by Amy Deason
“And don’t even think about kicking me,” he replied, obviously reading her thoughts. “That would be a very costly mistake.”
She was tempted to kick him anyway but he went back to work on the other strap before she’d made up her mind about the intelligence of the action. Then she was free.
Jumping to her feet, she managed to stand for all of about two seconds before her knees crumpled.
Nikolas reached out, catching her easily before she hit the ground, and hauled her to her feet. Still leaning against him, she could feel the heat radiating off of his body. She wanted to move away but good Lord, he was so warm. The heat radiating from his body flowed into her chilled skin and for a moment all she wanted to do was snuggle closer. And damn if he didn’t smell good too.
“Can you manage to walk, or am I going to have to carry you out of here?”
His voice was rough, caustic and it forced her back to reality. She pushed away from him, angry at herself for giving into the temporary lapse. “I’ll be fine. Let’s just get the hell out of here.”
He grabbed her hand and pulled her close.
She tried to yank away but he held tight. “Don’t be stupid.” His eyes blazed, scorching her with disdain. “I came this far to get you, I’ll be damned if I’m going to have you fall too far behind. Now, just remember, stay quiet and do exactly as I say. I am not getting shot rescuing some spoiled, little princess.”
Indignant, she opened her mouth to object but the deadly look in his eyes made her shut it at once. Without a word, she followed him out, leaving the cold, windowless room behind.
Chapter 4
Keeping a tight grip on her hand, Nikolas pulled Cadence down the short hallway and into the elevator that would take them above ground. As soon as the doors closed, he immediately let go, allowing her to move away from him. Not that she could go far. The elevator was small and compact but whatever made her feel better he supposed.
Convincing her to come with him had taken longer than he’d expected, leaving him less than ten minutes to get them away from this place. It could be done but it would be quicker if he didn’t have to keep dragging her behind him.
He thought he was going to have to carry her out. Not necessarily a bad idea considering how her body, even as chilled as it was, had felt in his arms. Hauling her to her feet, he’d been acutely aware of the toned, supple muscles underneath the soft skin and even softer curves. Too aware.
He didn’t need any distractions right now and the fact that her body had registered with him at all was most definitely a distraction. But carrying her out would have been easier. And quicker too, especially if he’d just knocked her out again. Plus, he wouldn’t have to listen to her mouth. Although for the moment she seemed to grasp the need for silence. He didn’t know how long her silence would last and he wanted to be far away before she started in again with her questions.
She wasn’t exactly what he’d expected. He’d prepared himself for a scared, weeping woman. There was no doubt she was scared. Who wouldn’t be after everything she’d been through in the last twelve hours but she was far from falling apart. And instead of whining and crying, she’d come at him with hate, anger, and a fighting spirit. Begrudgingly, he had to give her credit. Though not much. After all, she had gotten herself into this mess by coming to Russia in the first place. Now he just had to get her back out again. After he interrogated her of course.
The elevator eased to a stop, its doors sliding open with a hum. Nikolas leaned out and looked down the hallway. It was still empty. Glancing back at Cadence, he motioned for her to remain quiet and follow him. Her only response was a deadly glare. Good, if she was still able to muster enough energy to shoot daggers at him, then she should be able to keep up without him holding her hand. Stepping into the hallway, he stayed close to the wall, glad to see she was smart enough to do the same.
One step at a time, they reached the bend in the wall. Keeping his eyes trained straight ahead, he pushed one arm back behind him, urging her to stop. His hand brushed the soft curve of her breast, his fingers finding the hardness of a nipple. She jumped back with a sharp gasp, the first sound she’d made since leaving The Chamber. He didn’t apologize. He didn’t even look behind him to gauge her reaction. He knew what it was. Surprise and unless he was wrong, the barest stirrings of lust. He was never wrong. But now was not the time to double check. Maybe once they were out of here, he could spend a little time brushing up on his skills, he thought wickedly, but not until then.
Sliding around the corner, Nikolas led Cadence down the hall, moving quick and silent.
At the door, he stopped again, his free hand resting on the door handle and turned to look back at the girl. Her blue eyes were wide and her lean body was nearly strumming with fear. None of her earlier anger remained. He preferred the anger. In his experience, fear often led to unexpected reactions and mistakes.
“Stay close when I open the door. We’ve got to go a little way on the sidewalk and then you’ll see the gate across the lawn. When I tell you to, run straight for the gate. Don’t stop and don’t look back.”
“Where are you going to be?” she questioned nervously, biting at her bottom lip.
He noticed the way her teeth momentarily dented the plump flesh. “I’ll be right behind you. I don’t think we’ll have any trouble but we’re almost out of time.”
“How much time do we have?”
“Plenty if you do as I say and don’t ask so many questions. In fact, don’t ask any. I like you better with your mouth shut,” he replied, delighted to see the quick flash of anger in her eyes. It was better for her to be pissed than afraid. He wouldn’t have to worry quite so much.
