Trent chuckled and squeezed me once more before he let me go. “See you at the bar after class?”
I nodded but looked to Jeremy for confirmation. “Zack will drop you off there,” he told me.
“All right, I’ll see you after class,” I said to Trent and kissed him on the cheek before following Zack to his car.
Outside the house, Zack was all business. He scanned the street before ushering me off the porch and quickly into his car. We drove to the campus in silence, because he was busy making sure we weren’t being followed.
I was surprised when he entered the classroom with me, but I should have expected it, because Reed was very thorough. In my first class, my professor made an excuse about Zack finishing up an incomplete, and since he was around college age, no one seemed to question it. My second class was one I had with Jeremy, so Zack didn’t accompany me. My last class was a large seminar course, and no one noticed when he slipped into the back. Thankfully, I’d designed my senior year to consist of a fairly light load and was only usually gone for a few hours every day.
After my classes were done, Zack walked me back to where he’d parked his car. Miguel hadn’t shown up at all, at least not that I noticed, and I felt silly having a bodyguard.
“I hope it isn’t too much of an inconvenience giving up your free time to follow me around,” I apologized to him.
He glanced at me quickly and turned his attention back on the road. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve heard what happened with your ex and the court, and I was glad I could help. And it isn’t completely altruistic. Your friend Aiden is paying me.”
Ah, I should have expected something like that. Just because Aiden hadn’t managed to sequester me behind the gates of his fortress didn’t mean he wouldn’t get involved.
When we neared Trent’s bar, Zack drove around the block before finally parking near the front entrance. Once we were inside The Hitching Post, Zack wandered off to speak with Rocky, and I headed for the bar. Trent winked at me and continued serving the light afternoon crowd.
A couple of men in suits were in the back, probably out-of-towners who thought it was a good place for a drink with a colleague, but mostly the patrons were college students. Four college-age guys were seated at the end of the bar near where Melody was serving drinks. On the other end a few women were celebrating their friend’s twenty-first birthday, which I only knew because they kept shouting, “You’re twenty-one, do a shot, bitch!” When they weren’t taunting each other, they were making not-so-subtle passes at Trent.
He didn’t seem to notice their attention. Instead, he and Melody were working together, laughing and obviously having a good time. I paused halfway to the bar to watch them. Funny, but I didn’t feel jealous seeing them together. Unlike Trinity and the skanks vying for his attention, Melody obviously didn’t lust after Trent. In fact, she seemed to be the only woman with a pulse that didn’t respond to his raw sexuality. I wasn’t comfortable watching other women throw themselves at him so blatantly, but if he was going to ignore it, I would too. At least I’d try.
With that in mind, I crossed the room and sat on a stool in the middle of the bar. Trent set down a beer in front of a customer and rushed over to greet me. He wore another fitted Henley that was shoved up his forearms, displaying his muscles and tattoos. He smiled at me, and I sighed. Usually I’d try to hide my reaction to him, but he said he loved me, so what the hell, right?
He stood still and let me finish mentally undressing him, which I could tell by his smirk he knew I was doing. “Hey, Wildcat. Don’t look at me like that until I can get you alone, or I’ll be forced to take a long break upstairs.”
I raised my eyebrow and licked my bottom lip, teasing him. “I guess that just gives me more time to think of what I’m going to do to you when I can get you alone.”
He groaned, but before he could reply, a blonde sauntered up next to me and leaned over to shove her already exposed cleavage more into Trent’s line of sight. “Hey, baby. I’ve missed you. When are you getting off?” She batted her false eyelashes at him. I didn’t know anyone actually did that.
He rolled his eyes and went back to his customers. When he came back over to us a few minutes later, he directed all his attention to me. His smirk curved up the corner of his mouth that had the piercing. I remembered the taste of that piece of metal from our kiss this morning, and my cheeks heated.
Seeing my blush made his smile widen, and his eyes sparkled with mischief. “I can’t wait to hear what made you blush like that,” he said in a low, husky voice.
