by E. C. Land
“Yeah,” Leo grumbles.
“Love you, baby girl,” Christian murmurs.
I hear the shuffling of feet and then a door closing.
Theo releases his arms from around my body and the next thing I know I’m hoisted into the air and sat on the countertop. “Snowflake, open your eyes and look at me,” he commands.
Slowly I open my eyes and do as he says. The dark steel eyes I’m met with are the same ones of the man who’s been so caring and showing me affection. The same man who claimed me as his but there’s a difference right now.
This is Theo showing me who he is.
“I’ll never hurt you, Snowflake. That’s one thing I want you to remember. But I will always, and I mean always, do what I must to see you safe and protected. I’m not a man who sits behind a desk all day twiddling his thumbs. My hands are stained,” he says, holding his hands out to the side for me to see them.
I don’t see what he means by them being stained. I simply see the hands of the man who held me in his arms, mere moments ago. I see nothing but the hands of the man who touched me, caressed me while sliding himself inside me, and held the washcloth used to clean me when we were in the tub.
Theo’s hands aren’t stained to me. No, they’re beautiful. He states he’ll do what he must to protect me and I believe him. Does that mean I understand it all? No, I don’t but I’m willing to find out.
Chapter Eleven
Theo
Seeing the confliction in Blake’s eyes, I worry she’ll want to turn me away. To not want to be with me. Although I won’t allow that to happen, I’d show her she was mine in every way possible, even if it meant tying her to the bed until she realized the truth of what the two of us share.
However, Blake shocks me by releasing the hold she had on her hair and reaches out to take my hands in hers. She then lifts them up and cups the sides of her face with them both.
Fuck me if this woman isn’t perfect for me.
Blake doesn’t even have to say a word for me to understand her meaning.
“I don’t understand everything and maybe later you can explain it but just so you know to me your hands aren’t stained, they’re beautiful.” Shit, if I didn’t need to get outside, I’d be pulling her leggings down and fuckin’ her right here on this countertop.
Instead, I settle for taking her mouth for a heated kiss to which my cock throbs for more, especially, when my Snowflake moans into my mouth for more.
I lift my mouth off of Blake’s and press my forehead against hers. “I need to get out there and speak with both Leo and Christian. Stay in here and stay warm, okay?”
“Okay,” she says breathlessly.
“Good girl, I’ll be back in a few minutes,” I say and press one last kiss to her luscious mouth.
Damn, I’m never going to go without kissing her. She’s addicting in every way possible.
Stepping away from Blake, I head for the door grabbing my jacket from beside the door where I had hung it up after coming in from getting firewood. Hopefully, we’ll have enough for the remainder of the evening.
Outside, I find the two men looking over the ATVs, we have four that we keep here because of the terrain, it’s good for mobility when you’re out hunting and whatnot.
“What’s the news?” I ask soon as I’m close enough for them to hear me without yelling.
“She okay?” Leo asks, and I nod in response.
“Careful with her when she gets like that, Theo, she doesn’t do it often but when things get to be too much she’ll have moments like this. Blame it on the fact my parents would lock her away whenever she got excited about anything or as punishment for not abiding by their rules,” Christian growls, explaining the reason for her reaction inside.
Blake being overwhelmed with everything changing so quickly for her must be taking its toll on her.
I can understand this and help her through it. I look forward to being the one to help her through when she needs me to.
Nodding, I clear my throat. “We going to get the SUV out of the snow?” I ask.
“Nope, we’re gearing up the ATVs. Don’t have time. Diego and Nicolo have spotted Ethan Dalca and Christian’s parents. We have maybe thirty minutes to get out of here. We need to take the ATVs and get to the other side of the mountain,” Leo mutters.
“Fuck, okay, I need to go get Blake. What about Blue?” I know she’s not going to leave her dog.
“I’m gonna strap Blue to the back of mine. Nicolo and Diego are gonna meet us when we get to the other side of the mountain in town,” Christian says.
I nod. This is the main reason for the ATVs, they’re quick for getting through the area when cars can’t be used. Turning on my heel, I rush back into the cabin and come to a halt when I find Blake standing there in the middle of the room with a knife to her throat and Boian, one of Andreas Gheata’s men, standing behind her.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
How the fuck did he get past two of our best enforcers? He had to have been watching, waiting for the perfect time to act.
“You wanna let her go?” I sneer.
“Nope, I think I’ll just hold her to me until her owner gets here. This bitch is now Gheata property,” Boian says snidely.
I don’t fuckin’ think so.
Blake is mine and I’m not about to let some asshole take her from me. She’s no property of the Gheatas. My Snowflake is a De Luca and the first chance I get I’m going to make it official. I don’t care if we only just started out.
I meet Blake’s gaze surprised to find her staring at me with trust rather than fear. I’m sure she’s scared out of her mind right now but she’s keeping herself in check. Good thing too. If she were showing that fear it would easily set me off.
I need to find a way to get her away from this man. I notice Blue out of the corner of my eye coming to. Fuckhead must have hurt her. Blue stands to her feet and shakes herself off while locking gazes on the man holding a knife to Blake.
