your weight off it, and it should be fine in a few days.”
“Cool. I’ll be on my way, then.”
I move to get up, but he’s lightning quick and cages me in with his arms. “I’ll take you home.”
“No offense, big guy, but you just beat the shit out of a man for no reason, then manhandled my ass to get me into this cigar lounge of an office. I’m not about to tell you where I live.”
“I don’t need you to tell me anything. I can find out whatever I want with one phone call.”
“Who the hell are you?”
“Vance.”
“No, I mean, who are you? Like, what’s your deal? You walk around the palace like you own it.”
“I do.”