by Cox, Carrie;
I followed her. Because whatever happened, I had to protect her.
I’d almost caught up with her by the time she exited the bar, but I knew from the sickening yells that we were too late. Justice was swift out here.
Ella stopped dead as she came face-to-face with Darren who was clutching his wounded hand. Tom stood in front of them, cleaning off his blade.
“He was lucky,” Tom said to me. “It was a clean cut.”
Tom took pride in his work, but that wouldn’t be any comfort to Ella.
She turned and buried her face in my chest. I wrapped my arms around her tightly.
“What the hell are you doing, Steel?” Jackson stormed up to me. “I told you to keep her away.”
I glared back at him angrily. Why the hell was he so interested? He didn’t understand. I needed Ella to see this. I needed her to hate me. I needed her to despise the man I’d become, so she would push me away. That way I could put an end to all my pathetic hopes that we could be together. I needed her to turn me away because I knew I would never have the strength to do it.
6
Ella
I was in shock. I’d learned enough in medical school to know that. I was shaking, and I felt freezing cold as I leaned into Nick’s warm body. While I wanted to forget what I’d seen, I knew I would never forget that sight as long as I lived.
“I’m sorry,” Nick murmured into my hair. “I’m so sorry, Ella.”
I didn’t know what he was apologizing for. For letting me see what happened to Darren? For refusing to do anything to help him?
“What for?”
The question seemed to surprise him, but after a moment, he said, “For letting you see the real me.”
I didn’t know what he meant, and I was too tired to try and work it out.
“Let’s get inside.” As Nick led me back into the bar, I was vaguely aware of Jackson staring at us.
Someone had put the music back on, but the mood was still subdued. Nick ordered drinks, and when he handed me mine I gulped it down.
The next hour or so passed in a blur. I kept drinking. I just wanted to forget everything, and the alcohol helped.
I was pretty wasted by the time Chad came up to us. “Are you okay, Ella? I guess that sort of thing is hard for outsiders to see.”
He wasn’t kidding.
“You got that right,” I said, and reached for my drink.
Chad frowned. “She’s drunk.”
“I am still here you know.” I took a large swallow of my drink to prove it.
“She just needs to blow off a little steam,” Nick said to Chad.
“Yeah, I’m just blowing off steam that’s all,” I said and then giggled.
“Aw, man. Victor’s told me to bring her to him. I can’t do that if she’s drunk.”
“So ask Victor to wait until tomorrow. Tell him she saw the thing with Darren and freaked out.”
“No!” I couldn’t believe I’d been so stupid. This was going to be my chance with Victor. I needed to be focused and clearheaded not drunk! Maybe it was more sensible to wait until tomorrow, but I’d been waiting for so long that I couldn’t miss this opportunity.
I did my best to act sober, which wasn’t easy. “I’m fine. I’m not that drunk. I was just a little shaken up. I want to see Victor. I have to see him.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Ella,” Nick said, looking at me doubtfully.
“Please, Nick. Don’t stand in my way.”
He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Are you sure you want to do this now?”
I nodded vigorously. “I’ve never been surer of anything.”
He held out his hand and pulled me down from the barstool. “Okay then, Ella. Let’s go.”
7
My heart was thudding inside my chest. This was it. I was finally going to meet Victor Blackthorne.
As soon as Victor’s fierce eyes focused on me, I felt my stomach churn. Suddenly this didn’t seem like a good idea. I wanted to spin around and get the hell out of there. Fast.
Victor wasn’t as tall or bulky as Tom or Chad, but he still terrified me. There was something about the weight of his assessing stare and those thick, dark eyebrows that made it looked as if he was always frowning.
My mouth was dry, and I could feel beads of sweat forming in the small of my back. I looked behind me, searching for Nick, needing to see his face again to give me the courage to go on. But I didn’t see him. Instead, my gaze clashed with Jackson’s.
Jackson’s mouth was twisted in a mocking smile, and his blue eyes glinted dangerously. I tried to stop myself from trembling and turned back to face Victor.
Victor Blackthorne had smooth tanned skin, but that just served to highlight the pale, silvery scar that ran down his cheek. I wondered how he’d gotten it and shivered. Who had dared to take on Victor Blackthorne? I had a feeling the other guy had probably come off worse.
Victor’s face was stony. He sat in a high-backed chair as if it was a throne, and he was king of all he surveyed, which I supposed he was in a way.
The only thought racing through my mind on repeat was how he had casually ordered that boy’s fingers to be cut off. The boy had done something evil… But even so…
Victor terrified me.
The relaxing warmth of the alcohol I’d drunk had left me, and I felt totally, stone cold sober. When I was only a few feet away, Victor raised a hand, poked a finger in my direction, and beckoned me to him.
He had pushed back the sleeves of his leather jacket, revealing tanned, strong forearms, sprinkled with dark hair.
It must have been my imagination, but it seemed as though the whole room was holding its breath waiting to see what would happen to me. Would Victor let me go? Or would he decide that I needed some punishment, like the young man who’d lost his fingers tonight?
