Page 4 of King of Pain

“I didn’t actually get shot.”

She shakes her head, that silky hair brushing over her shoulders. Returning to the first-aid kit, she pulls out gauze and tape, and some butterfly stitches, making quick work of the tape job.

But she’s still working when the door bangs open again.

It’s fucking Vigo.

He stalks in, smirking at me even as Kate ducks behind me. I stand, blocking her from view.

“Think he’s going to save you, Kate?” He sneers. “Think again.”

Another man comes in behind Vigo. I assume it’s Vincent and draw in a deep breath, widening my stance.

But Vigo only smiles wider. Crazier.

“This is my cousin, Guerriero. He’s going to keep you both company. He doesn’t speak a lot of English so I wouldn’t bother begging.” Then Vigo spins, saying something in Italian, before the door closes again and the lock clicks.

The other man glares at me, his eyes hard. His bulging muscles, I’m not going to lie, flex impressively. “That’s what ‘roids will do for you,” I say to Kate as I reach back for her hand.

She slips her small silky fingers into mine, pressing to my side.

“Where…you…go?” Guerriero asks, his accent thick.

“Don’t worry, Gorilla,” I give him a toothy grin that’s meant to make me look like the predator I am. “The lady needs to change. We’ll BRB.” And then I start toward the small room I see next to the bathroom.

“What you say?”

I don’t answer as I go by Guerriero, who pivots to watch us, and I pick up both my shirts as we pass. “If you can’t find anything else we can put one of my shirts on you.”

“They’re soaked in your blood.”

I look down at her, one of my brows rising. “Trust me, covering that cleavage is worth a bit of blood.”

She gasps, even as I tug her toward the pool changing room.

There isn’t much but there is a robe and a set of men’s swim trunks. She wraps the terry cloth around her, cinching the belt tight.

I know we’ve only got a minute. I’m surprised that ape hasn’t tried to stop me already.

In the corner, I find a pair of flip flops and toss them to her.

They’ve got to be three sizes too big as she slips her tiny feet in them but at least they’re better than those heels.

“Where you?” Guerriero growls.

Tucked in the back of the changing room, I see another door. Softly opening it, I find another room with several pool supplies. A skimmer, a pole, and a long-ass string likely used for one of the pool covers. It’s my lucky fucking day.

That’s when I grin. And I probably look like a crazy person too. Because Guerriero and I are about to tangle.

“Kate. Love,” I whisper. “I’m going to need you to hide.”

CHAPTER TWO

Luke

Kate jolts,her wide eyes meeting mine, and then does exactly what I ask, slipping through the door I just left open.

If the situation were different, her reaction to my command would have me growling in satisfaction.

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