Page 17 of Dangerous Refuge

“You’re the maid?” I ask, trembling as I follow her into the room.

“Yes, dear.”

“Who was that man?” I clutch the blanket around my body and look around the room. My bag is sitting on the foot of the bed. I move toward it, sucked in by gravity.

“You need to shower and lie down now. He will come in here before too long.” She smiles at me and moves toward a closed door within the room. When she opens it and turns on the light, I see that it’s a bathroom. I hear water begin to run and she reemerges. “There. Now you clean up.”

“But…”

“No buts,” she whispers.

“Aren’t you scared?” I hiss as she uses an arm around my waist to guide me to the bathroom. I sway on my feet as I walk. I’m ready to pass out now.

“I trust Sven with my life. You should too. Now, in the bath you go.” The maid peels the blanket away from me and I stand exposed again. “In…” she urges.

I have no choice but to climb into the bath and sit down. It slowly fills as I sink into the warm water and I lay my head back. I’m so drunk, my eyes are heavy, so I let them flutter shut, and I vaguely remember the water turning off before I pass out. I have to get out of this place. It’s not safe.

10

SVEN

“It was that bastard Hensley.” David grips his side where blood flows freely from a gunshot wound. He’s staining my couch because of Allie’s ex and this entire thing just got personal. I dial the number for Dr. Manning and wait for it to ring through.

“Sit tight, David. I’m calling for Manning now.” I hold the phone to my ear as David recounts the story with jagged breaths. The way he sucks in air shows just how much pain he’s in. Blood pours from his chest.

“We were just packing up her things. This bastard rushes in unannounced and starts shooting. I copped one to the side here, and Lenny nearly took one to the head. He was out for blood, Sven. If that woman was there, she’d be dead.” David wheezes and I wonder if the bullet grazed his lungs.

“Alright, just rest.” I pace the floor, hoping his blood doesn’t drip on my Persian rug.

“Sven?” Manning answers the call and I step away from David to answer.

“Doc, we need you here, stat. David took a bullet.” Having a private doctor on staff makes all the difference when things like this happen. My father’s generation used a network of veterinarians for this purpose, but in today’s age, organized crime has stepped up a notch at least.

“Give me fifteen minutes.”

Manning hangs up before I can even admit that he might not have fifteen minutes, but I don’t want to say that in front of him anyway. I pour a few fingers of whiskey into the glass Allie used tonight and thrust it into David’s hand. He slurs a thank you and knocks back a large gulp before resuming his story with jagged breaths.

“Drink,” I tell him, knowing it will help him relax. I set the bottle on the coffee table next to where he’s slumped on the couch for easy refills and watch his pale face drip with sweat.

“You gotta get him. He can’t do this to me and just walk.” David’s hand trembles as he brings the glass to his lips again. I’m well aware of my need to exterminate this pest, and with Allie out of harm’s way now, I can do just that. I’d have been very content to keep her safely hidden away here or heavily guarded each time she left my home. Now, I have personal recourse to take the fight to him. No one harms my men and gets away with it.

“You need to stop talking and just drink the whiskey.” I lift his hand back up and he tips the glass up at his lips. The more he drinks the more relaxed he’ll be when Manning has to pull that slug out. This process repeats several more times while we wait, and during that time Lenny strolls in with blood all over his hands too. The two of us keep pressure on David’s wound until Manning walks in.

I step away, leaving the mess to them and the cleaners I’ll have to call in. Allie’s ex just ruined my plans tonight. I am supposed to be heading out in a car to take out the scumbag who has a bead on Red. That has now become a low priority—to me at least. I dial Matty’s number as I head toward my bedroom to check on Allie.

“Yeah, man, it’s late. What do you want?” Matty sounds like he’s been sleeping already, which is surprising. It’s not that late.

“I’m handing Red over to you. The guy owes Dom big time, but he isn’t paying up. That and the fact that Red pushed some sort of button he has means he’s got to go. He’s a loose cannon. Handle it within a week, before he makes his move.” I walk faster, frustration coursing through my body. The only thing worse than having to hand over a hit is handing it over to one of my brothers.

“I thought you dealt with that already.” Matty yawns and I hear a woman’s voice in the background. I’m getting a better picture for what he’s been doing all evening.

“Just do it.”

I hang up and push the door to my bedroom open. Allie isn’t in bed, and the bathroom door is open. I smell the faint scent of lavender and it draws me toward the bathroom. When I step into the doorway and lean on the jamb, I see Allie submerged in a bath, now probably cold. Her eyes are shut, her head lolled to the side. She’s passed out.

I study the way the water distorts her curves, accentuating some, diminishing others. Those curves feel amazing against my body, and after this evening’s romp, I’m hungry to know what other ways she can satisfy me.

“Sven?”

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