He didn’t put her down. He kept holding her. No furniture was inside the cottage. The place sported some busted windows. Glass littered the floor. There were also definite signs that some very large critters had taken up residence inside the place. “I can keep carrying you.” Not a problem. What was a problem? The fear and the absolute rage that still pumped in his veins when he thought about what could have happened to her.
When her body had collapsed in the van, when he hadn’t been sure if she was alive or dead…
“Put me down.” A definite order from Simone.
His grip tightened.
When that sonofabitch Alexei threatened to torture her, to cut off her beautiful fingers, when he put his knife to her neck…my whole world ignited in red.
Blood red. Alexei had been a dead man from that point forward.
“Yo, down!” She struggled in his grip. “Because I think I deserve answers.”
His jaw locked, even harder than it had been locked already. Super slowly, he lowered her. Not all the way down. Her toes hovered over the ground about three inches because… “Your feet are bare.” He didn’t want her getting cut on the glass.
“They are currently covered in layers of mud so it’s like I’m wearing my own magical, muddy shoes. Just drop me, would you?”
He didn’t drop her. He gently let her feet touch down. Away from the glass shards. And still his hands lingered around her waist. “Are you okay?”
Simone’s expression showed that she doubted his sanity for even asking the question. “No.” A hard, negative shake of her head that sent her heavy, dark locks flying over her shoulders. “I am far from okay. I was kidnapped. I was threatened with torture. I was physically attacked. I am not okay.” She stepped back, and the heavy red folds of her dress slid over the dirty floor of the cottage. “I need rest. I need safety.”
He could give her safety.
“I need a man…” Her eyes narrowed to chips of blue fury. “I need a man who is not threatening to arrest me after the horrifying ordeal that I have just endured.”
Yeah, as to that… “Sorry, but you’re not getting away from me.”
“Why on earth would you want to arrest me? Did you miss the whole dramatic part where I am the kidnap victim? Me?” Simone touched her chest. Right between her truly glorious breasts.
He swallowed. Time to get down to business and not focus on her truly glorious breasts. “Why were you kidnapped?”
She took two more steps back as her hand fell to her side. “Are you victim blaming right now?”
“Simone…” He paused. “Don’t go back another step. There is glass behind you.”
She looked behind her, then scooted to the right.
He nodded. “Good.” He rolled back his shoulders. “Now answer my question.”
“What question?”
Oh, she knew what question, but he’d repeat it for her. “Why were you kidnapped?”
Her eyes went very wide. “How can I explain the actions of a madman? How can anyone?”
Alexei had been fucking crazy, no doubt. And way too excited about giving pain. You should never have tried to hurt Simone. Ryan realized that his hands had clenched into fists. Normally, he had no problem maintaining control on his cases. No matter what sort of hellhole situations he found himself facing, he dealt with the matter. He eliminated threats. He kicked ass. He moved on.
He…
Edged closer to Simone. Worry whispered in his voice as he asked her, “Do you need medical treatment?” He’d needed to get her away from those stables, so he hadn’t been able to check and assess her injuries.
Her plump lips parted. No longer a slick red but instead a soft pink. Beautiful. Full.
All of her makeup was gone. Her hair was a tangled darkness around her face. Her eyes glinting. Her cheeks too pale.
Yet to him, she appeared even more gorgeous than when she’d been so carefully styled at the party.
He might have some problems.
