Page 74 of Captivated

“You’re crying. That’s the only reason I need to kill him.”

“Nico, please. I just want you to take me home. Leave him here for someone else to deal with.”

Her hand starts to rub up and down my forearm, goading me to loosen my grip on his shirt.

“Please,” she repeats. “Take me home.”

Her eyes are still pleading with me, and I can’t deny her when she’s looking at me like that.

My hand that’s gripping his shirt opens, and she slips hers in its place.

We walk only a few steps before she stumbles in her shoes. She sniffs and swipes away a few more tears as she looks down at her feet. “I really want to take these off.”

“I’ve got you, baby.” I sweep her up into my arms and cradle her to my chest.

I expect her to tell me no, or that she can walk herself, but she just snuggles closer to me and wraps her arms around my neck.

I walk her out of there, and those who dare look our way, quickly divert their gaze when I meet theirs.

Rocco opens the passenger door of my car for me and I gently deposit her onto the seat. I close the door and tell him, “Go in there and get her things from the dressing room.”

“Got it.” He nods and heads inside.

Pulling out my phone, I call Alec. “Hey, what’s up?”

“I want Pandemonium burned to the fucking ground,” I growl out, still needing to burn my anger off.

“Okay,” he agrees without hesitation.

“There’s a guy in there with a fucked-up face who may cry lawsuit or whatever bullshit he’ll come up with for me rearranging his face. I don’t give a fuck. Can you have it taken care of if he’s brought to the hospital?”

“Of course. Should I bother asking why we’re burning it down?”

“Because I don’t want any part of it standing by the morning. After what happened to Cassie tonight…” I look back at the car where she’s waiting for me. “Don’t fucking ask for details. If I ever have to look at that building again, I’m going to burn it down myself, and it won’t be carefully.”

“I’ll have Dante come down and take care of it. He’ll find a reason to get everyone out and then take care of it carefully and quietly.”

“Good.” I hang up, and Rocco comes back with Cassie’s things just in time.

I fold myself into the car and drive off to Cassie’s house with neither of us saying a word. I’m still too wound up to trust anything that comes out of my mouth, and Cassie is curled up close to the door – as far away from me as she can get. She’s shaking from the adrenalin wearing off, and rips the mask off her face, tossing it into the back seat.

I park in her driveway and get out straight away. I grab her bag from the back seat and take her keys from the side pocketand put them in mine. I take my jacket off as I round the car and hold it out for her when I open her door.

“Put this on,” I tell her, and she shoves her arms in immediately.

She wraps it around her chest to cover herself, but when she looks down at her legs, I see more tears stream down her face. “I’ve got you, baby,” I tell her again, and lift her up into my arms where she belongs.

Carrying her to the door, I maneuver her with one hand to get her keys out of my pocket and unlock it. I carry her right upstairs and into the bathroom, sitting her down on the closed toilet seat.

“I can give you a minute to undress yourself if you’d prefer, but I’d rather help you.”

She shakes her head no. “Stay.”

Thank God, because she was going to have to push me out the door to get me to leave.

I kneel down on one leg and lift her feet one at a time to remove her heels. I don’t even know how she can walk in these things.

I turn on the water of the shower so it can warm up while I take my jacket off her. When I go for the lingerie she has on, she wraps her arms over her stomach.

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