by A. J. Macey
“Why should I help you?”
She huffed again, rolling her eyes as she looked back. “Seriously?”
Shrugging, I refused to move. She sighed and released her hold. Without saying anything, she closed the few inches between us, pressing her entire body to my front, and wrapped her arms around my shoulders.
It took me by surprise, making me stumble enough to put one foot back to steady myself. Involuntarily, my arms wrapped around her loosely.
“What the—” Before I could finish, her foot planted on the thigh of my front leg, her arms tightening as she pulled herself up.
Sneaky little thing, I thought in irritation as she propped herself high enough to grab hold and shimmy out of the elevator. She had done it with lithe grace and was off me in only moments.
“You were saying?” she challenged, kneeling down to look at me.
“You going to leave me here?” I refused to acknowledge her cocky smile… or that it was quickly making me hard.
“Unlike you, you bastard, I’m planning on helping you. God only knows why,” she muttered the last part, I assumed more so for herself than for my benefit.
She sat down, braced her legs on the wall, and reached down. Her hand was warm and calloused, her grip stronger than I expected with how thin she was. I let her tug me up until I could hoist myself out once I got my free hand on the floor. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending how one looked at it, there wasn’t much time for her to back up and give me room, so as I came out on the floor, I was looming over her. One of her legs rested between mine, and her chest brushed mine as I braced my hands on either side of her.
If she wasn’t a Phantom, I could have gotten used to that.
If only.
2
Mila
“Get off, asshat,” I snapped, shoving Theo to the right. Spinning, I quickly shot to my knees, then to standing, purposefully ignoring the thrum of heat pooling in my core. He may have been attractive in that ‘I’m a prick’ kind of way, but he was still a King.
“Aww, scared, Mila?” he taunted, shifting to stand easily... and far too close to me. I frowned at his cocky smirk, growing increasingly irritated at the desire coiling in my belly.
Back to towering over me, it seems, I thought with disdain. Shaking my head to rid the traitorous emotions, I turned and started toward the staircase.
“How’d you know where the stairs were so easily?” he questioned, following closely behind me. “Why were you here in the first place?” His suspicious tone wasn’t lost on me, but I just huffed, turning sharply to look up at him from where I was standing on two different steps.
“I could ask you the same thing,” I challenged, but before he could give me some smartass comment, I turned and continued down the steps to the first floor. He may try to get the last word in, but I wouldn’t make it easy for him.
“Were you following me?” he demanded, no longer teasing.
“No.” I rolled my eyes, although he couldn’t see it since he was behind me, his ridiculous question deserved the motion. “You’re not nearly worth my time.”
“Then why,”—his hand gripped my arm tightly, yanking me to look at him—“were you here?”
Growling, I finally snapped, tired of being made out to be the bad guy simply because he’d been in the same place.
“I fucking live here, you moron!”
If I hadn’t been fuming, I might have found his surprised ‘o’ of his mouth hilarious, but I was trembling with rage, so all I could do was snarl and snatch my arm back. There was no resistance, his arm falling to his side. Turning, I stormed down the stairs without looking back.
“I thought The Phantom’s had a big ass mansion, you know, like we do.” He kept up easily with my hurried pace.
Can’t you just fuck off? I wondered in annoyance as his arm brushed against mine.
“They do,” I bit out, trying to keep my temper on a leash.
“So... you don’t live there?” he continued his endless string of questions.
“Do you live at the King’s compound?” I challenged in disbelief that I was actually having this fucking conversation with him.
“No, but why on Earth would you choose to live here, of all places? Hell, the elevator barely works!”
I rolled my eyes again but kept quiet. It wasn’t his damned business why I’d picked to live here. I wanted to curse for revealing my secret—which I’d told no one—to Theo fucking King.
How does he always get under my skin?
“Oh, silent treatment now, is it?” he prodded, leaning into my personal space with yet another cocky grin.