Turning back to the door, he opened it silently and stepped out into the night air with Cadence right on his heels. Everything was still semi-dark and quiet but it wouldn’t be for long. They only had about three minutes left before the security systems came back on and the gate re-locked. He had the code but it would take too much time to enter it, keep an eye on Cadence, and not get shot. So it was best if they got on the other side of the fence before those few precious minutes were up.
Spotting the gate, he pointed it out to her, making sure she saw it. The distance wasn’t far and he knew he could make it in no time. He just hoped she could put those long legs to good use and get through the gate without his assistance.
“Run,” he whispered loudly, giving her a shove in the right direction, running beside her. At first she took off slow but gained speed as she ran, almost leaving him behind. They were going to make it to the other side quickly and with no problems.
And then, halfway across, she fell.
With a sharp cry, she went down hard. Lucky for her, the lawn was covered with rich, lush grass or she might have been seriously hurt. Unlucky for him, he had no choice but to go back for her.
Leaning over, he grasped her arm and was pulling her to her feet just as the security system came to life. The entire yard, and everything in it, including a sprawled-out Cadence, was washed in harsh, florescent lighting. A second later, the alarm sounded, screeching through the air, disturbing the silence.
“Der-mo!” he cursed, hauling her to her feet. He switched to English for her benefit. “Cadence, run! Go now!” Still holding her arm, he dragged her with him as he ran for the fence.
They were too late. The gate was locked. Dropping Cadence’s arm, he punched in the security code. As soon as the lock disengaged, he yanked the gate open and shoved Cadence through it, intending to follow immediately.
But behind him, doors slammed open and gunfire erupted through the night. He dropped to his knees, spinning as he went down.
Two men, both dressed casually in white button-down shirts, leather belts, khakis, and loafers stepped out holding weapons. Gunfire erupted and Nikolas felt the air around him swirl as bullets passed
by him. He returned their fire with his own, dropping both men quickly but not before one of them shot again, the bullet grazing his left shoulder. It sliced through his skin, sharp and stinging, but he couldn’t worry about it now. Confident both men were dead, he jumped up and ran through the gate.
Ahead he saw Cadence still running, heading for the highway with no obvious intention of stopping. He really couldn’t blame her but he couldn’t let her get away either. Sprinting, he closed the space between them easily.
In the distance came a flash of headlights and he realized he wasn’t going to have time to stop her the easy way. Doing the only thing he could, he jumped and tackled her, dragging her into the tall grass with him. She connected with the ground first, her hands absorbing most of the shock. There was no way he couldn’t have heard the snap. A wet, nauseating sound, it was followed by her excruciating screams. With sounds like those, he thought the fight was over.
He was wrong.
With surprising strength, she twisted and thrashed, fighting against him like a wild cat. Her body was wet with dew and his hands slid precariously over the slick skin before catching the hem of her T-shirt between his fingers. She managed to yank away from him and turn onto her back before kicking at him. Her foot connected with his injured shoulder, sending a stabbing pain through him.
Severely pissed off, he didn’t bother to be gentle and grabbed her forearms roughly, yanking them over her head. Laying on top of her, his chest pressing into hers, he pinned her to the ground just as the vehicle pulled into view. With a rush of air, it passed by without stopping. He couldn’t take the chance again. They needed to get out of here. But the girl was still screaming her fool head off.
“Shut up,” he growled, still pressing his full weight on top of her. But not only did she not shut up, she kept struggling. He had to give her credit for trying but this was not a battle he was going to lose. And the quicker she realized it, the better. Dropping his mouth next to her ear, he tried again. “Damn it, Cadence, stop screaming or I swear to God, I will shoot you. Do. You. Hear. Me?”
Foolishly he waited for an answer. When one didn’t come, he yanked on her arms hard enough to get his point across. She immediately quit screaming. “Do you hear me?”
“Yes, yes,” she cried softly, her voice laced with pain.
Releasing her arms, he eased his body off of hers and stood up, never taking his eyes from her. She lowered her arms and tried to push herself from the ground. But the second she put pressure on her right hand, she gasped out in pain and pulled it into her chest, her face going white underneath her tan.
That’s just great. Just fucking wonderful.
Nikolas bent down and grabbed her elbow to help her stand. From the look of her wrist, it was probably dislocated, maybe even broken. He wouldn’t know for sure until he could look at it.
“Who are you?” she asked brokenly, daring to take a step backwards.
“Stop asking so many fucking questions. We have to get out of here. Now.” He stepped forward, reaching for her. She flinched away and with narrowed eyes, she had the gall to take another step backward.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m not going anywhere until you at least tell me your name.”
This girl was quickly becoming a pain in his ass. They had just been shot at, she probably had a broken wrist and she wanted to stand around discussing his name. Nikolas grimaced, trying to control his temper. “The name’s Nikolas. And I’m the man that just rescued your ass sweetheart. Now come on.” He reached for her arm again.
Jerking away, she turned to run.
With a sigh, he rolled his eyes.
Should have known this wasn’t going to be easy.
