I gritted my teeth. “Marcus, I’m not—”
“You’re perfect for this. I’m proud of you. I have to go, okay? I gotta be up early. You’re killing it, kid. Just keep it up. I have faith in you. You’re making us look good.”
I gaped at the phone as the call disconnected, then groaned. I stared at the screen, and all at once this was slightly funny. I wasn’t sure why, but I started to chuckle. I was so tired. Maybe I was just slap happy.
“Okay, you’re not going to have a meltdown right now.” I pointed my finger at myself sternly and accidentally poked the right lens on my glasses. “You’re going to get a bus ticket and think about this. You’re going to be an adult. You’re going to.... Shit, people died tonight.” I let out a long breath. This had been the best and weirdest night of my life. I couldn’t call it the worst thing that had ever happened to me, though. Spending time with Courtney Ryan still topped that list.
I was leaning back on the bench and absently slurping some of the sugary caffeine from the cardboard cup when I glanced up to see that big guy I’d run away from and Ruslan walking toward me.
Ruslan’s expression was serious and slightly terrifying. I immediately noticed his suit—it was a deep green that was nearly black. What was that about? Why had he switched outfits? Ruslan said something to the big guy, and he stopped to stand awkwardly nearby while Ruslan continued toward me. I tensed because I wasn’t certain how I should be feeling and set aside my drink on the floor.
Should I run? Do I want to get away from him?Hell, his lips were so curvy and the man was drop-dead handsome.This isn’t fair.I didn’t make it to my feet before Ruslan dropped to a knee at my side. He took my hands, and I let him, comforted by his touch despite everything. He brushed a kiss on my wrist that had me biting the inside of my cheek.
“Why did you run away from Willcox? You scared him and he had to track you down.” Ruslan gestured over his shoulder with his thumb. “Are you okay?”
No. Nope. Hell no.“What do you meanIscaredhim? I didn’t see him following me. How did he do that?”
Ruslan’s brow furrowed and he pursed his lips. The jackass at least had the good grace to look guilty for whatever he’d done that had allowed him to track me down, but I couldn’t even begin to guess at how he’d managed it.
“Fine, if those questions are too difficult, why was someone shooting at us in your apartment?”And why did you kill someone?I didn’t think it was smart to say that out loud, though.
He rested a finger on my lips, and I wanted to laugh and yell; it was the strangest sensation. “We can discuss this elsewhere. Come with me.”
He tugged on my hand, and I shoved his shoulders. He clutched his left arm, and I gasped when he fell on his ass. “I’m sorry. Shit, I didn’t mean to do that, but you had people drag me off.” I hugged him. “Damn it, are you okay?”
He snorted and rubbed a hand along my back. “I’m banged up, but other than that I’m perfectly fine. If you come with me, we’ll discuss all those questions you had. Maybe not in as much detail as you would like, but I’ll tell you what I think is safe.”
“There are a lot ofbutsandifsin there.”
“Asa.” He stared into my eyes, and I shivered at the intensity in his blue ones.
“Fine. Yes. I’ll go.”
He stood and took my hand. The big guy, Willcox, gave me an irritated frown as he followed after us. I guessed he deserved to have that attitude if he’d been forced to come after me, but damn it, this was all really fucking weird.
“Let’s go to a hotel.” Ruslan brought my hand up and kissed the back, which was playing dirty. Each sweet thing he did made it harder for my brain to work, and I was already sleep deprived.
“Giselle is going to be mad when I’m not ready to go in... oh, about four hours.”
He glanced at me from the corner of his eye. “Don’t be concerned. I pay her, not the other way around.”
“This is my career.” I shook my hand where he held it. He’d never let go.
He dragged me tight against his side as we walked toward the glass wall and the front doors. “You’ll be back later today, even if she has to shoot in the evening, so her complaints will be minimal.”
I chuckled at his dire tone. “Obviously you haven’t spent enough time with her, or anyone else in this industry, but okay. Just make sure you take all the blame for this.”
He gave me a smug grin.
I was exhausted and strangely wired at the same time. I climbed into the back of the white Hummer again and sighed. Willcox shut my door for me and stared inside, even though I didn’t think he could see me well with the tint on the window. He patted the door, as if telling it not to open when it shouldn’t, then went around and got behind the wheel.
Ruslan put his arm across my shoulders, and I didn’t bother to buckle up, only slid over and curled against his side. I did want to ask a thousand and one questions, but it was dark and cozy in the back of the vehicle, and with the rocking motion and Ruslan’s warmth pressed against my side, I didn’t open my mouth. I drifted. Fuck, I was being dumb. I probably shouldn’t have left a public place with him, but when the shit had hit the fan tonight, protecting me was his first priority.
Yeah, I wasn’t fucking pleased with him, but he hadn’t tried to hurt me and didn’t seem to want me in danger.
I sighed again, and he pressed a kiss to my temple that sent goose bumps racing along my skin. He was too attractive for my own good.
We arrived at an upscale hotel, and I was so out of it I didn’t catch the name as we checked in, but the startling chrome building reached for the sky and would be blinding during the day. All the furniture we passed in the lobby was clean and high-end. We approached the front desk and it was made of an odd pearly material that would probably cost at least half of what was in my bank account right now.
