Page 78 of An Indecent Longing

Just thinking about who she was going to ask for help made him mental and that was dangerous. For so many more reasons than it should.

After a few silent seconds, she finally nodded.

And Ian wanted to crush her against him and promise her no one would ever attempt to hurt her again. Because if anyone fucking touched her, Ian would kill them.

Ben reached for her hand and wrapped his fingers around hers, drawing her gaze. And when Ben smiled at her, she smiled back, although Ian could see it was a little shaky. Which just pissed him off again. But he managed to keep that out of his expression.

“All right.” Ian sat on the chair across from the couch, where she and Ben sat. “Walk me through it. What do you remember?”

After a deep breath, she stared across the room, her gaze laser-focused on a point across the room. “Okay. We walked out of the building, headed toward Ben’s car. He’d parked a few yards up the block. I’m not sure I noticed the van right away but I remember hearing the sliding door open and I think I looked up then. I saw two men headed toward us. I think Ben had already figured out what they meant to do because he punched one of them almost immediately.”

Ben shrugged. “Spidey senses tingled.”

She smiled, exactly as Ben had planned, and Ian had to bite back a surge of jealousy. That wouldn’t do anyone any good right now.

“The other guy grabbed me by the arm and started dragging me toward the van. I think I broke his nose.” She lifted her hand and stared at it for a second before shaking her head and looked back at Ian. “Still kinda hurts. Blank would be proud of me. His training paid off.

“Then the one Ben hit got up and tried to help the other guy, who still had my arm. But Ben smashed one of them in the nose I’d hit and made the other nearly pass out when he kicked him in the balls. Then he got me in the car and we drove here.”

“Do you think you’d recognize them if you saw them again?’

Now she grimaced. “They were wearing those black masks that cover your whole face except for the eyes and mouth.”

Ben nodded. “Gloves. Long sleeves and pants. All black. They never spoke. One was taller than the other. The taller one might be a smoker. The shorter one was heavier, built like a fucking brick wall.”

Professionals. Shit.

He turned back to Dorrie. “Do you know anyone who’d want to snatch you? Any reason at all?”

Her gaze dropped away as she shook her head. “I’m not sure.”

And that was about the last straw on Ian’s back. “How about the fact that you work for Karel Antonoff? You think that might have something to do with it?”

Her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened in shock. Her expression would’ve made him laugh if he wasn’t so fucking keyed up.

“What… How…”

“Ian.”

Ben didn’t raise his voice but his tone cut like a knife. Ian ignored him.

“You know who he is and what he does. Is there any possibility someone knows you work for Antonoff and wants to use you against him?”

She swallowed hard but instead of lying flat out, she fell silent, her gaze unfocused.

“Think, Dorrie,” Ian prodded. “This is your life. Anything you can tell us will be helpful.”

After a few seconds, her head rose, her expression somewhere between stubborn and vulnerable. “If you know I work for Antonoff, then you also know I don’t need your protection. One phone call and I’ll have five guys at my door.”

Yeah, he knew that. He also knew she hadn’t kicked them out yet. “But you haven’t made that call. Are you going to?”

Her gaze slipped away again and, after a few silent seconds, she shook her head. “Not yet, no.”

Ian’s jaw locked against the urge to demand she didn’t call at all, but he managed not to make that stupid mistake.

“Then let us make sure you’re safe. Come back to the house with us.”

“No. Why?” Her forehead wrinkled. “There’s no need for that.”

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