“It was your lip ring. Have I told you how much I like it?”
He raised an eyebrow. “If you like that so much, maybe I should put my tongue ring back in.”
“You have your tongue pierced? How come I’ve never noticed?” I asked. If he was going to ignore the woman still seated next to me, then I would too.
Trent shrugged. “I only put it in every once in a while to keep it from closing up. I got kind of bored with it, but it has some pleasurable uses I’d like to show you tonight.”
Oh my, yes, please. “Can’t wait,” I said. My voice had dropped to a husky purr. This man was turning me into a sex fiend, and I loved every second of it.
“Give me a few minutes and we can go into my office,” he said.
I gasped, and my mouth dropped open. I looked around and realized his admirer was hanging on to every word we exchanged. “I thought you were joking about taking a break. There’s a bar full of people,” I said as quietly as possible.
He chuckled and shook his head. “I keep the paperwork in my office, Wildcat.”
“Oh,” I squeaked.
“One of the bartenders called in sick today, and his replacement should be here soon,” he added.
I covered my face with my hands. “Just go back to work while I sit here and die of embarrassment.”
He pulled my hands away from my face and winked at me again before resuming serving customers.
As soon as he walked away, the blonde next to me huffed. “You might have him right now, but as soon as he gets bored with you, I’ll be waiting to give him what he really needs.”
I laughed. This was what I was worried about? Looking at this pathetic woman, all I felt was pity. She didn’t value herself enough to demand respect, so it was no wonder she wasn’t getting it. She used men and expected to be used by them in return. I couldn’t imagine how empty that lifestyle made Trent feel.
I turned to her. “I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you, because you have no idea what he needs or how to give it to him.”
She sneered at me. “And you do? Whatever. I’ll have him back, just watch. One night you won’t be here, and believe me, honey, he likes what I have to offer.”
I rolled my eyes. She was such a cliché it was pathetic. I could rub the fact that he was mine in her face, since she obviously wanted him, but she wasn’t worth it. We might all be products of our personal history, but it didn’t mean we had to be a slave to it.
“Thank you. I was bothered by his past, but I can let that go now. Do you even know why you want him?” I asked, curious if she’d answer truthfully.
“Look at him,” she said and waved in his general direction. “He’s a living sex god. Every woman wants him, and I’ve had him.”
Ugh, hearing her thoughts was not as satisfying as I’d hoped. She really believed her sexual exploits with men that wouldn’t even acknowledge her presence later made her special. “Women like you go after men for sport. You use them to compete against other women. I feel sorry for you.”
Trent glanced back at me and frowned when he realized she was speaking to me. He rushed back over. “Is everything okay?” he asked me.
Melody came up behind Trent and glared at the woman whose name I still didn’t know. “Cici, I see you still haven’t gotten a clue.” Cici was a stupid name.
“Melody, I see you’re still a bitch,” Cici responded.
Mel shrugged. “It works for me, but
at least I’m not sniffing after a guy I can’t have like I’m in heat.”
Cici let her gaze travel over Trent’s body suggestively. “I can have any man I want, and I’ve already had that pleasure.”
“Not for over a year you haven’t, and it’ll never happen again,” Trent snapped.
She studied me skeptically. “That’s what you say in front of your bed buddy, but you’ll change your mind.”
He looked at me. “Toni, I…”
I put my hand on his forearm to stop him. “I trust you.”
He sighed in relief and smiled. “Mel, I’m going to take Toni to the back and show her the books.”
“Sure you are,” she said and waggled her eyebrows. “Don’t worry about me. I’m just going to go stare at the hottie Toni brought me, and I’ll take care of this.” She nodded toward Cici.
Cici huffed. “Whatever, I don’t need to waste my time with trash.” She turned her nose up like she was too good for our company.
“Thanks, Mel, and remember we need Zack, so don’t break him, please,” Trent begged.
Melody nodded and waved for Rocky’s attention.
