Page 64 of It Takes a Thief
Then I pull my hand back, form a fist and slam my knuckles into his nose. He lets out a yowl and blood gushes down his face and all over his crisp button down.Oh, shit.I think I might’ve just broken his nose. Do I regret it, though? No, not even a little.
“That’s what you get for messing with the man I love,” I tell him.
“You bitch,” he snarls, stepping forward, lifting his closed fist.
Oh, shit.He’s going to hit me.
Before I can react, a large hand wraps around Jeffrey’s, twisting his wrist until something snaps, and Jeffrey drops to his knees with a surprised shout.
“Don’t you know you’re supposed to bow down before royalty?” a deep, velvet-smooth voice asks.
My mouth drops, and I look into the greenest eyes I’ve ever seen. With a head of thick dark hair and a slash of high cheekbones, the man is extremely good-looking. I have a feeling he knows it, too. He sends me a dimpled smile meant to make women’s knees wobble. “It’s nice to meet you, Princess Merritt.”
“Laurent?”
“The one and only.” He yanks Jeffrey back up to his feet. “Excuse me while I take out the trash.”
“Thank you!” I call out as he moves away, dragging Jeffrey by his broken hand. He’s holding his gushing nose with his other hand, but I have zero regrets.
“At your service, Princess.” He sweeps over in an elegant bow, and I might’ve laughed if Linc weren’t still in the ring fighting for his life.
“Wait! We need to stop the fight,” I tell him.
“The police are closing in as we speak,” he assures me. “Which means I need to disappear.”
“But—”
“Tis the life of a thief, I’m afraid.” He gives me a cavalier grin, dimples popping again, then shrugs and yanks Jeffrey away. I didn’t even get his first name.
Almost immediately, red and blue lights flash nearby as police cruisers screech to a halt.Oh, thank God.As chaos erupts and people begin to flee the illegal fight, I race over to the cage door and shove past the big, tattooed guy guarding it. “Move!” I yell.
Throwing the door open, I race inside the cage.
“Linc!” I scream. His head jerks over in my direction, and I’m running straight for him when the giant he’s fighting lurches toward me. He grabs me around the waist, lifts me up off the ground and hauls my back up against his dirty, sweat-soaked and bloody chest. His thick arm wraps around my neck.
Hanging in his hold like a ragdoll, clutching at his enormous forearm, I cry out. The look on Linc’s face can only be described as abject horror.
“Get back or I’ll break her in two,” Bonecrusher threatens, squeezing his forearm against my throat until I choke. He’s cutting my air off, and I dig my nails into his skin, trying not to freak out. My wide eyes stay on Linc. If I’m going to die, he’s the last thing I want to see.
Linc lifts his taped hands in surrender. “Let. Her. Go.”
But Bonecrusher just laughs, tightening his arm until I can barely draw in a breath. He’s going to strangle me.
Tears blur my vision. I’m going to die, and I never even got the chance to let Linc know so many things. Like how I know he never stole from me, not really, and that everything he’s done has been to protect me. And, most importantly, that I love him with all my heart.
“Make me,” he challenges.
“You’re fucking dead,” Linc states, and his murderous tone sends a chill down my spine.
Chapter Twenty-Four: Linc
Bonecrusher stands in front of me, his forearm pressing against Merritt’s delicate neck, and I see red.Blood-fucking-red.
The scattering crowd, the arrival of the police and all the chaos fades away. All I can see is the woman I love hanging in the air, struggling to breathe and feet flailing, as he chokes her.
I know all it takes is one quick snap to end her precious life. And I can’t let that happen. But, if I don’t stop him right now, she’s going to suffocate.
Desperate for a distraction, I send up a silent prayer. To Ma, to Angel, to whoever will listen to me. Merritt doesn’t deserve this. She’s good and pure, and whether she knows it yet or not, she’s mine.