Taking two steps forward, he reached out catching her around the waist. Spinning her around, he pulled her to him, pinning her right arm between them. He caught her other hand in his just before getting nailed in the face. Fed up, he squeezed her hand in his, making her cry out.
“Now listen, if you don’t want to get shot, you’ll stop fighting me and do what I say. I killed those two men back there but there will be more coming. And if we don’t move, we’re going to be the ones that are dead. Don’t make me knock you out like those bastards back there did because I can and I will if you don’t stop.”
Her eyes narrowed with hate but she didn’t say another word.
Thank God for small favors.
Pushing her away from his body, he kept a hand on her left arm and dragged her in a low crouch back to the motorcycle hidden in the nearby bushes. The damn alarm was still screeching. There wasn’t anyone else piling into the illuminated yard yet but it wouldn’t be long before more showed up. He didn’t want to be here when they did.
It was going to be difficult for her to ride behind him on the motorcycle with her wounded arm but he would have to make it work. Cursing his luck, he shrugged out of his leather jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. She would have been cold enough in her current attire but their little tussle in the wet grass had only made it worse, dampening her shirt and panties. By the time they got to the safe house, she would be a human Popsicle.
He figured she would fight him again but apparently thinking better of it, she slipped her arms through the sleeves without a struggle. The jacket was far too big on her, the hem stopping mid-thigh and her hands all but disappearing into the sleeves. A totally out of place grin was trying to form on his lips but he shut it down quickly and dumped the helmet on her head. Grabbing her, he helped her onto the bike before leaping on in front of her. He felt her arms encircle his waist as she scooted closer, pressing herself against him until she was like a second skin.
Gritting his teeth, he refused to think of how her breasts felt against his back or how her bare thighs gripped his. It didn’t help to know there was nothing but a few shreds of material separating their skin.
Hell of a time for that kind of shit . . .
Starting the engine, he twisted the throttle and with a low roar, they shot off down the highway.
~ ~ ~
She was cold, tired, and her wrist hurt like hell. She hoped it wasn’t broken but she’d heard the loud snap when she got knocked to the ground. And she had felt something in her wrist let go. Right now, it felt as though sharp needles were being shoved deep down inside the bone. It didn’t help that every movement, no matter how big or small, brought on new, more intense waves of pain. All of this would have been bad enough anywhere else. But to make matters worse, she was hurtling through the night on a motorcycle with a complete stranger in little more than her underwear and his leather jacket.
A completely hot stranger, her inner voice whispered. She chose to ignore it and instead tried to concentrate on staying upright as they took the sharp corners at mind numbing speeds. It was hard to do considering she was only able to hold on with one hand. And her concentration was continually broken by the constant vibrations of the motorcycle underneath her. Vibrations which brought certain things into focus she’d rather not think about.
Like the way his chest, a stone wall covered with solid muscle, felt under her hand as she held onto him or the way his strong back pressed into her boobs. And she definitely didn’t want to think about the way his denim-clad legs felt between her thighs, throbbing with the motorcycle’s engine and sending unwelcome but delicious sensations through her entire body.
She may be a virgin in the technical sense but she was not so clueless she didn’t recognize the first stirrings of sexual arousal when she felt them. Although she’d had a few boyfriends, she had never gone “all the way” with any of them. But she was no saint. The things she had done had only made her urges worse. At times, the temptation had become so great, she’d considered just doing it and saying to hell with everything else. But she’d always stopped herself, much to the boys’ disappointment.
But
what she was feeling toward this man was totally different. It was immediate. It was stronger and more powerful. It scared her a little. He scared her.
Nikolas, if that was even his real name, was dangerous, sexy, and totally different than any of the guys she had ever been around. Including Jefferson Edwards, her latest beau. Even with his blond hair, blue eyes, and charming grin, he had never made her feel the fierce longing like this man did. With just one look, her heart was pounding and her blood was boiling.
Not good. Not good at all.
It had to be the situation she told herself. This insane, crazy situation. Extreme fear and danger would do a number on anyone, making them feel strange and send their minds every which way. Even the wrong way. It wasn’t him, she told herself. Get out of the situation and feelings would stop. Simple. But it was much easier said than done. Especially since she seemed to be stuck with him for the time being.
It could be worse. I could still be stuck in that dismal room waiting for the bad guys to show up.
Now there was a cheery thought. While she was grateful to be away from there, she wanted off of this motorcycle as well. But who knew how much longer that would be?
Up ahead, the bright lights of a city drew her attention.
Where are we?
She wanted to take the helmet off and ask Nikolas but the way her night was going, she’d probably fall off the motorcycle, adding a broken neck to her broken wrist. It was highly unlikely he would answer her anyway.
The jerk.
So she sat still, trying to block out the pain in her hand and the dirty thoughts in her mind. She wasn’t having much luck.
Slowing from warp speed to merely neck breaking, they entered the city limits. Still too fast for her liking but at least she could make out distinct shapes and colors behind the visor of the helmet. She glanced around at the stores lining the main street but they were all closed up, lights off, doors locked. The street was bare and empty.
