“Can I get you something to drink?” she asked. “I don’t have much, but I can at least offer you a soda or a beer.”
“Um, a soda would be great,” he said, suddenly feeling very unsure of himself for some odd reason. He had nothing to be nervous about. It wasn’t like this was his first time with a woman, or anything like that, but for some crazy reason, Aurora made him nervous. He wasn’t sure why that was. They had barely even touched each other yet. The heat from the club had followed them back to her place, coiling tight between glances and unfinished thoughts. Nitro leaned against the counter while Aurora poured two sodas into glasses over ice, her hands steady even though her shoulders were tight.
“You don’t have to stay,” she said quietly, without turning around.
“I know,” he replied. “But I’d like to—if that’s still okay with you.” She nodded once, like she’d expected that answer all along.
She handed him the glass and leaned into his body. “So, are you going to kiss me, or not?” she asked. He usually liked women who asked for what they wanted, but this somehow felt forced. It was as though Aurora was pushing him to move faster, but he wasn’t sure why.
He leaned in and sealed his lips over hers. The kiss was slow and careful. Nitro’s hands framed her face, his thumbs brushing her jaw as if she might vanish if he didn’t anchor her there. She kissed him back with the kind of urgency that came from people who understood how fast safety could be stripped away.
“Let’s take this back to my bedroom,” she whispered. He wasn’t used to his women being so bossy, but he had to admit that he kind of liked the way Aurora was telling him what she wanted from him.
He nodded, and she took his hand into her own, leading him down the hallway to what he assumed was her bedroom. They were halfway down the hall when the sound rang through the tiny apartment. It was a soft click, metal on metal, causing Nitro to freeze. Aurora stiffened instantly by his side, fear flashing across her beautiful face. “Bathroom,” she whispered, “now. He didn’t bother to ask questions. He could see in her eyes that she knew exactly what she was doing, and he had to agree that they needed to move—fast. He followed her down the narrow hallway, pushing his way into the small bathroom with her in front of him. He shut the door just as the front lock turned. It sounded slow and deliberate, and he knew that this wasn’t just a break-in. Someone had a key to her place, and as soon as he could ask her some questions, he’d figure out who and why she looked so completely terrified.
He noticed another door by the tub, nodding to it. “Does that lead to the master bedroom?” he asked.
“It does,” she whispered, “why?”
“Because we can’t stay hidden away in here. Do you have any weapons in your bedroom?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No,” she admitted. My gun is in my purse, lying by the front door.”
“Shit, that would have been useful,” he breathed. “You stay put and don’t make a sound. I’m going to lure whoever is outthere into the bedroom.” She looked like she wanted to argue, but decided against it when he didn’t back down.
Nitro grabbed the heavy lamp from the nightstand, his pulse pounding in his ears as he heard footsteps cross the living room. He positioned himself just off the bedroom doorway, knowing that whoever was out there would have to go through him to get to Aurora. Every muscle in his body was coiled tight, waiting for a fight that he knew was imminent.
A man’s voice drifted down the hall, sounding smooth and familiar in a way that made Nitro’s blood go cold. “You always were terrible at disappearing, Red.” Aurora’s breath hitched behind the door, and he was sure that he wasn’t the only one who had heard her.
Nitro had no choice—he stepped out from behind the bedroom door. He quickly searched the darkness to find a man standing in Aurora’s living room. He was tall, lean, and dressed like they had money to burn. Menacing wasn’t a strong enough word to describe him. Nitro looked behind the guy to find another man lingering by the door, blocking the exit.
“Who the hell are you?” Nitro demanded. “And why do you have a key to this apartment?”
The man smiled. “Let’s just say that the landlord was very—accommodating. I was about to ask you the same thing. You want to tell me who the fuck you are and why you’re here?” His gaze slid past Nitro, toward the bathroom door, not waiting for an answer. That worked for him because Nitro wasn’t about to give him one. “Renee, you can come on out now,” the man shouted. He wanted to ask him who the fuck Renee was, but he had a feeling that Aurora and Renee were the same woman.
“No,” Nitro said flatly, “she’s staying right where she is.”
That earned a laugh. “You think this is your call?” the man asked. He knew that it wasn’t, but he wasn’t about to let thatasshole know it. Nitro didn’t answer. Instead, he swung that fucking lamp with all his might.
The lamp shattered against the man’s face, glass exploding everywhere as blood sprayed across the wall. The second man rushed him, and Nitro met him head-on, driving him back into the wall hard enough to rattle the frames that hung there.
The first man recovered fast—too fast. He pulled out a knife and lunged for Nitro. He barely felt the slice along his arm as he disarmed the man, slamming his head into the kitchen counter—once, then twice, and a third time when he finally went limp.
Nitro looked over to find the second man groaning on the floor, clutching his ribs. He waited for him to get back up, but he was sure that wasn’t going to happen. Both men seemed smart enough to stay down. Nitro kicked the knife away from the first guy and turned toward the bathroom as sirens wailed faintly in the distance. He was guessing that one of her neighbors had called in the ruckus, and he was damn thankful for that.
“Aurora,” he said through the door, his voice rough. “It’s over.”
She stepped out slowly, her eyes wide and her face pale. When she saw the blood everywhere, her composure cracked. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t think they’d find me this fast.”
Nitro cupped her face, forcing her to look at him. “Listen to me. None of this is on you.”
“They won’t stop coming for me,” she said, still shaking. “They never stop.”
Nitro glanced around the apartment—the broken pictures that littered the room, the men on the floor, the illusion of safety already destroyed. Whoever these assholes were, they wanted to get to Aurora, and he had a good feeling that she was right—they weren’t going to stop coming for her anytime soon.
“Then, you’re not staying here,” he said.
Her lips parted. “Nitro?—”
