Page 5 of Casino King

Another impeccably dressed man emerges from between the cars and my grip on my gym bag tightens as I take a small step to the side. He’s much scarier than Enzo, who I can tell has a lighter side beneath his tough exterior. But not this man. He’s all muscle beneath his suit, with a hollow look to his eyes that chills me to the bone when he gives me a once over.

He doesn’t say a word as he hoists the man who attacked me off the ground and pushes him towards the back door I came out of just minutes ago.

“Where’s he taking him?” I whisper.

“The basement.”

“What’s in the basement?”

“Nothing for you to worry about. Grab what you need and let’s go, the doctor should be here soon.”

“I don’t need a doctor, and I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“Not your call. Boss says he wants you safe and in his place.”

“I don’t know your boss,” I reiterate, feeling like a broken record. “I’m not just going to let you take me up to his place.”

Yes, I want to know the man in the shadows who’s been on my mind day and night for over a month, but I also have enough self-preservation to not just go with this stranger because he saved me.

“One second,” is all he says, pulling his phone out again and dialing a number. “She’s refusing to come with me because she doesn’t know either of us.” He pauses, listening to the man on the other end and then nods, handing me the phone. “Here.”

“What?” My voice is barely above a whisper.

“He wants to talk to you.”

With a trembling hand, I reach for the phone and take a deep breath to ensure I’ll be able to speak.

“Tessa.” His smooth, deep voice floats through the phone and into me, my hand curling around the phone a little tighter. My name sounds like a caress coming from him and I feel it coat my insides like warm, raw honey – sugary sweet with a touch of roughness.

My breath leaves my lungs and I angle away from Enzo so he can’t see my reaction.

“Go with Enzo and let the doctor check you out.”

Again, his voice does something to me that I’m not used to. My stomach knots and my heart starts beating a little faster.

“I’m fine,” I tell him softly, but wince internally at the lie. The truth is, my face is starting to throb, and my arm is sore from where he grabbed me.

“You’re not,” he says firmly, his voice dropping an octave. “He hit you. I’m leaving the city now and I’ll deal with him when I get back in a couple of hours, but I want you safe.”

“I’ll be safe at my apartment.”

A low growl comes through the phone at my response. I have a feeling he must be used to getting what he wants from everyone around him when he commands they do something. But I’m not like that. I’ve been on my own for a long time now and only know how to rely on myself. No one else.

“I need you to go with him, Tessa. We’ll talk when I get there.”

I think about the prospect of going back to my dark, empty apartment, knowing I’ll be up all night thinking about him anyway, and decide that finally being able to meet him, and see him, is a much more desirable option.

“Okay.”

“See you soon,” he says, his voice holding a little less edge, and hangs up.

Sighing, I hand Enzo back his phone and he doesn’t say anything as I fall in step beside him, heading back inside. You need a pass card to re-enter, but Enzo has one.

Walking through the cement hallways, I start to feel the fatigue of the day catch up with me, and my face throbs even more where that asshole hit me. Reaching up, I press the pads of my fingers to my cheek bone and area around my eye, and suck in a sharp breath.

Luckily, Enzo doesn’t say anything since I was so adamant about being fine, but he looks down at me with concern in his eyes. He guides me around what has to be the entire perimeter of the building to an elevator that requires his handprint and retinal scan to open.

“Pretty tight security I see,” I comment casually as I step into the sleek grey elevator car.

---