How dare this slimy creature come into her bedroom in the middle of the night and place his filthy hand against her mouth, demanding answers to questions she didn’t even begin to understand?
Instinctively she fought back the only way possible. She bit down on his hand as hard as she could, immediately tasting the coppery tanginess of blood. The man staggered backward, away from the bed with a strangled cry of pain. Mouth free, Libby let loose an ear-piercing scream.
Her bedroom door exploded open as Tony burst into the bedroom. The intruder, with a muttered curse, quickly crawled through the bedroom window and disappeared.
Libby scrambled for the bedside lamp, relief coursing through her as the bedroom was instantly illuminated. She turned to see Tony climbing out the window in hot pursuit.
She swiped at her mouth with the back of her hand, still able to taste the salty texture of the stranger’s skin. She eyed the window in trepidation, wondering what was happening. Where was Tony? What was going on?
As she sat anxiously waiting, she became conscious of sounds in the apartment. The drip-drip-drip of the bathroom faucet. The loud hum of the refrigerator from the kitchen. Her digital clock radio clicked off each minute that passed. Where was Tony? Why was he taking so long to return? Had he caught up with the intruder? Were they at this very moment struggling on the dark streets outside?
A cold knot of terror formed in the pit of her stomach and she clenched her hands tightly until her nails entered her palms.
She jumped and screamed as a loud report echoed in the night. Oh, God, was it a gunshot? Or was it simply a car backfiring? Was Tony at this very moment lying in the street wounded…or worse…? What was happening?What was happening?
Her eyes widened in fear as she heard steady footsteps climbing up the fire escape outside the bedroom window. Frantically, she looked around for something that could be used as a weapon. She grabbed a heavy brass candlestick and hefted it over her head, frozen as the footsteps came closer and closer to the bedroom window.
She expelled a sob of relief and dropped the candlestick to the floor as Tony stepped back through the window. “Tony…I was so afraid…” She scrambled off the bed and came to stand next to him, her face blanching as she saw his torn shirt and the bright red blood that slowly trickled down his chest. “Oh…you’re bleeding,” she gasped. “Are you shot? Sit down. Should I call for an ambulance?”
“Libby.” His sharp voice cut through her rising hysteria. “Sit down,” he commanded, the thunder in his voice causing her knees to buckle beneath her. She fell onto the edge of the bed.
He tucked his gun back into the top edge of his boot and wiped at the bright trickle of blood with the back of his hand. “I am not hurt.” He enunciated each word precisely. “Unless cat scratches have suddenly become life-threatening wounds.”
She looked at him blankly. “Cat scratches?”
He nodded. “When you screamed, that wildcat you own took a flying leap from the rug to the sofa, landing on me with all claws bared.”
Libby breathed a tremulous sigh of relief. “At least Twilight has had all his shots.” She looked at the angry wounds on his chest and stood up from the bed. “But those should at least be cleaned out with some peroxide. Come on into the bathroom.”
She led him into the bathroom, where she motioned for him to take off his shirt and sit down on the edge of the tub. She then grabbed some cotton balls and a bottle of peroxide.
“What happened to the man?” she asked, trying to keep her mind off the smooth firmness of his chest beneath her fingertips, off the attractive wild male scent that emanated from him.
“He got away.” Tony’s dark eyebrows slanted into a frown. “He jumped into a car that was waiting for him at the end of the street. What, exactly, happened before I got into your room?”
“I woke up to a hand shoved across my mouth and a guy asking, ‘Where is it?’” She grimaced, remembering the feel of the man’s hand against her lips.
“That’s all he said?” Tony asked tersely, waving her away impatiently and striding back into the bedroom where he began to pace back and forth in agitation.
She nodded and followed him into the bedroom. “Who are these people and what do they want from me?” The question was directed more to herself than at him.
“How the hell should I know?” Tony retorted impatiently. “It’s you they’re after, or at least something you have—but of course you have no idea what any of this is all about.”
She reacted violently to the ill-concealed sarcasm that was heavy in his voice. “I don’t have any idea what this is all about. I don’t know what that man wanted from me.” Her eyes narrowed. “Besides, you’re the detective around here—you’re supposed to be trained to deal with all sorts of criminals. That man crept into my room and could have done God-knows-what to me. If I hadn’t managed to scream, you would have slept through the whole thing,” she finished indignantly.
Tony’s eyes turned black, dazzling with fury. “I didn’t know you’d be stupid enough to leave the window open right next to the fire escape. Why didn’t you just send them an engraved invitation for them to break in again?”
For a moment they stared at each other, their anger and frustration a living, breathing presence between them. It was Tony who finally broke the silence, shaking his head as if to steady himself. “This is getting us nowhere fast.” His expression was a mask of stone, virtually unreadable. “We’re both tired and overwhelmed by what’s happened.” He paused thoughtfully, then continued, “I think the thing to do is get you out of here right away.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not going to let some creep force me out of my own home,” she returned, eyeing him defiantly.
In one swift motion, his powerful hands grabbed her and pulled her to him. His eyes were hard and cold as he gazed down at her, and her body began to tremble against him.
“This is not a game, Libby. This is not the time to be stubborn and indignant. These men are professionals and those were real bullets they fired at me. They want something from you, and until we figure out what it is, you aren’t safe. They know where you live—they’ve been here twice already. They’ll be back. You’re in danger here. Do you understand?”
She nodded numbly, unable to speak as her throat was achingly dry. She was suddenly very much aware of the fact that her scantily clad body was pressed tightly against his. She could feel his heartbeat against her skin, smell the rich maleness of him all around her. She was in danger here. Yes, she felt the danger, but she didn’t know if at this very moment she was more afraid of the unknown men who wanted something from her, or the fire she saw in Tony’s eyes—a smoldering flame that promised an intoxicating heat.
He dropped his arms from around her and stepped back. “Get a bag together. We’re getting out of here.” His voice was hoarse. He turned and went into the living room, leaving her to stare numbly after him.
