Page 82 of Fiercely Protective

Bri

The safe house was nothing like the penthouse in the heart of the city, and it was much different than what I had seen in the movies. However, it was still nicer than my old apartment. There were two modest-sized bedrooms, a kitchen stocked with nonperishable food as well as several bottles of liquor. The bathroom was fully equipped with medical supplies, enough for several small emergencies, and there was another room Michael had not shown to me, but while he was busy making sure everything was secure, I peeked in. I had never seen anything like it before. It was an arsenal equipped with everything from knives, several different types of guns, loads of ammunition, and even some grenades and flash bangs.

I quietly moved away from the room and sat back down at the kitchen table and realized that I truly didn’t know the man I had married.

“Would you like something to drink? I could make some coffee or if you prefer something stronger. Rogue has a nicely stocked bar.”

I shook my head and pulled the blanket Michael had given me when we first arrived tighter around my shoulders. “No, thank you.”

“You look a bit pale. Are you sure you are alright?”

I almost laughed at the observation. “No, I’m not alright. I know we only had one session this morning, but I had hoped it would make me a little stronger and braver. But tonight, when the alarms went off, I panicked. If you had not been waiting for me outside, I don’t know what I would have done. My first instinct was to run, to escape, not to fight.”

He moved closer and took a seat across from me. “It was one session. It isn’t realistic to expect to be a master at self-defense so soon. It takes years of practice and after what you have been through, it is only natural that you were afraid. Don’t beat yourself up over it, and don’t underestimate your instincts. It was instinct that urged me to go to the club tonight. If you sense danger and something inside you is telling you to run, do it. The self-defense moves I am teaching you are meant to be used as a last-ditch effort, not to prepare you for battle.”

“How long do you think it will be before Rogue discovers I am gone?”

His eyebrows rose. “I’m sure he knew it immediately. Not much gets past Rogue. I just feel sorry for the men he had stationed to protect you; they will not receive much leniency.”

“It wasn’t their fault.”

He stood and moved over to the window. “Rogue will not see it that way. They had one job and they failed at it, miserably I might add.” He pulled back the curtain. “I knew it wouldn’t take him long to find us.”

I jumped from my seat when the front door banged open. Both Rogue and Blaze were wearing almost identical frowns, but when Rogue’s eyes met mine, the intensity I saw made me take a step back. He crossed the room in three strides, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me down the hallway to the closest bedroom. I jumped as the door shut loudly behind us.

Once we were alone, he yanked me hard until I crashed into his chest. His hand gripped my chin and turned my face up to his. “Are you alright, Angel?”

“I’m alright, but I think I saw the man that did this. He was staring at me while I was sitting in the booth at the club. When I alerted the two men you had guarding me, he disappeared and then the alarms went off.”

His hands came up to my face. “Why didn’t you come find me? You ran.”

“I didn’t run. I wanted to find you. I was afraid that the man was there to kill you, but when the sprinklers went off, I was carried away with the crowd. Michael grabbed me outside and brought me here.”

He continued to look over me as if he were inspecting me for injuries. “I’m getting you out of the city. I’ll have your things packed up and brought to you, but it isn’t safe for you here. But first, we need to get you out of these damp clothes.”

“I am fine. There isn’t anything for me to wear here and I’m not going home naked wrapped in a blanket. I can change at the penthouse. But I don’t want you to send me away, not unless you can come with me.”

“I should have already taken you there. I never should have allowed you to stay with me when so much danger surrounds me. Don’t worry, it won’t be anything like this. You will be in luxury and have everything you could want or need, but I won’t be staying.”

I took a deep breath, surprised at how the thought of Rogue not being with me made me feel when only a few days ago I was trying to find any way I could to escape him. “Then I won’t have everything I want or need.” I took a step back. “How long will you be away?”

“It depends on how easy it will be to kill the men that threaten me.”

He took my hand, opened the door, and pulled me back to the kitchen where Blaze and Michael were waiting.

“Why didn’t you call me and let me know you had her?”

Michael shrugged his shoulders. “Dropped my phone outside the club when I grabbed her.”

“Thank you for being there tonight. The men that were responsible for her safety will be dealt with.”

Michael nodded his head slightly. “I have a few things to take care of before I can leave the city, but I will meet up with you in the morning.” He looked over at me. “I’ll see you soon, Bri.”

I wasn’t given a chance to respond before Rogue began pulling me out the door and into the waiting car. There wasn’t another driver, so Blaze jumped in behind the wheel and Rogue sat beside me in the back.

“It wasn’t the men who were watching me that should be blamed for tonight. They did all they could; it was an accident.”

Rogue’s eyes narrowed as he turned his face to me. “They lost you, Bri. You could have been taken tonight. It was most definitely their responsibility to keep you safe.”

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