I took a deep breath. “Why not?”
The drink turned into a decent conversation, but I was beginning to think his actions were somewhat oppressive.
When I stood, so did he.
“Where are you going?”
Was his question tossed out more gruffly than it should be? Maybe. “Just to the ladies’ room. I’ll be right back.”
Alex seemed tense until I placed a hand on his chest. Then he was all smiles as he’d been before. While I’d almost found his dominating qualities tolerable, I’d learned enough about my personality to know when I said enough, it was enough.
I headed into the restroom, taking a couple of extra minutes, even refreshing my lipstick while I gained some perspective. He was a nice man and we’d hit it off. What was wrong with suggesting we enjoy a coffee another day? Convinced that was an excellent compromise, I headed into the darkened hallway.
What I hadn’t expected was to see Alex standing against the wall, waiting for me. Red flags went off.
“I thought we could hit another bar, maybe one that’s quieter.”
He didn’t seem possessive, merely a man asking a lady out on a date. “Honestly? I’m a little tired after tonight’s festivities. Why don’t we exchange contact information and we can try and grab some coffee sometime.”
“That would be great. I’ll walk you to your car.”
“Okay.” I was no fool about men. I also had no intention of providing him with anything but an email address that couldn’t be traced to where I lived or worked. Until he passed a few tests, Alex wouldn’t learn any more about me. His smile was genuine and I reminded myself Donatello was partially to blame for my extreme caution.
We headed to the door and he was perfectly polite, gently placing his hand in the small of my back.
However, once outside, we’d only taken a few steps when a car came close to the sidewalk. There was no danger of the driver hitting us, but he reacted. He caught me off guard, pushing me around the corner of the building to a less popular street and shoving me against the brick exterior.
“What the hell are you doing?” He was mere inches away, his fingers digging into my arm. My reflexes were instant and I had one palm shoved against his chest.
“Just keeping you safe. It’s a dangerous place out here. I suggest we go have that drink.”
Don’t punch him in the face. “You seem to forget I’m tired.”
He inched closer and now, I was uncomfortable. “And you seem to forget I’m not a man who’ll take no for an answer.”
Well, this had gone to hell in a handbasket quickly. “Alex, I don’t think so. In fact, I don’t think this is going to work out at all.” When I scooted around him, I realized he’d pulled me off the main road and away from the larger crowds for a reason.
He snagged my arm, whipping me back and against the brick with so much force, my breath was knocked from my lungs before I could make a sound.
“And I said we’re going to have a drink together. I know you, darlin’. I know exactly what you like and more important, what you need.”
I’d heard the line in movies and read them in books, but they fell flat on me. Actually, the assumption pissed me off so much I reared my hand back to deck the man. He was too quick for me, snapping his hand around my throat.
A sudden whoosh and Alex was yanked backward, tossed against the same brick wall.
Only much harder.
“The lady said she wasn’t interested.” Another gruff voice.
One with an accent.
An Italian accent to be exact.
“Would you stop following me,” I told Donatello.
“I already told you, little witch. I can’t do that.”
Ordinarily, a Capo within the family’s regime would never be allowed to get away with using pet names. However, he’d been more like a part of the family for years, which afforded him certain rights that others didn’t have.
