A coldhearted man who ruled with fear didn’t open the door to tenderness.
A ruthless man took what he wanted without care.
And when fate dropped a girl like her into his arms—naked, trembling, trusting? When there was a beautiful woman at his mercy? He took what was offered.
But I wasn’t that man.
I clenched my jaw.
She was dangerous to me in all the best ways.
And I was poison to her.
I gently pulled away.
“I’ll be in the kitchen,” I said, “making something to eat. Any allergies?”
She blinked. “No.” Then she turned back toward the tub, her shoulders slumping.
I shut the door behind me and glanced down. There was blood staining my sleeves, smeared down my forearm, and splattered across the front of my shirt. I looked like a goddamn butcher.
First things first—I needed a shower. The bullet had only grazed my side. Nothing serious, but it still needed to be cleaned.
I turned down the hallway and headed for my bedroom.
Chapter twenty-seven
The water was almost too hot, but I stayed submerged, keeping my chin just above the surface as I tried to wrap my mind around everything that had happened.
But no matter how warm the bath was, I couldn’t stop the shudders that hit me when I tried to close my eyes. Every time I did, I was instantly back there—hanging above the crowd, my fingers locked around the pole, staring down at the nightmare below. There were hands everywhere—grabbing, clawing, ripping. That pole had been my shield, my weapon, my last fucking prayer. And the chaos and carnage that had unfolded at the club afterhearrived were the stuff of nightmares.
I couldn’t even remember what music had been playing—just the screaming inside my head. Just the way I kept thinking,Don’t fall!
And then…he had come for me. My stalker. My savior. Whoever the hell he was.
God, who was he?
He hadn’t spoken a word the entire way here. Just carried me like I was the most fragile thing on earth. His hands were both tender and protective. He’d held me with a firm grip that said I belonged to him, daring anyone to venture a glance at me.
But then, after that, he had barely touched me. And he hadn’t even looked at me sideways while I was half-naked. No smirk. No comment. No groping. He’d just…ensured I was safe and then left.
Now, whatever plans I thought I had for my life were gone—just like that. One second, I’d been working hard and getting my first big break. The next, it all was dust—and I had no idea where I was supposed to go from here.
I finally broke out of my daze and sat up. I ran clean water through my hair, then pulled myself out of the tub. The towel he’d left was luxurious. I wrapped it around myself and padded barefoot out into the bedroom.
I was taken by surprise.
My bag was there.
And my shoes.
My hoodie. My little jar of migraine pills. My hairbrush. My notebook.
All of it. Everything I’d brought with me to the theater.
I couldn’t believe it.
There was also a large suitcase I didn’t recognize. I unzipped it, and inside I found more of my belongings—everything from my makeup pouch to my phone charger. Oh, and thank God, there was my favorite tee—oversized and covered in pink peonies, a pair of sleep shorts, and some panties.