I tried to swallow, but my mouth was too dry. All this time, I’d been waiting to speak to him, and now when I was standing in front of him, when I had the chance to finally persuade him to let me go, I was lost for words.
His eyes didn’t leave my face as I stared back at him, frozen in terror. Then, he did something I hadn’t anticipated, something completely unexpected: he smiled.
For a moment, I was so startled I just stood there dazzled. The smile completely transformed his face. He was no longer scary looking. He looked… almost handsome. Despite those thick, dark eyebrows, and the slash mark on his cheek, when he smiled his features softened and somehow made him seem more approachable.
“Ella, isn’t it?”
I nodded and finally found my voice. “Yes, that’s right. I came here with…” I turned around to see Chad and Tom standing by the bar, watching things unfold. They seemed tense and on edge.
For the first time, I noticed that Nick was now directly behind me, which gave me a small amount of comfort. I couldn’t read his expression as he kept his face blank, but his eyes remained fixed on me.
“They brought me,” I said, annoyed at myself because my voice sounded tremulous and weak. “And now I want to go home.”
When the words left my mouth, I held my breath, waiting for Victor’s response. I thought he might snarl a refusal or even laugh at me, but instead he surprised me again. This time by saying, “Come and sit with me. Let’s talk.”
He gestured to the seat on the right side of him, and for the first time I noticed the woman who’d been sitting there. I had been so nervous my attention had been fixed solely on Victor. The woman was short, with large breasts and a tiny waspish waist. She wore a black corset style top and skintight blue jeans. Her red lipstick was slightly smeared, and I guessed she had probably just been kissing Victor. She scowled at me as she stood up. I looked down at the ground. I didn’t want this woman to see me as a threat. All I wanted was to get out of there as soon as possible.
She pushed past me, barging me to the side as she went. I didn’t react, although my heart was pounding in my chest as I took the now vacant seat beside Vict
or.
Victor clapped his hands. “The rest of you, carry on. This is supposed to be a celebration. Where is the music?”
On cue, the music started up again, and people began to shuffle away.
Jackson made his way back to the bar to join Chad and Tom, and only Nick remained beside us, his body tense.
“You too, Nick,” Victor said and smiled to take the sting out of his words. “I promise I’ll take good care of her.”
I flushed as I realized Victor knew that something had gone on between Nick and me.
Nick hesitated for a second, and I could tell he didn’t want to leave me on my own with Victor, but eventually he nodded. When he left us, Victor turned to me and smiled again. His eyes were dark and held a dangerous glint. His smile lit up his face, and I could understand how he held all his power. As well as having a ruthless streak, he was hypnotic. I was feeling dizzy. I didn’t know whether it was the alcohol or fear making me feel that way.
“I hope my men have been treating you well.”
His words confused me. I’d been expecting him to start questioning me straightaway. I’d braced myself for an interrogation, not this. “Um, well, yes,” I said. “Apart from the fact they wouldn’t let me go home and made me come here with them.” He might be all-powerful here, but I wasn’t about to let everything slide. He was responsible for bringing me here against my will, and he should know that wasn’t acceptable.
He gave me another dazzling smile and attempted to look bashful and apologetic. It didn’t really work, though. I doubted that Victor Blackthorne had ever been bashful in his life.
“I’m very sorry, Ella. I’m afraid the situation you find yourself in is my fault. My men need to be very security conscious, and it appears that through no fault of your own, you got caught up in this.”
I licked my lips nervously. This man was completely different to the Victor Blackthorne I’d been expecting. His choice of language and way of expressing himself came as a surprise. I’d expected a coarse, cursing, violent biker, and he was the complete opposite.
“Yes, well, I can assure you I didn’t get caught up in anything,” I replied, aware that I sounded a little pissed. “It must have been a case of mistaken identity. I was in Vegas for a vacation, and I didn’t see anything.” I was determined not to mention what went on between Nick and I that night. It wasn’t relevant, and it wasn’t any of his business. All he needed to know was that I hadn’t seen anything that would put his crew at risk.
“I’m well known in these parts, and I have enemies. I’m sure you can understand I need to be careful.”
“I’d never even heard of you before Chad kidnaped me,” I snapped.
He laughed at my response, and that drew the attention of the other people in the bar, including Nick, who shot me a concerned look.
“It’s just as well I don’t have a huge ego, Ella. Are you always so brutally honest?”
Too late, I realized what I’d said could be misconstrued. The fact I’d never heard of him could be interpreted as a slur on his reputation.
“I… I didn’t mean that as an insult,” I stammered, turning redder and redder.
Dammit, I shouldn’t have had so much to drink. I’d completely lost focus.
“Please, Ella, don’t look so afraid.” He leaned closer to me. “I won’t eat you.” His voice was husky and in response, a slight gasp escaped my lips. “Although, I imagine that experience could be quite pleasurable.” His intense gaze locked with mine, and I shook my head as the implication behind his words sunk in.
“I’m just teasing you, Ella.” He took my hand in his and then pressed my fingers to his lips as his eyes remained fixed on my face. “We wouldn’t want Nick to get jealous now, would we?” He turned, and I followed the direction of his gaze.
Nick stood by the bar, glaring at us. I’d never seen him look so mad.
