LULU
My head is killing me, and my mouth is dry. I turn on the bed and pry an eye open. Then I sit up straight, and my heart feels like it’s going to pound out of my chest.
Where the fuck am I?
I’m not in my motel room.
And then I start to remember. I was going to sleep, but someone burst into my room. I hid in the bathroom. He was going to hurt me.
Then Rome came.
Rome works for my father.
Panic rises up my throat and threatens to choke me as I look around. This bed is too nice. The bedding feels too good for it not to be something my father is paying for.
He may beat the shit out of me every chance he gets, but he makes sure I’m always in the lap of luxury.Fucking hypocrite.
I need to get out of here.
I move to stand and feel woozy but take a deep breath.
Hold it together.Just get out of here. Run away and fall apart later.
I walk to the door and turn the knob, surprised when it isn’t locked, and open it just a crack. I don’t hear anyone, and no one guards me from the other side.
For a second, I stand and try to listen, but I don’t hear anything through the rushing in my ears. It feels still.
I can see I’m on the second floor…in a house? I must be in a house.
Maybe I can run to a neighbor for help.
Just run!
I swallow hard, then do what my gut tells me. I run. My bare feet slap against the floor, but I don’t care. I see the stairs, and I manage to get down them without falling and breaking my neck. Just when I see the door, a huge body steps in front of me and takes me by the shoulders before I crash into his chest.
No.
“Going somewhere, firefly?”
“Let me go,” I say and feel the tears come. “Just let me go.”
“I can’t do that,” he replies. “Look at me.”
He takes my chin in his fingers and makes me look way up into his bright blue eyes. I know I shouldbe petrified.
Rome is abigman who far outweighs me and is so much stronger than I am.
But I’m not scared.
I also don’t trust him because I’m notthatstupid.
“I’m not letting you go,” he says, staring into my eyes. “And I’m not going to hurt you.”
I clamp my mouth shut. Christ, I’m going to be sick.
And he must see it because I’m suddenly airborne, cradled in his arms, and he’s hurrying past the other men from the motel room.
“What happened to Rome?” one of them asks.