Growling, she gets into a stance ready to attack. Boian turns his gaze minutely to look at the dog and it gives me the opening I need. I launch myself at him jerking the knife away from Blake’s throat. “Run,” I yell at her as I swing my fist at Boian connecting with his jaw. I need to get her out of here and then kill this asshole for daring to touch what’s mine.
Boian staggers back and then regains his footing. “Don’t run too far, your owner will be here soon to collect you,” he quips.
Something about his words causes me to snap and my vision goes red. I am not going to let anyone take her from me. Punch after punch, I pummel the fucker until he’s on the ground and I’m hovering over him. I finish him off by reaching out, grabbing both sides of his head, and snapping his neck.
Standing, I turn around breathing heavily to find Blake having not moved. She’s standing there with Blue at her feet staring at me with wide eyes. Tears well in them and I start to say something but the woman surprises me yet again by launching herself at me.
Blake wraps her arms around me and buries her face in my chest. “I’m so sorry you had to do that,” she cries.
“Bella, no crying. I’d do anything for you. Now let’s get out of here. Grab your boots and put them on. We don’t have time for you to change clothes. We gotta get out of here. Ethan Dalca and your parents are on their way up here,” I say, earning a nod from her.
Blake quickly does as I ask and grabs a jacket from the hook by the front door. At least that will be something to protect her from the weather outside. “I’m ready,” she whispers, sliding the jacket into place.
I nod and reach out to take her hand. She immediately grabs hold and I guide her outside. Blue follows us as we head for the shed where Leo and Christian are waiting with the running ATVs
Leo looks up and notices my features. “What happened?” he demands.
“Body’s inside,” I mutter. “We need to go now.”
Leo clenches his jaw and looks to Blake then back to me, he then nods in approval.
“Blue, come here,” Christian calls out.
The dog trots over to him. Christian grabs hold of Blue and puts a harness around her body and straps the damn harness to himself after Blue jumps onto the back of his ATV.
Leo climbs on his while I guide Blake to mine. I climb on first then help her on. “Hold on tight, Snowflake,” I mutter, wrapping her arms around me.
Blake tightens her arms around my waist and presses her head to my back to block the whistling wind. Fuckin’ hope we get to the other side quick and she doesn’t get sick from being out in this weather without the proper clothes on.
Fuckin’ great way to spend Valentine’s Day.
Chapter Twelve
Blake
When I left home looking for a chance to have time away from my parents to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, I never imagine it would be turned upside down. How much of a fool do I need to be to have been blinded by it all?
My parents wanted to sell me to a man who would want to treat me like a slave rather than a human being.
The man who had held a knife to my throat made sure to tell me what my owner, the man my parents wanted to introduce me to, would do to me. If Theo didn’t come in when he did, I’d have been out the front door and God knows where.
I’d been scared for Blue when I’d seen her in the corner. I didn’t know what the guy did to her but when she’d stood up, I felt relief. She’d given Theo the chance he needed to save me. Then stood next to me as I witnessed Theo killing a man.
Maybe I should have felt horrified by his actions, but I didn’t. No, I felt nothing but relief the vile man wouldn’t be able to hurt me anymore. I refused to let Theo think he scared me by doing what he needed to do.
Now with my arms wrapped around his waist, I hold on tightly, so I don’t fall off the back of the ATV. He, Christian, and Leo zip through the trees avoiding them with sheer luck as they speed through the snowy mountain terrain as quickly as they can.
Due to the wind, my fingers are numb and I’m freezing. But if it means we’re heading to safety then so be it.
I might not know what all is going on, but I can only guess it’s bad. For them to not take the main road and instead go through the wooded snowy mountain it’s far worse than anything. Christian may have lied to me about who he is, but I do know one thing about him that he’s never hidden from me. He’s not scared of much. I trust in him and Theo both to keep me safe. Same goes for Leo De Luca. You can see the simple ruthlessness radiating off of him.
So for them to take this way it’s because of me, they’re doing it to make sure nothing happens to me.
By the time Theo slows the ATV, I’m not sure how much time has passed. My limbs are like ice and all I want is to find somewhere to thaw out.
Theo, Christian, and Leo continue at a much slower pace. I lift my head to see why and I notice we’re heading into a town. They pull up in front of a building and shut off the ATVs. Two men step out and approach. I stiffen against Theo and he taps his hands against mine.
“Easy, Snowflake, these men are ours,” Theo whispers as he tilts his head slightly to look at me. “Let’s get you into the SUV. We’re still not out of the woods yet.”
Nodding, I release my grip on him and allow him to lift me into his arms. I’m freezing and unable to feel my legs. They’re like ice.
“Shit, tell me the heat is cranking and we have blankets in there,” Theo snaps, holding me to him.
“Yes, sir,” one of the men says.
Theo marches the short distance to the SUV and climbs in the back with me still in his arms. The SUV has three sections, Theo takes the farthest back one and wraps a blanket around the two of us.