“I’d say you have made quite an impression there, Ella.”
More than anything, I wanted to pull my hand away from Victor and run over to Nick, but that was stupid. Nick wasn’t my savior. He wasn’t the white knight I wanted him to be. Victor was the only one who could save me. He and he alone could grant permission for me to go home. Without his say-so, I could be trapped here indefinitely.
“I really would like to go home,” I said dully. Deep down, I had started to believe they would never let me go. Why would they take the risk? It would be easy to get rid of me out here in the desert.
“Of course you can go home.”
I looked up sharply. “What?”
“I don’t want to keep you here against your will, Ella. Chad and Tom are returning to Vegas on Monday. They can take you with them.”
Monday. That wasn’t long to wait. Could he be telling the truth? Would Victor keep his word?
I blinked unable to quite believe it. Was he really going to let me go, just like that? I waited for the inevitable but, or for him to burst out laughing and tell me he was only joking. But he didn’t. He just continued smiling pleasantly at me.
“Are you really going to let me leave?” I asked. “On Monday, with Chad and Tom?” I added for clarification.
What had I missed? Surely it couldn’t be this easy. All my senses were on high alert.
He leaned so close to me I could smell the liquor on his breath. Every instinct I had seemed to be screaming at me not to trust him.
Victor Blackthorne nodded. “Yes, and I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Of course, since it was my fault you missed your flight back home, I’ll arrange to pay for your flight back to… Where was it again?”
“JFK.” My voice sounded shocked. I still couldn’t believe it. “So after all this, just like that, you’re letting me go?”
Victor smiled. “I’m truly sorry for putting you through this, Ella. I’m happy to let you go as long as you promise not to mention your time with us here at Blackthorne.”
He didn’t talk like a biker at all. He was too well spoken, and what sort of badass biker said he was truly sorry?
Somehow, his eloquent speech made me feel even more uneasy. His expression grew serious.
“You must tell no one my name. You must never mention you even met me.”
I nodded. “Sure.” I was prepared to agree to pretty much anything now that he was allowing me to leave. “It’s all very secretive,” I said, and then added hurriedly, “but I’m very good at keeping secrets.”
He served up that charming smile again. “That’s good, Ella. I’m glad I can trust you with my secrets.”
I licked my lips again and broke eye contact, looking down at the table. His gaze was so intense it made me feel jittery. I caught sight of his cell phone on the table, beside his bottle of beer and whiskey chaser.
“Would I be able to use your cell? Only, I think my friend will be worried sick about me.”
Claire. God, I hoped she was okay. I was scared to mention her name to Victor in case he decided to track her down.
Victor raised an eyebrow then burst out laughing. “You are a breath of fresh air, Ella.” He leaned forward to whisper in my ear. “Most people are scared to ask me for things, but you… You don’t ask to borrow a cell phone, you ask to use mine.”
He was really laughing now, but I didn’t see what was so funny. I’d already asked the others if I could use their cell phones, and they’d said no. I was desperate to hear Claire’s voice again and reassure myself she was okay.
“Don’t look so hurt, Ella. I admire your directness. Here,” he said and slid the cell phone across the table. My fingers itched to pick it up, but I was worried it was a trap.
My eyes flickered up to his.
“Go ahead, take it. You can return it later when you’re done.” He raised his beer and took a sip before shaking his head and chuckling again. “Have fun tonight, Ella. Try to relax. Let Jackson buy you a drink.” He nodded behind me, and I turned and saw that Jackson had been standing behind us.
I wasn’t sure how long he’d been there, but I had
been completely unaware of his presence the whole time. He was so silent and still he almost looked like a statue, and for a moment, he appeared frozen before he nodded once at Victor and then smiled seductively at me.
“That would be my pleasure.” He held out his hand for mine, a very old-fashioned gesture.
I hesitated for a moment, and then scooped up the cell phone and took Jackson’s hand. His fingers were warm, and my small hand was lost in his huge grasp. He tightened his grip as if he were warning me of something, but I had no idea what. I shot him a confused glance, but he was staring straight ahead.
“One more thing, Ella,” Victor said, and I looked back. “Once you leave here, you are to have no further contact with members of the Blackthorne crew. No contact with any members.” His gaze shifted to focus on Nick at the bar.
Nick’s stance was still rigid, like he was prepared to pounce at a moments’ notice.
“That includes Nick Steel,” Victor added softly, in case I hadn’t gotten his point.
I couldn’t explain why, but I felt a hollow ache low down in my stomach. I hated the thought of not seeing Nick again, and my body reacted physically at the thought of never being with him, never feeling his touch, never seeing those eyes blaze in lust again…
I tried to tell myself it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that I would soon be home, back in my little apartment, ready to take the next semester of medical school… But my chest ached at the thought of leaving him.
“Do you understand, Ella?” Victor asked softly.
I swallowed hard and nodded. “Yes, I understand.”
8
Nick
It nearly killed me standing there, watching Victor talk to Ella. I wanted to take her away from all of this. I hated seeing Victor laughing and joking, and watching him bring her hand to his lips sent a rush of fiery fury flooding through my veins.