Page 40 of Fiercely Protective

A look of confusion crossed Michael’s face. “If they weren’t here for you, then who were they after?”

I took out my phone and dialed Blaze. “Has she arrived yet?”

“No, but I am waiting out front.”

“Good. Get her up to the penthouse and stay with her. I’ll call you back when I know more.”

Michael’s eyes narrowed. “They were after her, weren’t they? That’s the reason for the hasty marriage. You really are doing this for her, to protect her.”

I shook my head in denial. “Don’t make me out to be noble. You know me better than that. I always have selfish reasons for doing things. But in answer to your question, yes, I think they were here to take Bri, but I will know more when I extract some answers from our semi-conscious friend.”

Michael’s face twisted in disgust.

“Torture is one of the things I am glad not to witness again.”

“Go back inside, Michael, and if things are not cleaned up to your standards, let me know. If anyone in the neighborhood says anything…”

“They won’t. In this neighborhood, it will all be forgotten.”

“Good.”

Another car pulled up and I opened the door. “If you see anything that makes you uneasy, give me a call. I can have men stationed here to protect you.”

He reached up and clasped the crucifix he was wearing around his neck tightly in his hand. “I am already protected.”

I knew there was no use arguing with him; he was well-rooted in his faith. I sat in the backseat, clutching the bloody cell phone tightly in my hand. Could this incident be related to the phone call Bri made this morning? Could this be the man who had stalked her and beaten her back in Colorado? I would soon find out, and if that was the case, he had just signed his death warrant.

Bri

When the car came to a stop outside of the office building where Rogue’s penthouse was located, I saw Blaze waiting for me just as Rogue had said. He stepped forward, opened the car door for me, and unceremoniously pulled me from the back seat, tugging me behind him as we moved inside the building.

“For heaven’s sake, could you slow down a little? These heels are not meant for running.”

I heard a deep grumble, but he did slow his pace a bit, allowing me to catch up. He pulled out a key card and the elevator took us back up to the penthouse. When we steppedinside, I expected him to excuse himself, but instead, he walked straight to the bar and poured himself a drink.

“You look like you could use one too, little one.”

I shook my head. “No, thank you.” I walked toward the sofa and took a seat. “You don’t have to stay with me. I’m sure there are other things you would prefer to do than to babysit me.”

He drank the whiskey in his glass in one gulp before refilling it. “There are a hundred things I would rather be doing, but Rogue told me to stay with you. So, I guess you will have to endure my company.”

“Can I ask you a question?”

He sat the glass down on the bar and stepped closer, his eyes narrowed as he looked me over. “You can ask, but you may not get the answer you want if I even answer it at all.”

I pushed my hair back and studied him. “I’ll take my chances. Have there been other women that Rogue has taken and kept like me? And while my mind is cautioning me against asking this next question, what happens to me when he grows tired of all this?”

He didn’t answer right away, the palm of his hand rubbed over the rough stubble on his face and his eyes seemed to stare right through me.

“I’ve never seen Rogue with a woman for more than a night or two. He grows bored with them rather fast or at least he has in the past. He surprised me today when he had Father Michael marry the two of you. That decision leads me to believethat you will be around for a bit longer. How long that will be is uncertain.”

An odd twinge of disappointment moved through me. “Hmm, that doesn’t leave me with a warm fuzzy feeling.”

His lips turned up so slightly that it was hardly noticeable. “Do I look like the kind of man that is capable of giving you warm fuzzies?”

I sighed before kicking off my shoes and pulling my knees underneath me as I got comfortable on the sofa. “No, you don’t. I was just hoping you could impart some wisdom, say something that would make me feel better.”

He stood up and walked back to the bar and poured a drink before bringing it back over to me. “Drinking will make you feel better. Take a few sips.”

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