Page 43 of Brutal Ice

“You’ve just saved me again.”

Chapter Nine

“Calm down, everyone—calm down!” Micah scurried toward the coffin. Glass crunched beneath his feet. “No one has been harmed.” His hands waved in the air. “Calm. Down!”

Royal forced his gaze off Violet. He slowly turned his attention to his target.

The asshole frowning at the wreckage.

“Looks like one of the clamps came off one of the Fresnel lights that had been mounted above the stage.” He grimaced. “Not ideal, certainly but…”

“Not ideal?” Royal echoed in disbelief. “You better be shitting me right now.”

Micah’s head swiveled toward him.

Royal realized he was still holding tightly to Violet. He also realized that he didn’t want to let her go. But if he was going to rip apart the prick glaring at him, Royal did need his hands free so…

Carefully, he put Violet on her feet. His gaze swept over her. “You hurt, sweetheart?”

She shook her head. But there was fear in her glorious golden eyes. He hated that shit. “Stay behind me.” He turned to face the artistic director who was begging for a beat down.

Happy to oblige you, asshole.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Micah snapped. “This is a closed rehearsal. Doesn’t matter how much money you throw around to get a dance with Violet, you should not be here!”

Royal kept his hands loose at his sides. “If I hadn’t been here, Violet would have still been trapped in that coffin when the light came hurtling down.”

“It could have killed her!” Simone called out once more. She’d edged toward the stage. She peered up at them. She’d been near the orchestra pit, and the horror was clear to see on her face. Her gaze darted toward Violet. “My God, Violet…”

“Maybe some cuts,” Micah dismissed. “Hardly a life-threatening situation. Just calm down, everyone. I get that you’re a dramatic lot, but take a minute and breathe, would you?”

And Royal lost it. He bounded forward. Fisted his hand in Micah’s shirt-front and yanked the dick toward him. “You think the prospect of Violet’s face and body being slashed by glass is no big deal?”

Micah’s eyes bulged. “I-I didn’t say?—”

Royal leaned in closer to him. Growling, he bit out, “If I slash your face, will it still be no big deal?”

All of the color drained from Micah’s face. He swayed. “S-security!”

Knowing that only Micah could hear him, Royal softly promised, “Security won’t be able to protect your ass from me. If Violet ever gets hurt and you just stand there saying it’s nothing, believe me when I say that there will be no one on this earth who can save your sorry ass.”

“Y-you wouldn’t…”

“I would do anything.” Still low. Still a promise straight from hell. “You do not know me. You have no idea what I am capable of.” But push a little more, and you will find out.

Soft fingers tapped on Royal’s shoulder. “Let him go, Royal.” Violet’s voice. “I-I really want to get out of here. We need to get a maintenance crew in. The mess has to be cleaned up. The theater reset.”

She couldn’t be serious.

“Please?” A careful entreaty from her. “Just let him go.”

He knew a deadly promise would still be in his eyes, but Royal slowly released his prey. For the moment. “You’re not calling a damn maintenance crew to clean up,” he told Micah.

Micah’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “I-I’m not?”

“You’re calling the cops,” Royal snarled. “Because this looks like an attempt on Violet’s life. So no one touches anything. No one moves anything, not until the cops and the crime scene team have gone over every single inch of this place.” His gaze swept over the assembled dancers. The crew. They were all staring with wide eyes and…

Worry.

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