Page 46 of Caught By Menace

“Really?” He eyed her carefully. “You’re lucky that you were Grabbed by Menace instead of the pilot, Flare. You caught yourself a very good man. Very well-connected,” he added.

“You seem confused. I didn’t do the catching. I was the one taken down and collared. Menace was just lucky enough to catch me.”

“We’ll see.”

Naya fought the urge to tell Terror to go fuck himself. “I don’t know what your deal is, Terror, but if you have something to say to me, just fucking say it already.”

“Is everything okay?” Hallie appeared in the living room. She took one look at Terror and frowned. “What are you doing? Did you upset her?”

“I think there’s been a misunderstanding,” Terror smoothly replied. “You know I’m not very good at making pleasant conversation, Hallie. I think I may have accidentally offended Naya.”

Naya couldn’t believe how slick Terror was. She glanced at Hallie. The other woman looked supremely annoyed and not at all convinced. “Terror, I think you should—”

The front door opened and Menace’s familiar voice met Naya’s ears. She sagged with relief as he came into view with Vicious. She had to force her feet to stay still. She desperately wanted to jump out of her chair and run to him.

“Terror!” Menace grinned at the other man. “I didn’t know you were back onboard.”

“We got back last night.” Terror gripped Menace’s hand. They clapped each other on the back. “I was just talking to your lovely wife. She’s quite a catch, Menace.”

Naya wanted to shoot him the finger so badly but kept her hands folded in her lap.

Menace turned his gaze on her. It was a look of pure adoration that warmed her skin. “Yes, she is.”

He held out his hand and Naya happily joined him. She was afraid to ask but had to know. “Is everything okay now?”

“Everything is fine, Naya.”

Burrowed close to Menace’s strength and heat, Naya wanted to believe him but one glance at Terror shattered her hope. She’d seen that look on the faces of the secret police investigators who had roused her out of bed in the middle of the night and thrown her in a cell for weeks on end.

Somehow Terror had caught a whiff of her past. Like a dog with a bone, he was never going to let go. He would unearth every misdeed she’d committed as a teenager. There was no escape now. The past had finally come back to haunt her.

Menace slid an arm around her shoulders and kissed the crown of her head. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. No one is going to take you away from me.” Oh how she wished that were true.

Chapter Ten

Menace sneaked aglance at Naya as they waited for the elevator. She seemed uncommonly quiet and almost nervous. She clung to his arm and nibbled her plump lower lip.

“Stop that,” Menace ordered softly and brushed his thumb over her sweet mouth. “You’ll break the skin.”

Her fingernails bit into his arm. “Sorry.”

“Are you okay?” The elevator dinged and the doors parted. He put his hand on the small of her back and pushed her forward into the gleaming silver box.

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. What is it?” He swiped the navigational screen and chose their floor.

“Nothing. I’m just tired. It’s been a crazy morning.”

He didn’t care for the half-truths coming from her. Certain she wouldn’t tell him the truth unless thrown off-kilter, Menace spun suddenly and trapped her smaller body in the corner of the elevator. Naya gasped and put her hands on his chest. Before she could tell him off, he captured her mouth in a slow, easy kiss. Naya whimpered and gripped his uniform shirt.

“Tell me the truth,” Menace commanded and dragged his lips across her jaw.

“What’s wrong?”

She swallowed hard. “Terror scares me.”

Menace chortled. “He scares everyone, Naya.”

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