Trent came around the bar, took my hand, and started to lead me to his office. He stopped when Rocky and Zack came up to us. “Any news?”
I tensed up, and he rubbed my arm.
“Everything is fine, Mac. I’m just going over security with our new friend here. I wanted to introduce him to the staff and let him get the lay of our security system.”
“Good. Before you get into that, would you escort Cici out? Melody will explain everything,” Trent told Rocky.
“Sure thing, boss.”
Trent slapped him on the back and ignored Cici’s glare. Girls like that didn’t like being turned down. I knew girls like her in high school. They didn’t back down easy and could be vengeful if they didn’t get their way.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I said when we were away from the group.
“I know, but she won’t take a hint. I want you to be comfortable here. Thank you for trusting me.”
I smiled and followed him through the bar. As we passed the businessmen, one of them stood up and stepped in front of me. I felt like I should know him from somewhere, but I couldn’t quite remember. He stared down at me and smiled. It should have seemed like a nice gesture, but it made my blood run cold, and I started to shiver from the inside out.
“You look just like her,” he said, still smiling.
“Who?” I asked quietly.
Trent picked up on my fear and pulled me closer. The move must have alerted Zack, because he came up behind Trent and moved to cover my other side.
“You look like your mother. I’m an old friend.” He extended his hand, but I didn’t make a move to shake it. After an awkward couple of seconds, he pulled it back. “I’m Leo Maroni. Sorry if I frightened you. It’s been years, and you obviously don’t remember me, but I met you when you were young. How’re your parents?”
“Good. I’ll tell them you said hello. If you’ll excuse us,” I said quickly and led Trent back to his office.
My chest felt tight, and it was getting harder and harder to breathe. Trent took me straight through the back and headed toward his apartment. Zack entered right after us and locked the door.
I felt dizzy and didn’t have the strength to stay on my feet. My legs buckled underneath me, and I sat down in the middle of the room.
“What happened?” I heard Zack ask.
“That guy downstairs stopped us. He said she looked like her mother. I’m not sure what’s going on, but I want to know who he is,” Trent replied.
It sounded like their voices were traveling through water, or maybe I could hear the blood rushing in my ears. Black spots danced across my vision, so I closed my eyes.
Chapter 25
Trent
“Toni! C’mon, Wildcat, don’t do this,” I begged.
Zack pulled out his phone and dialed for an ambulance. He hung up and patted my shoulder. “I need you to calm down for me.” His voice was full of authority. “Look at her. She’s breathing.”
“Why isn’t she waking up?” I asked, and my voice trembled.
“Toni had a panic attack. She must have hyperventilated and passed out. I need you to be calm and help me take care of her. Can you do that?”
I nodded. “Just tell me what to do. I have to do something.”
“Do you remember that guy’s name?”
“Uh, yeah. He said his name was Leo Maroni. How does this help her right now?” I demanded.
“Trent, you can’t freak out on me. Does Toni have an anxiety disorder?”
I shook my head. “She’s one of the strongest people I know.”
“Having an anxiety disorder wouldn’t make her weak, but I need to know if this panic attack is specific to this event or if something from meeting that man downstairs triggered an ongoing issue.”
There was a knock on the door, and Zack confirmed it was the paramedics before he opened it. It only took a few minutes for them to load her on the stretcher, but it took them a little longer to get her down the stairs.
“I want to go with her,” I told them.
“Are you family?” one asked.
I considered lying, but I found myself shaking my head.
“I’m sorry. You’ll have to drive yourself or get a ride with a friend,” he answered.
Zack was behind me. “Come on. I’ll drive us.”
I waited until they closed the doors on the ambulance that had parked in the alley before Zack and I ran through the bar to where he’d parked out front.
Melody saw me hurrying past and followed me.
“Call Jeremy and tell him to get Reed and come to the hospital. Toni passed out,” I shouted over my shoulder. I didn’t stop to answer her questions and kept running.
