Page 14 of Untamed Protector

“He led me around with his hand clutched to my back like I was some property or a lost puppy. Then he yanked me off the stage, not bothering to ask if I wanted to leave. Then, it’s a mad dash through the crowd and out of the Casino. And all that after he danced with me, all close and flirty, when Lucas left me hanging. Like… who is this guy?”

“Make sure you have both glass slippers on. Or else he might show up with one to see if you’re a fit.”

“Seriously, Lena. The man is trouble. And he’s in cahoots with all of them, so there’s no way I can trust him.”

“Seriously, Lexi, relax. They’re all trouble. Just don’t blow your cover, and it won’t be a waste of time.”

“You make it sound like I’m the bad guy, not them.”

Lena tries to reply, but a sudden screech of tires swallows her voice. A jolt throws me against the seat as someone slams into our car. Lena yanks the wheel hard to regain control.

“What the fuck?” she screams, her voice cracking with panic. “Did you see that? There’s a car on our tail; the lights are off. Shit, I can’t hold the wheel straight. I’ll slam into the car in front at the stoplight if these brakes don’t hold.”

“Don’t stop, Lena. Make a right to the center. We’ll lose them in traffic. Maybe we’ll find a police car there.”

“Call the police, but I don’t know what to tell them. It’s not like we can wait for them to come. And I can’t see the license plate.”

The car’s shaking underneath us. We’re well over the city limit, and drivers from oncoming traffic flash us as we hurtle toward the red light.

“Buckle up,” Lena shouts. “I need to go through. Let’s hope to God no one comes from the right!”

I grab onto my seat and frantically check my seatbelt. We hurtle closer to the car ahead. The light’s green, but the distance shrinks at fifty miles per hour: yellow blazes, and the car in front bursts through the intersection. We follow, tires screeching as red explodes in the rearview mirror. Lena’s scream pierces the air. I squeeze my eyes shut, bracing for the sickening crunch of metal.

“We made it,” Lena yells. “We lost them. I can hit the brakes now.” The car slams into the curb, screeching to a stop.

“What the hell was that?” Lena seems fine on the surface, but her voice cracks a little. “Keep the door locked and let’s call the police. There are cameras on the road. They can check for the license number.”

My hands tremble as I fumble frantically through my clutch for my phone. Lena stares at the dashboard, panting.

“Let’s just calm down.” I grab her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry, I’m calling the police right now. They’ll be here soon. We’re not leaving anywhere unaccompanied.” I pull out the phone. Suddenly, a car stops behind us, their headlights blinding us.

“Check the doors on your side, Lexi. Make sure they’re locked. Did you call yet?”

“I’m trying to, but it won’t open. My fingerprint doesn’t work.”

“Damn it. Let me do it.”

Lena reaches for her phone. Terrified, we watch the other car pull up. Their lights are still on, and we see a man walking over and waving at us.

“Make that call now, Lena.”

The man comes up to our car and signals for me to roll down the window. As he lowers his head and leans in, I recognize Dean, the security guard from the Casino—one of Gabriel’s men.

“They’re gone. You’re safe now. Just open the window. Are you okay?” Dean says.

What the hell! What is he doing here?

“Do you know this guy?” Lena asks. “Don’t open yet. Let’s wait for the police to get here first.”

“He’s from the security team at the Casino, at the entrance. I talked to him.”

“I don’t care. There are freaks everywhere. Don’t open. Check under your seat; I have a baseball bat there. Grab it and show him you mean business.”

“What the hell, Lena? What do you mean, show him the bat?”

“Don’t make me get down there and pull it out myself. I’ll start the car and see if I can back up into them. You show him the bat. We’ve got this. Hold on tight.”

She slips the key back in just as Dean presses his phone against the glass, the screen facing me to show Gabriel’s name.

---