Page 73 of Golden Burn

No matter how appealing some of the men and women in this club are, none of them are him. None of them set my heart on fire. None of them make me want to wrap my arms and legs around their upper body and squeeze them till they laugh. None of them could possibly know how empty I am inside, nor would I show them.

It felt so good to have someone on my side, keeping me afloat. Why did it have to be him? Why couldn’t I have met some good guy or girl on a dating app and called it a day?

Stumbling out into the alley, I heave in some fresh air, then choke as the stench of rubbish sweeps in. I’ve been walking for only a minute when my shoes get caught in the cobblestones, forcing my ankles to roll awkwardly until my knees slam down into a puddle of water.

Groaning, I rise shakily on my hands, only to pause when a weak-sounding meow comes to life somewhere against the wall to my left.

The lighting in the alley is atrocious, but as I get closer, I find a tiny kitten balanced on all fours, with one of its eyes horrendously infected. It meows at me, its limbs shivering as I approach. “Shh. It’s okay, little one. I want to help you.” I reach for its cheek, hoping it will come closer once it realizes I’m not a threat. “Hi baby,” I coo, keeping my voice soft. Tears build along my eyeline as the kitten sniffs in my direction. I forgot how much I missed this. How much helping save tiny creatures who can’t scream for help makes me feel whole and needed. Now that the clinic is gone, it’s one of the few ways I can stay close to my mother.

Shivering even though the air is humid, I reach for the kitten. I’ve barely touched its thin fur when a hand wraps around my bicep and yanks me upright.

I yelp from the pain, twisting around to smack at my attacker’s face. But as I spin, I notice it’s not just one man, but two. They may be young and handsome, but their smiles are twisted. I manage a quick scream before they slam a hand over my mouth and drag me further away from the club.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

Are they Cerbera’s men? I quickly try to gauge whether they look familiar or if I saw them last night at Cerbera’s table. But all of them were old, and these two are closer to my age.

My heart pounds so hard I think I might black out. “Ford! Ford!” I yell when the man with his hand against my face drops it away. He slaps me to be quiet. I gasp, shock rocking my body.

They speak Italian to one another too fast for me to even keep up. The shadows play with their faces, making them seem like demons. When they turn to me at once and start to laugh, my knees wobble from fright.

The first man who touched me grabs my neck with one hand and squeezes. Using the other hand, he lifts my dress to expose my upper thigh. I whimper, “Please, don’t do this.” My words only ignite their lewd conversation.

My neck is being crushed slowly as his hands find the strap of my underwear along my hip. I try to jerk away, but his grip tightens, forcing the air out of my throat. It’s at this moment that I feel true fear. Every moment leading up to this barely compares. Every early interaction with Odin was a game, a joke, now that my life is truly on the line.

Crying will do me no good now, even breathing is too difficult. My vision swims as the man’s fingers trail toward my vagina.

I try one last desperate attempt to loosen his hold, kicking my legs and arms out in a frenzy. I’ve barely started when one of the men is yanked away from me.

I can’t help gasping when I spot Odin.

He wastes no time, punching the man he pulled away right across the jaw. A sickening crack fills the air. We all watch as he stumbles, his legs turning to jelly beneath him, then collapses. Out cold.

Odin turns to the other man, who still grips my arm. I use the distraction to my advantage, stomping my heel into his boot. He howls and releases me. I keep my distance as my fiancé sizes up my attacker.

“Your turn, big boy,” Odin mocks, waving him forward.

The final attacker sways on nervous feet. Odin faces him, completely calm and unafraid. The man lifts his fists and takes two deep inhales, before running at Odin with all the natural grace of a newly born giraffe.

Odin doesn’t bother fighting. He just whips out his gun and shoots him in the thigh.

The man falls onto one knee, choking on a cry. Odin walks up to him and bends so he can growl in his face. “Nobody touches what’s mine without paying in blood.”

Then he delivers the hardest punch of them all, hard enough to make me wince and watches the man tilt to the side like a building with its foundations taken out.

I am completely mesmerized by the sight of him surrounded by bodies. The fury he radiates is unparalleled.

I step toward him, but Odin gets to me first, reaching my side in a split second. His hands grip my face, squeezing. His single eye is frenzied, more panicked than I’ve ever seen it.

Relief like I have never known rushes through me. “I’m sorry—”

“You’re okay?”

“Yes,” I choke.

Odin searches every inch of my face, then crushes my body against his. I collapse into him. His arms wrap around my middle and cradle me, while I circle my own around his neck and bury my face in his chest.

“I’ve got you.” His voice is strained, like he can’t breathe, but it still soothes away the tremors of my fear.

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