“It was your door or your life. I kicked it in.”
“You kicked it in?” A sound tried to emerge getting stuck in her throat as her eyes widened. “How?”
“I gave it a good kick, followed by a body slam, and your door came down.”
Tori lowered her head until she was bent over. She calmed her breathing slowly drawing air in through her mouth and exhaling through her nose.
“I have nowhere to go. My belongings are history by now. What will I do?” she said in a low voice talking more to herself than to the people sitting in the room.
Getting a room where no one knew her made the most sense, maybe at a boarding house. She could always get one at a cheap hotel. She gulped at the thought of those possibilities, they weren’t safe or clean.
For a minute the thought of the nice apartment she used to be able to afford ran through her mind. The safe neighborhood and the joy she used to have made her feel sick with nostalgia. She moved her hand to wipe away an offending tear, there was nothing she could do about what used to be. All that mattered now was finding a place to sleep.
Straightening her shoulders she allowed a genuine smile to touch her lips. She was alive and really that was all that mattered. She could break down later when she wasn’t in a roomful of strangers.
“Thank you, Hale, for saving my life.” Reaching over to touch his hand. Her eyes raised to his as she felt something move under his skin.
Quickly standing, she tripped over her feet. She felt something else too, but she would think about that later.
“If you would tell me where I am so I can figure out how to get home I would appreciate it.” She gave Hale a big smile.
Turning she looked at the rest of the room. “It was nice meeting each of you. Lorali, I’ll see you tomorrow; I memorized the address you gave me.”
Hale rose to stand beside her. “I will take you back to your apartment.”
“I don’t want to inconvenience you.”
“That won’t be a problem. I want to make sure you’re safe where ever you go.”
She nodded her head. She was going to be in the car with one of the best looking guys she ever laid eyes on. Her heart started to race a little. Sitting next to him and not touching or staring, and absolutely no flirting –she didn’t need another man problem —the little voice in her head whispered. This was going to be torture.
Chapter Six
“Your family’s big.” Tori was sitting in a Jeep. Hale a borrowed one his brothers’ vehicles.
“We are getting bigger now that I have four new sisters. Only Ash, my youngest brother, and I are still without mates.”
“That’s a bit old fashioned isn’t it calling your wives or girlfriends mates? I know people use the term soulmates a lot, but…”
“You could say that we are a bit old fashioned, but a mate means more to us than just a wife. This is the person we believe to be the other half of our soul, the one who will stand by our side as we stand by theirs. We take seriously the vows that say the two become one.”
The look in his eyes as he glanced at her made her want to check her arms for goose bumps. This conversation was going in a direction she didn’t want to pursue.
“I’m sure you will both find the right woman soon enough. I’ve learned not to be in a rush to find the right person.”
“Why is that?”
A pair of cold blue eyes popped into her mind making her shiver in disgust. The desire to wash herself every time she thought of him was strong.
“No real reason.” She sat back and closed her eyes. They were almost at her place and she wanted to rest for a few minutes before she had to start fearing for her possessions and her life.
Hale pulled up in front of the apartment building. She opened her eyes to look at it. It looked like it had been through a war. No one would be staying there tonight. There was yellow police tape all around. It must have covered the entrance to the building. Already it was pulled down and people she knew for a fact didn’t live there were hanging out in the doorway. Sighing, she turned to face, Hale.
“Thank you for the ride, I can take over from here.”
He gave her a beautiful smile. The urge to lean over and kiss him just once was strong, but she couldn’t blow this gig, she needed the money.
“You’re welcome.” He left the jeep and came over to open the door for her.
“Shall we go see if anything is salvageable?” He asked as he helped her out of the jeep.
“You really don’t have to go in with me.”
“I understand, but I will come anyway.”
She led the way to her building. She would be a fool to turn down help when her internal alarm was telling her to run and never look back.
A casual group of men gathered around the building that had been cordoned off, even though the officials seemed done with it for the night. They parted for her with fake smiles and dirty leers. The bile in her stomach turned to acid as she looked at them. Hale made sure he was between her and them. She edged closer to him wanting to be close to the person who had already proven he was willing to play savior.
Chanting mentally to calm herself and looking around she saw the no trespassing tape over the doorway had already been torn down. Life was a chance, she thought, as she decided to retrieve anything salvageable form her apartment tonight. There was no way she would ever come back here.
They climbed the stairs until they reached her floor. Her door was lying flat inside her apartment. He’d been telling the truth; there was no way she could stay here tonight. There was no way she would ever stay here again, that door had been her protection from all that happened in the building and the streets around her. Her protection had been a fantasy. She was never safe living here.
Hale reached out and caught her arm before she could enter the apartment. He placed his finger over his mouth when she met his eyes. He used his free hand to gesture around the building.
Taking a deep breath she stopped to listen. It was too quiet. There was not a sound anywhere including downstairs where a crowd had stood in the doorway. Her eyes widened as she looked up at him again. Her heart begun to beat faster hitting against her chest. The feeling of danger was consuming her as her legs shook. She tried to turn and leave, but Hale shook his head no.