If I roll my eyes enough, they’ll pop out of my head, I thought with a grumble as we finally reached the first floor.
“Well, guess this is where we part ways. Kiss goodbye, Mila?” Theo threw me a sinful smirk, and I felt another surge of desire spike, but I scoffed.
“In your bloody dreams, King—”
“Miss Walker?” a police inspector who’d just walked through the front door called out.
“Yes?” I stated in confusion. I knew Theo called the emergency line for help in the lift, but how the hell would they have known my name?
“You’re under arrest for the murder of Travis Dorchester,” the inspector commanded coldly, grabbing hold of me.
“What?!” I exclaimed, no longer irritated with Theo or turned on by his annoying face. A pulse of fear lanced through me at the policeman’s hateful sneer. “I didn’t murder anyone!”
Theo was eyeing me with a smirk and shook his head, walking toward the door without a second glance. I balked. He was really going to just leave me to be arrested for something I didn’t even do, for a murder I didn’t even commit. Hell, I hadn’t even gotten into a physical altercation since the middle of primary school when Betty Parkinson took my favorite pencil, let alone killed someone! I couldn’t get my swirling thoughts under control, panic rising in my chest when he looked back as I struggled against the inspector’s iron grip.
“Tough shit there, baby,” Theo taunted with a shrug before turning away one final time.
A new bout of anger thrummed in my veins as I glared. If I wasn’t about to be arrested, I would punch him way harder than I hit Bitchface Betty.
If only.
Theo
Ha! Free of that blasted elevator, and now Mila’s getting comeuppance for her sassy mouth. Karma is on my side today, I thought triumphantly.
I quickly realized I spoke too soon.
“Hey, you!” the inspector shouted, catching my attention. Glancing back, I found him waving a hand at me.
“You’re under arrest in conjunction with the murder of Travis Dorchester,” a different inspector rattled off to me, having just entered the building when the other distracted me.
“What the fuck? I didn’t kill anyone!” I exclaimed indignantly, glaring at the short and stout man as he approached.
“That’s what I said. It clearly doesn’t work, smart stuff,” Mila snapped, glaring at me from where she was struggling against the inspector. I ground my teeth together to keep my anger at bay, but as soon as the second cop grabbed my arm, I jerked away.
How in the fucking hell did I get roped into this shit? My eyes never left the woman who’d somehow gotten me caught up in her devious plan. She was so going to fucking pay for this.
To my surprise, instead of being secured in handcuffs and lugged off to the car outside, she turned sharply and tried to kick at the officer, ranting about how she did nothing and she ‘wouldn’t be arrested for some bullshit.’ It took everything in me to not roll my eyes at her petulant attitude, but I stayed quiet. If I didn’t fight against my arrest, I would be carted to the station while she ran off.
There was no way in hell I would be the only one to deal with this blasted situation.
A deep bellow filled the apartment lobby, the loud sound distracting my inspector just long enough for me to shake his hold. As I did, I saw Mila’s thin frame darting to the doors
, having lost her own inspector’s hold.
Without thinking, I followed, knowing whatever the hell was going on, she’d have answers, and there was no way she’d get away without telling me.
I wasn’t getting arrested for a fucking Phantom, not today.
Not ever.
3
Mila
Adrenaline pounded through me in time with each slap of my boots on the pavement, my heartbeat filling my ears and drowning out the shouts from the policemen. Pumping my arms, I pushed myself to go faster. I need to get out of here, but where to go? The worrisome thought made the panic worsen, and I felt my vision tunnel.
“What the hell was that, Mila?!” Theo snapped, his growly voice cutting through the impending panic attack like a knife, and the darkening corners of my vision receded.
“What the fuck did it look like?!” I refused to look at him as I skidded around a corner, determined to lose the cops. “Why the hell are you following me? Go find your own hidey-hole, King.”
“Oh no, you don’t. You almost got me arrested,” he challenged sharply, easily keeping pace with me. “You are so not off the hook.”