Zack beat me out to his car and had it started before I got there. “She’s going to be fine,” he reassured me.
I looked down the street and saw a guy standing on the corner smoking. He tossed his cigarette on the ground and looked right at me.
“Motherfucker,” I shouted.
“What’s wrong?” Zack asked and scanned the street quickly while trying to watch the road. He didn’t respond when I pointed to the guy I saw. Instead, he pulled out his cell and hit a number on speed dial. “Dispatch, this is Officer Zack Davis. I’m pulling out from the front of The Hitching Post, and I’d like to report a sighting of Miguel Santos in front of the building while Ms. Padilla was present. He appears to be loitering in view of the establishment’s front entrance.”
He paused for a moment to listen to the dispatcher. “No units required at this point. Please make an official note in the file and alert Detective Daniels. I’m en route to the hospital. Ms. Padilla had what appeared to be a panic attack from a possibly related situation and lost consciousness.”
He listened to the reply before hanging up. “Dispatch is going to send Daniels to meet us at the hospital. Every step we make has to go through all the official channels. I’m going to tell him what happened in the bar today. No encounter is to be treated as insignificant. Do you understand? If someone even looks at her too long, I want it written down and looked into.”
I looked out the window and saw the hospital up ahead. “Is this ever going to stop?”
He exhaled. “Stalking can be difficult to prove. Even if she had managed to get a restraining order, if this guy is determined enough, I doubt it would have stopped him.”
“Yeah, I don’t think it would have, either,” I agreed.
He pulled into a parking space and turned off the car but didn’t move to open the door. “You have to decide if you can handle this. She might not have a choice, but you do. If you can’t deal with this, you can still walk away. I bet she would even understand.”
“No. I can’t walk away from her. There’s no choice for me. I need her,” I said vehemently.
“Good answer. Now let’s go in and see if they have any ne
ws yet,” he said and got out of the car.
Zack pissed me off for a second by telling me I could walk away, but I quickly figured out he was testing me. I meant what I told him: leaving her was not an option for me. She is every beat of my heart, the air in my lungs, and basically the center of my universe. My life before I met her was empty, filled with nothing more than meaningless hookups. I could never go back to that now that I’d experienced what it meant to truly love someone.
The nurses didn’t have any news when we walked in, and the wait was making me nuts. Zack and I went to the waiting room, where Reed, Jeremy, and Daniels all joined us a few minutes later. We let them know there still wasn’t any news, and Reed took care of it by making a quick call to Kate, who entered the waiting room a few minutes later.
She smiled at me, but I could see the worry in her expression. “Give me a minute and I’ll have some answers,” she promised.
Aiden and Becca came in while we were all waiting for Kate to return. Aiden was carrying their son, Scott.
“Anything?” Becca asked.
“Not yet,” Reed answered for me.
Becca walked over to me and sat down. “She’ll be okay. Toni is the toughest person I know.”
“She’s not as tough as she lets on,” I said. It always bothered me that Becca and Kate believed the act Toni put on for everyone.
“I know that. I do see her, you know, but this is how she copes. When she’s ready to talk to me, I’m here, and she knows that.”
“I’m scared,” I admitted. “Not just because of this, but when she passed out, I thought my heart would stop. But how do I keep her safe against someone that won’t quit?”
Becca patted my hand. “We’re all scared, but we’ll stick together like we always do. Miguel won’t break us, and he won’t get her. I’m not sure how yet, but we’ll get rid of him.”
The way she said it sounded ominous. A dark look passed over her face, and she shuddered slightly. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, though. Some things are really hard to live with.”
I’d forgotten Becca and Kate had both taken a life in self-defense when they were forced to protect themselves. Becca had used a tire iron to kill one of the men that abducted her while trying to escape. Kate stabbed Reed’s stalker in the leg with a pen while he held her at gunpoint. I hoped that wouldn’t be a pattern with this group, because I didn’t want Toni to carry around the guilt I saw on Becca’s face.
Destroy You (Destroy #3) Page 18