He placed her behind him and then slowly moved into her apartment.
“It’s about time you showed up.” A voice came out of the darkness of the apartment. A light from a cell phone highlighted Hale as they stood still inside the door. “Who, the hell are you?”
That same voice questioned Hale as she stood behind him.
“I might ask you the same question.”
“I’m Tori’s man. I’ve been sitting here waiting for her to come home.”
Tori shook her head vigorously behind Hale’s back. She knew he couldn’t see her, but hoped he would feel her movements.
“Tori is unattached for the time being. Would you like to try again?”
“Who are you?” The man on the couch stood with a pleasant smile on his face and a gun in his hand.
“I am her protector.”
“Don’t be stupid. That bitch isn’t worth it and my boss has plans for her. Believe me, you won’t want her after he is done. Why don’t you just be smart and walk away? That way you get to live, and I don’t have the hassle of getting rid of your body.”
“That’s where we differ. I’ll have no problem getting rid of your body. In the spirit of swapping favors, I will allow you to leave unharmed. You can go back to your boss and tell him Tori’s off limits.”
Hale’s smooth voice kept her panties wet since she met him, now his dark and dangerous voice was like catnip; she couldn’t get enough of it. The small river of wetness turned into a flood as his deep voice penetrated her. She didn’t care if he was a Mafioso or not, she could get used to being cared for by him.
A dark evil laugh cut through the room. “Failure is not an option with my boss. I did try and do this the
easy way. Come out, boys. Meet my crew. This here is Tiny.” He introduced a guy that stood well over six feet. “The other is called Hammer. I’ll let you wonder how he got that nick name. They call me Charm.”
Tori tugged on the belt of Hale’s pants wanting him to back up towards the door, he wouldn’t budge.
A deep sigh came from Charm. “Why don’t do-gooders ever learn? Boys grab Tori after I take him down. Don’t worry, she won’t be alone tonight I’ll make sure of it.”
Charm walked up to Hale with a big smile on his face and pointed the gun at his head.
Tori’s knees knocked, she knew John was coming after her. He had taken a morbid fascination with how she looked, but she thought if she just got out of the city everything would be ok. Never did she think he would send in goons to kill anyone she was with.
“Boom you’re dead.” He laughed, inviting his boys to join in on the joke.
Hale took the opportunity to reach out and catch his wrist and push it away from his head. He stepped into the move with his body and brought his free arm up behind Charm’s arm as an anchor. He used the hand on Charm’s wrist to push until he broke the arm at the elbow.
He dropped Charm to the floor in a convulsing screaming mass and turned to face the other two.
“I will offer you the same deal I offered him. Leave now unscathed or die for your troubles.”
“There are two of us,” Tiny said. “No way you can beat us both.”
Charm slid his hand across the floor reaching for the gun that fell. Hale calmly stepped on his hand, breaking it.
Hale flicked his eyes back up to Tiny and waited. Tiny reached for the gun in his pants, it was the hand of Hammer on his arm that stopped his movement.
“It’s better to run and fight another day than to stay and die today. Grab him.” Hammer pointed toward Charm.
“He stays.” Hale’s voice rang out in the silent room. “Take the fire escape in the bedroom.”
They nodded and scurried out of the room.
“Tori? Tori!” She jerked her head up to meet his eyes.
“Is there anything you want in here?”
She nodded her head and moved into the kitchen, the light of Hales phone helping her. She crawled on the floor under the cabinets and emerged with a small bundle in her hand. There was nothing else she wanted from her time here.”
“I’m ready.” Her voice shook, but didn’t crack.
Hale picked up the crying Charm and led her out the apartment. No one was around to stop them as they walked down the steps. There was no one in the doorway when they reached it. Looking around, she couldn’t remember a time this street was ever deserted. They were there, somehow they knew the most dangerous predator on the street was Hale. She shook her head at her stupid thoughts and watched as he deposited Charm into a jeep that didn’t belong to him.
She looked in to see Dante sitting behind the wheel. Shivering she took a step closer to Hale while Dante drove off after one last long look at her.
She opened her mouth to speak, but Hale shook his head and led her to the jeep. Silently she climbed into it knowing her life would never be the same.
They rode in silence long after they left her neighborhood. It wasn’t until he hit the parkway that he spoke.
“Tori, who is after you?”
She shivered and tried to keep her teeth from chattering. Thoughts ran through her mind like ants at a picnic. The first time she met John, the flash of his pearly white teeth made a part of her want to smile. She would have too, but her internal alarm was ringing. She gave him a polite smile back with a pleasant hello attached.
That should have been the end of it except he seemed to fixate on her. He was there every time she turned around even though she did her best to discourage him. The more he was around, the louder her internal alarm went off. Finally she told him in no uncertain terms she wasn’t interested.
“No one should be after me. I haven’t done anything to anyone.”