“Off the hook?” I huffed in annoyance, finally risking a glance at him to my left. “How fucking old are you? We’re not kids, and you’re certainly not the boss of me.”
“How old am I? How old are you, Miss Not The Boss Of Me?” he countered, looking at me with a fiery gaze.
“Enough talking, more running,” I snapped, growing breathless from the pace I was pushing myself.
“This way,” he directed, turning abruptly down another alley.
I followed, much to my dismay, but when I realized he was taking me somewhere, I tugged on his sleeve.
“What?” he ground out, glancing behind him as if that was why I got his attention.
“Where the hell are you taking me?”
“King safehouse—”
“Oh, hell-to-the-fucking no, they’ll find us there. Come on, I have a place.” I didn’t wait for him to challenge me as I scaled a fence with ease. The inspectors were still following. I could hear the jingling of their utility belts and crackly sound of their radios, but we had enough of a lead that we would soon lose them.
If Theo didn’t get us caught, that is.
Theo
I stared at her in shock, fury building as she climbed the chain-link with ease. There is no way she is leaving me here to take the fall. Following her over the metal fence, I wanted to snatch her up and force her to the safehouse, knowing damn well we’d be safe there, but she was still several feet ahead of me. There was no way I could do that without risking the police catching us.
My lungs burned with the exertion of our escape. Thankfully, after another few turns, I no longer heard footsteps following, so Mila and I slowed to a jog, her chest heaving to catch her breath.
“So, where the fuck are you taking me, Mila?” I snapped, earning a cold glare for my attitude.
“Somewhere safe,” she muttered. “You’re welcome, asshat.”
“Where I was taking us was safe, if you’d just trusted me,” I challenged, my fingernails digging into my palm as I tightened my fists.
She turned, jabbing a finger into my chest. “Trust you? Are you fucking out of your mind? You’re a King, and you expect me to trust you?”
“Well, seeing as how you got me roped into whatever shady shit you’ve been doing, yes!” I shouted, finding it hard to ignore how my body reacted to the glimmer of rage in her eyes. Now is not the time to get a hard-on. I was trying my best to pretend I wasn’t growing hard in the confines of my jeans.
“Do you seriously think I killed someone?” she spat in disgust, shaking her head as if she couldn’t believe me.
The audacity. I swear she is going to be the death of me. Before I could get another word in, she turned down the road. I wanted to challenge her, to have her tell me the truth about what her family was up to, but when I heard a distant siren, I snapped my jaw shut and quickly followed. I could pester her after we were safe.
It didn’t take long to reach a small home tucked among a tightly packed street. Not grand or expensive, it was run down and abandoned, but I kept my lips shut. Mila, no doubt, would have a fucking fit if I commented on the state of wherever the hell we were, and I really didn’t want to end up arrested or worse because of her temper.
“Are you sure we’re safe here?” I asked when we cleared the front fence gate, my lips curling at the dilapidated facade.
She sighed, the sound tired and worn. Without answering, she dug out a key from her pocket and unlocked the three locks lining the edge of the front door. Biting my tongue, I took in the interior, my brows raising in surprise that it was modern and up-to-date, the complete opposite of the exterior.
“What is this place?” I asked, still taking in the finishes and lack of personal touches. “Phantom safe house?”
“No.” She tossed the keys on the table. “It’s my second home.”
“You seriously don’t think they’ll find us at your second home?” I asked in frustration. Did she truly think this was safer than a bloody safe house?
Her glare returned, her arms crossing over her chest tightly in defiance. “It’s not in my name, you moron. It’s in my mother’s maiden name.”
Gaping, I continued to stare. Surely, she wasn’t that stupid?
“Don’t you dare call me stupid,” she snapped, making me realize I had murmured my thought out loud. “Yes, we’re fucking safe here because no one, not even the Phantoms’ know about this place. Hell, they barely knew about my actual home.”