Christian and Leo climb into the one in front of us with Blue as the other two men get in the front. The vehicle is then on the move, backing out of the spot and heading down the road. With the weather being dreadful as it is, we’re moving slowly.
“Any new info?” Leo demands.
“None, sir, David is following them,” the one in the driver’s seat says.
“The cabin’s compromised,” Christian states.
“We have a rat somewhere in our midst,” the guy in the passenger seat grumbles.
“Exactly, but who?” Leo snarls. “When I find them, I’ll be sure to kill them myself for going against us.”
Oh boy.
My body shivers in fear at his words but I know I don’t have anything to fear from him.
“Let’s speak of this when we get to the hotel and Blake’s in my room resting,” Theo proclaims. I could kiss the man for speaking up. I don’t think I could take any more of this discussion. Guess you can say I’m at my limit.
“Yeah, we’ll hold off,” Christian says, glancing back at me. “You did good, baby girl, and just look at the bright side. You’re not being controlled by our parents anymore. You’re free to do as you wish.”
Free.
Yeah, I like that idea. But I like the idea more of being free with this man holding me.
Closing my eyes, I allow myself to seep further into his warmth and know I’m protected.
Movement jeers me awake and I open my eyes enough to realize Theo’s climbing out of the SUV. We’d made it to the hotel.
No one speaks on the trip to the rooms. One of the two new men open the door to Theo’s room and hold the door for him to step through with me in his arms.
Theo mutters quietly thanking him and the door closes, shutting us in the room.
Instead of taking us straight to the bed where I wanted him to lay me down and hold me, Theo walks into the bathroom. Gently he places me on my feet and holds me steady while reaching into the shower and turning on the sprayer.
He doesn’t say a word while he strips my clothes from my body. His follow suit landing on the floor. Theo guides me into the shower and holds me to him, water hitting us like rain from the sky.
Hmm, I like this.
Sliding my hands up, I reach up to wrap them around his neck. Theo’s eyes come to mine and I give him a brief smile.
“Guess this is one way to end the day,” I murmur.
“Yeah, you can say it’s definitely been a day. But I’m glad I get to do it with you, Snowflake,” Theo rasps.
“Me too, we can look at our first Valentine’s Day being one for the books,” I giggle.
“Yeah, a Frozen Valentine is definitely one for the books. Next time I’ll have to make sure it’s better than this one,” he says with a grin.
“I’ll hold you to that, mister,” I say with a smile and then get serious for a moment. “It’s not over though is it?” I ask him.
“No, Blake, it’s not over yet. I don’t know what they’ll try to do next,” he growls, tightening his hold on me. “Whatever it is, I won’t allow them to take you from me. You’re mine and I’ll do what I must to keep you safe. However, I want you to be prepared by knowing if I must, I will spill blood and paint the ground red. It’s who I am. It’s who I’ve always been and I’ll do what I need to. Got me?”
“Yes, I got you but only if you understand I don’t see you as a frozen-hearted ruthless man. I see you as the man who thaws when his lips crash into mine,” I murmur, reaching up on my tiptoes.
Kissing him means thawing the ruthless man and bringing back my caring one. They’re both the same but I can see the difference in him when he’s out there and when he’s alone with me. Frozen as ice is what he is. He needs me to thaw that ice and I’ll do what it takes each and every time to make it through.
The End For Now . . .
Dear Readers,
Thank you for reading Frozen Valentine. At first, I thought I would make it a standalone but after thinking about my characters, I’ve decided to make Theo and Blake’s story a part of the De Luca Crime Family series which will be coming out the beginning of next year. I will be continuing their story in the first book, Frozen Kiss.
I know it’s a long way away from now; however, it won’t be too long.
Sincerely,
E.C.
Available Now
By: E.C. Land
Devil’s Riot MC Series
Horse’s Bride
Thorn’s Revenge
Twister’s Survival
Reclaimed (Devil’s Riot MC Boxset Bks 1 – 3)
Cleo’s Rage
Connors’ Devils
Hades Pain
Badger’s Claim
Burner’s Absolution
Redeemed (Devil’s Riot MC Boxset Bks 4 – 6)
Devil’s Riot MC Originals
Stoney’s Property
Owning Victoria
Blaze’s Mark
Taming Coyote
Luna’s Shadow
Choosing Nerd
Ranger’s Fury
Carrying Blaze’s Mark
Neo’s Strength
Cane’s Dominance
Inferno’s Clutch MC
Chains’ Trust
Breaker’s Fuse
Ryder’s Rush
Axel’s Promise
Fated for Pitch Black
Tiny’s Hope
Dark Lullabies
A Demon’s Sorrow
A Demon’s Bliss
A Demon’s Harmony
A Demon’s Soul
A Demon’s Song
Royal Bastards MC (Elizabeth City Charter)
Cyclone of Chaos
Pins and Needles Series with Elizabeth Knox
Blood and Agony
DeLancy Crime Family with Elizabeth Knox
Degrade
The De Luca Crime Family
Frozen Valentine
Aligned Hearts
Embraced
Anthologies
Romanticizing the Gods By: Corrine Falls
