Page 20 of Rico

But then, the scent of old, stale cigars and too strong cologne assaulted my nostrils, and I wasgone. My heart lurched into my throat, immediately beating too fast. Ithurt. Tremors wracked my body. I couldn’t breathe. I needed to breathe.

Why couldn’t I breathe?

I was only vaguely aware of hands grabbing me. I fought them, panic seizing my lungs. Rico promised I would be okay. He promised nothing would ever happen to me again.

Where was Rico?I needed Rico!

Cool air suddenly washed over my face, and then, I was somewhat aware of asphalt biting into my butt through my jeans. Hot, slightly sweaty palms grasped my cheeks and gently shook me. “Breathe!” Ace shouted at me. I blinked, hot tears streaking down my flaming cheeks. His blue eyes ran over my face, slightly panicked. “Little bunny, I need you to breathe. You’re having a panic attack.”

I sucked in a ragged breath, a sob tearing from my throat. “I want R-Rico,” I choked out.

Ace straddled my thighs and wrapped his arms tight around me, crushing me to his chest. I curled my fingers into his long-sleeve shirt, sobbing and falling apart. I was safe. They’d kept me safe. No one had taken me away.

“R-Rico,” I sobbed. “Papi. I need him.”

“He’s coming, little one,” Gunner soothed, rubbing my back. “Niran is on the phone with him now. Just focus on breathing.”

I couldn’t stop shaking, and my lungs hurt. Honestly, every part of me hurt. And I knew it was because I was too tense. My muscles were locking up, but I coudn’t force them to relax. Even wrapped up in Ace with Gunner at my back, my brain didn’t understand no one was going to take me away.

“Rico is on his way,” Niran announced. No one responded, and honestly, I was crying too hard to form a sentence. I just wanted my Papi. He’d protect me. And if anyone was trying to take me away, he’d slaughter them just like he’d slaughtered my master.

But I was so fucking sure the happiness I’d found was going to be ripped away before he got there. That I’d never see Rico again.

My lungs threatened to seize again at the mere thought, and I whimpered into Ace’s chest. He just clutched me tighter, gentlyshhing me.

“Area is secure,” Bento announced a few minutes later. “No threats. I think he heard, smelled, or saw something that triggered him and caused a panic attack.”

Tires squealed. Ace immediately reached for his gun, but then, Rico was beside me, gently shoving Ace aside. I looked up at him through watery eyes, reaching for him. He crushed me to him before lifting me from the ground. “I’m here,perrito,” he rasped as I wound my arms and legs around him, tucking my teary face into the curve of his neck. “Papi is here. You’re safe. I’llneverlet anyone take you from me.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Rico

Blood trickled down my neck from where Anurak was gripping me, his freshly manicured nails biting into my skin. I ignored the sting of pain as I quickly strode to the car, needing to get him home so I could take care of him. My boy was slowly spiraling, and I needed to prevent it.

Now.

I opened the passenger door, grunting when he dug his nails in deeper and his legs tightened around my hips to the point the belt on my pants dug into my skin uncomfortably. “No. No, no, no.” He sobbed, shaking his head, his tears soaking my shirt. “Papi, no. Please no.”

“Okay. Okay,perrito,” I soothed, cradling the back of his head as I kicked the passenger door shut. My heart was in my fucking throat. I didn’t like that I couldn’t fucking calm him. “I won’t let you go. I promise. I’ve got you.”

I hated seeing him like this. It was fuckingshreddingme. I’d never hurt this goddamn badly in my life. I was meant to protect him from shit like this, but I hadn’t. I thought he’d be okay. I had no idea what the fuck triggered him, but if I’d been with him, I’d probably have slaughtered everyone within proximity to us just to eliminate what he thought might be a threat, even if they truly weren’t.

The love I felt for my little puppy was the feral kind. It was all-consuming and made me bloodthirsty when it came to protecting him, even if I was only protecting him from his own mind.

Striding around the hood, I snatched open my door, then settled into my seat with Anurak still wrapped around me. He snuggled further into me, his blood-stained fingers slipping over my skin. A miserable sound rattled from his throat that made my vision tint red for a moment before I blinked it away.

He was safe. He was with me. And I’d never let anyone fucking hurt him again.

Ace knocked on the window, making Anurak jump and a whimper rip from his abused throat. I tightened my arm around him as I quickly rolled the window down, arching a single questioning brow at Ace. He frowned at Anurak, worry glimmering in his blue eyes.

“When he’s feeling okay, can you have him call me?”

I nodded, then rolled the window back up. As soon as Ace stepped back from the car, I peeled out of the lot, quickly hitting the highway and heading home. I flinched in surprise when Anurak suddenly began fumbling with the buttons on my white shirt. Once he had five of them undone, he pushed my shirtaside. A low groan crawled up my throat when he wrapped his lips around my nipple.

Butfuckthe way he settled. His body went lax, and he made a soft, contented sound that went straight to my heart. I tightened my arm around him and lowered my head just long enough to drop a kiss to the top of his. After a few minutes, his mouth went soft, the sucking ceased, and he let loose a soft snore.

He stayed just like that for the rest of the ride. I had no doubt he was drained. Hell, I felt like the life had been sucked out of me, and I wasn’t even the one who had a full-blown panic attack. Just the fucking fear of not being able to make it to him in time to help him had drained me of any energy I had left.

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