“That may be true Tori, but someone is after you. You don’t have to do anything to be targeted. Who is after you, Tori?”
“There is this guy… his name is John, but I can’t prove it’s him.”
“What makes you think it may be him?”
“I met him one day at a wedding I was doing. He was one of the groomsmen. He seemed to take a liking to me, every time I turned around he was there. He wanted to know if I was single and would I go out with him. He was a nice looking guy, but every time I looked at him my gut got tight. He made me nervous. I felt like he was a shark, and I was the unsuspecting person on the surf board.”
John was tall with cold blue eyes and beautiful blonde hair. He was lean and clean shaven with charm that should have had most women melting at his feet. He looked like the all American boy.
She didn’t trust the act he was showing the world.
“I was beginning to think he was stalking me. He turned up everywhere I was. He kept telling me how beautiful I was. He’d call me an exotic doll that any man would love to date, touch and kiss.” She shivered again and took deep breaths trying to control her stomach.
“What happened, Tori?”
“I was working late one Friday, the floor my office was on was deserted when he came. He said he couldn’t wait to see me and invited me to dinner. I politely turned him down. He told me it was a company function there would be lots of big wigs there, I could network with them. New clients did sound appealing, but my internal alarm was shouting danger. I told him I was tired and wanted to go home. That’s when the real John came out.”
One silent tear escaped and ran down her face. The big breaths she took did nothing to calm her rolling stomach or hammering heart. Fear became the lover she woke up to and went to bed with. Soon she would escape, become the woman she used to be.
“His way—to—sweet smile became deadly and his eyes darkened with a flash of evil that caught me by surprise. He locked the door to my office and came at me. I tried to go for my cell phone but he grabbed it off the desk, threw it to the floor, and stomped on it. Bye-bye cell phone. Then he told me what he wanted.” Her hand raised to rub the space over her heart.
“He had a buyer for me. The man was willing to pay a small fortune to have me tied to his bed for the rest of my life. That is until the man decided to end my life. I shouldn’t worry though because John would take me several times before he sold me.”
A slightly hysterical laugh emerged from her.
“He attacked me. I screamed and fought, and he laughed. I guess the floor wasn’t as deserted as I thought. The night guard was making rounds, he heard me and opened the door. He had keys to all the offices. John hit him as he came in the door and left. I tried to press charges, but the guard never got a look at his face.”
Hale pulled into a large driveway stopping before his house.
“Tori, did he violate you?” He asked in the same deep voice he used earlier on Charm and his crew.
The sound of his voice made the rhythm of her heart slow down. Once again she felt protected and cared for. She shook her head, he was just being a Good Samaritan. It was nice to know some of them still existed. She felt a sharp stab in her heart when she thought he would do this for anyone. She wanted to be special to him.
“No. The guard saved me. Is this your house?”
He nodded his head yes. He got out and opened the door for her.
“Maybe you should just take me to a hotel. I am sure I will be fine there.”
“Come in, we can discuss it inside. I won’t hurt you, Tori.”
Yes he would, it just wouldn’t be physically. She gave him a weak smile and followed him into the house.
Chapter Seven
His house was truly beautiful. It was also high tech. The doors could be opened and closed on a timer and each one was equipped with a digital lock. Some could only be opened by finger print recognition. Hale liked his toys.
“Hale, what do you do for a living?” she asked as she stood in his game
room.
She was floored by the huge screens he had around. He was obviously an extreme gamer.
“I am part owner of Dare Securities with my other brothers. I do all of the computer networking and any other computer related job, I also design games, some I have sold, others are for the exclusive use of the family.”
“You and your family seem to be close. That’s nice.”
“We are close. Where’s your family?”
“My parents had me when they were older.” She gave him a beautiful smile. “They never thought they would have a child and then I came along. I was their little princess. I guess I should say I was their spoiled little princess. I never wanted for anything when I was growing up. They put me through college and supported me when I decided I wanted to open my own business. Then my mom was diagnosed with a deadly disease. One year later she was gone, six months after that my dad was gone. I think he just missed her too much. Now I am all alone.”
“You’re not alone any longer. Now you have me and the rest of my family.”
He really was a nice guy. Not like that creep John. One voice was screaming trust him in her head, but another was screaming remember John, trust no one. The voice screaming ‘Danger’ was enough to make her look for a ledge to jump over at least a mental ledge, anyway.
“About that hotel,” she nudged gently not wanting to offend him.
“Where do you want to go? The ones in town seem secure with night men to watch the front door.”
There was no way she could afford the hotels in town. She needed a hole in the wall. She opened her mouth…
“Tori if you’re about to suggest some hotel in your neighborhood or another neighborhood like yours, you might as well not say anything. We both know you will not be safe anywhere around where you used to live. I know you don’t know me well, but you do know I’m not out to kill you. For tonight that should all that really matters. Besides Lorali would skin me alive if I hurt her wedding coordinator.” His lips twitched with a hint of a grin.
Hale: Love Me Harder - Alien Paranormal Romance Page 4
