Page 7 of Protected By Saint

“You are lying.”

“Bald man, gray beard, seated on the left side of the stage. Jacob Howard, the superintendent of the police.”

“I…I don’t…”

“Two seats behind the superintendent was the deputy mayor, Austin Beard. Cropped white hair and a scar on his forehead.”

“Y-you’re trying to scare me.” He laughs sardonically before turning serious again.

“You’re not the one who should fear me, precious. I’m not trying to scare you. I want you to trust me.” Those blue eyes lock on mine, and for a moment, I find myself hypnotized. “Right now, I’m the only one you can trust.”

“How can I be certain I can trust you?”You were at the auction!

“You can’t. But of all the men you’ve met tonight, I’m willing to bet I’m the only one who’s even offered to help you.”

Is it worth the risk? What happens when I find myself in an even worse situation because I decided to trust the wrong person again? Before I say anything else, it sounds like fireworks shatter the silence. My eyes widen in alarm, and a chill rolls down my spine when I realize the sound is actually gunshots.

“Time’s up, sweetheart. Let’s go,” Saint says, grabbing his jacket and draping it over my shoulders again before pulling me close. I can feel the heat radiating from his body, but we don’t linger as he guides me to the door.

Gunshots ring out in the distance, sending adrenaline coursing through my veins. The sounds are sporadic and interspersed with shouts from angry men. I am terrified to go out there, but it doesn’t seem like I have much choice. Saint reaches for the doorknob before stopping and turning to me, his expression serious when he speaks. “Stay with me, okay? I will protect you.”

Don’t trust him, a part of me that’s been betrayed over and over again yells, but my gaze drops to the gun Saint pulls from his holster and I realize he’s my only choice. My only chance of getting out of this hell I stumbled into.

“Okay,” I whisper, and he searches my eyes before responding with a nod and turning back to the door.

As he pulls the door open, we are met with the sight of the guard from earlier. The same one that’s been shadowing me all evening, making sure I don’t go anywhere. Time seems to slow as he lunges forward, and I can’t help but scream, even though Saint was clearly prepared for the attack and responds in kind. The men are similar in size, but Saint is obviously the stronger and more experienced fighter. I watch with both horror and fascination as the two fight.

Saint throws a powerful punch that connects with the guard’s jaw, sending the mountain of a man stumbling back. The guard recovers quickly, swinging a fist of his own, but Saint ducks just in time, countering with a kick to the guard’s knee, and I wince at the sound of impact. The man yells and stumbles, giving Saint the opportunity he needed to lock his arm around his neck and squeeze.

I have to look away as the guard struggles, tossing weak punches in an attempt to dislodge Saint, but his hold is strong, and when he finally goes slack, Saint moves aside to let him drop. I wince at the loud thud, convinced the man will wake up with a concussion if he ever wakes up at all.

When Saint turns to me, his expression is fierce as he extends his hand for me to take, and I don’t hesitate, sliding my fingers against his. “Stay close,” he urges, and I nod, my heart pounding in my chest. We dart out into the hall, and I flinch at the sound of relentless gunfire coming from somewhere deeper in the club, but Saint keeps me shielded between his body and the wall as we move quickly down the hall.

Finally, we burst through the same exterior door that I’d used earlier today. God, was that just today? It feels like ages ago since I arrived for that ill-fated interview. I’d been so optimistic when I’d arrived, never once considering that I might be in danger.

I welcome the cool air that slaps my face when we step outside, but Saint doesn’t allow me a moment to pause as he hustles me fast to the parking lot. I spot a motorcycle parked among a sea of cars, and he guides me toward it. He doesn’t bother with a helmet as he hops on, then he helps me to climb on behind him and pulls my arms to wrap tightly around his waist, and the bike roars to life.

I can hear the sound of sirens in the distance as we leave the parking lot, and Saint turns in the opposite direction, one that leads away from the sounds of chaos. Despite my reservations about going anywhere with this stranger, I find myself leaning against his broad back, and then I let the tears fall freely.

I’ve been holding them in for hours, unwilling to let a single tear spill in the presence of Buck and his goons. Even when he threatened to kill me if I dared cause a scene, I held it all in. I refused to let the men back at the club see my tears despite how piercing their words were.

I bite hard on my lip, sniffing as hot drops spill down my cheeks, and my body heaves with a silent sob that I am helpless to stop. I tighten my hold around Saint, this stranger I have foolishly allowed myself to trust, burying my face in his back and soaking his shirt with my tears.

Something tells me that tonight could have gone very differently if someone else had won the auction for me. But I’m not out of danger yet.

Despite my desperation to leave that prison, I realize that I have nowhere to go. I can’t go back to my apartment, that’s for sure. I imagine Natalie is there, her lips full of apologies and more lies. Undoubtedly, she’d sell me out to the same people again, given the chance.

My heart sinks when I realize that I have nothing and no one in this city, and now my fate lies in the hands of this mysterious biker.

Chapter Four

Saint

I should have shot him. I should have killed all of them!

Hearing Jade break down in sobs and feeling her quake against tears me into shreds, and I want to turn this bike around and head back to the club just to make sure none of those men leave there with a pulse. I’ll kill them, from the men who put her in that position to the ones who made crude jokes as she stood on stage suffering.

I’ll fucking kill them all, but first I need to get Jade somewhere she’ll feel safe. I could take her to her home, but a part of me is unwilling to let her out of my sight. I need her somewhere I can protect her in the way only I can.

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