“Why?” My suspicion grew, and I mimicked her stance of crossed arms and squared shoulders.
“Because I don’t want them to know? Did you ever think about that?” she challenged with a shake of her head.
“So, the police will easily find out it’s your mother’s, then come knocking—”
“No one is going to associate my whore of a mother and me! Not when she overdosed after dropping me off like a piece of garbage to the Phantom’s front door for my father to deal with!” she shouted, her cold demeanor finally cracking, pain flashing over her pretty face.
Oh, well, then... that’s not awkward.
4
Mila
My anger pulsed dangerously in my veins, my throat threatening to close in a wave of angry tears, I blinked back. I would not cry in front of Theo fucking King. We glared at each other, but I noticed a flicker of a grimace flash across his face. Grinding my teeth at his pity, I shoved away the growing urge to throttle him.
“I’m going to fucking shower,” I snapped after a long and tense silence. “As long as you don’t sell me out or try to kill me while I’m in there, you can stay… for now.”
Turning on my heels, I stormed out of the living space to the master suite. I slammed the door behind me, the loud sound making me cringe. Standing just inside the room, I took deep breaths in a piss-poor attempt to calm my out-of-control emotions. After a few minutes, I was surprised he hadn’t followed me, slinging demanding questions my way.
Not that I wanted him to follow me.
Walking slowly toward the bathroom, I found my body weighed down and sluggish from the draining adrenaline. I was methodical as I undressed and got the water running. My mind was far away as I stepped into the billowing steam, letting the hot water cascade down my tense muscles. The longer I stood beneath the heated stream, the more I relaxed, lulled into a false sense of comfort within the tiled walls of the shower.
I sighed, rubbing my tired eyes with one hand. How the hell had the day gone from bad to worse? I had no answer to the ridiculous inquiry, but I wasn’t willing to just roll over and accept the shitty hand I’d been dealt. Taking the shampoo, I squeezed a small bit into my palm and lathered my hair.
First, I was told I’d be getting married to the king of douches and couldn’t take over the family business. No, not told, I thought with a scowl. That’s too nice of a word for it. Commanded was
more like it—like to a sheep—and by my own father, no less.
I hadn’t thought my day could get any worse when I’d stormed out and back to my apartment, but I was dead wrong. Wanted for murder.
“What the actual fuck has my life turned into?” I muttered as I soaped my body. “On the run for a crime I haven’t even committed… with Theo King of all people!” My words grew flustered and slightly hysterical as I talked to myself. Overwhelmed with the turn of events, I forced my lips together and the thoughts as far from the front of my mind as possible.
Focus on right now. Looking down at my hand as it swirled across my body, it felt nice, massaging my muscles with each stroke of my palm as I washed my arms, then my shoulders. My eyes fluttered closed, and I fell into the blissful sensation. A soft whimper escaped me before I could stop it when I brushed over my chest, my nipples perking with each calloused finger that passed over them.
My brain wandered. My long, lithe fingers twisted and pinched, in my imagination, masculine and rougher. Another sound echoed off the tiled walls as the desire uncoiled as I pictured everything touch was from a man—one with short black hair, strong jaw, and broad shoulders. I ripped my hands away from my body when I realized who I had been imagining.
Fucking Theo King.
Disgusted with myself, I sped through the rest of my washing. The calm, relaxed state I’d lulled myself into was replaced by a churn of nausea and self-loathing. I cannot be envisioning a King in such a manner, let alone the next in line. Shoving the handle to off, I stepped out of the shower with a fresh scowl curling my lips.
I looked in the mirror as I dried off. My eyes were glazed with prominent dark circles. The scowl was a cold and harsh slash across my face, but what caught my attention the most was the pink and pert nipples standing out against my flushed skin. I was still turned on despite my best attempts not to be, and I groaned. Hiding out with Theo was going to be a long and trying to process, but there was no way he needed to know.
