Page 12 of Eros
“Well, if you’re not going to tell me your name, can you at least tell me when you’re going to let me go?” I asked when he didn’t answer my question. “I have no idea what you were doing out there, and as you already saw I didn’t take any damn pictures of you.”
He shrugged and then pulled a pack of cigarettes from inside of his leather vest. While he lit it, I focused on the vest. He wasn’t wearing it earlier. But now that he had it on, I wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing for me. Even though he hadn’t told me his name, he wasn’t hiding who he was from me. This leather vest was very detailed, and the police could identify who he was by it.
A patch sat over his heart which read president and under it was a black diamond outlined in white, with a white number one with the percent sign and the letters e and r.
“I haven’t decided yet.” He took a long drag from the cigarette, then blew out the smoke. “I want to know why you believe the Lt. Governor would want you dead?” he asked. “You’re his daughter.”
The question sent another pang to my heart. I can’t even believe someone was even asking me that question.
“I have no idea,” I said, although my voice cracked with the emotion I tried to suppress.
Until Shannon came into the picture, everyone considered me a daddy’s girl. How could that have changed so quickly? It wasn’t like I didn’t see changes in him, and I didn’t think I could even blame that change on Shannon. But even though our relationship wasn’t the same as it was when my mother was alive, I would have never believed he would have gone this far even if I had overheard what he planned.
The man just stared at me for a moment before putting his cigarette out on the table. He then tossed the butt on the dirty, cracked tiled floor. Slowly, he rose off the table then stalked toward me. I did everything I could to keep from showing him that he scared the shit out of me. Fear wouldn’t save me. He seemed like the type of person who preyed on the weak. And no matter how frightened I might have been, I wasn’t weak.
When he stood in front of me, he grasped my chin, his touch surprisingly gentle despite the strength in his grip. The rough texture of his calloused fingers sent an amazing shiver down my spine as they grazed my skin.
What the hell is wrong with me?
“I don’t like liars.”
I swallowed my nerves or whatever the hell he caused to stir inside me then jerked my face away from his touch. Too many of the wrong feelings churned inside me.
“Who says, I’m lying?” I scowled at him. “You don’t know shit about me.”
He licked his lips, and I followed the motion. He tilted his head and arched his brow before that devastating smile crossed his face again like he knew what he was doing to me.
“Let me tell you what I know, Janea. Pretty name by way. What I know is that your parents loved you very much. But something changed after your mother died.”
I shook my head even though he was telling the truth. My mother was the glue that held our family together. Her deathtook a toll on all of us, but I wasn’t going talk to him about my family issues. Fuck him.
“Yeah, Janea. Something changed, even though you don’t want to admit it to me.” He rubbed his beard like he was deep in thought. “I saw some of your family photos. Nice family, or I should say it used to be.”
“Now that you know who I am, what are you going to do?” I asked. “You can’t hurt me. That’ll cause you a shit ton of problems.”
It was stupid to challenge him, but I didn’t think he’d go along with whatever he had planned for me now. How could he get away with hurting the daughter of a high-powered politician without bringing heat down on himself?
It’s not possible. Or at least I hope it’s not.
Before he answered my question, his arm snapped around my waist, pulling me down to the ground. My body collided against the hard floor, with him landing on top of me. The crack of gunfire silenced our conversation as a bullet ripped through the grimy, partially broken warehouse window, spraying shards of glass across the concrete floor. A second shot pierced through the air, hitting the chair I’d just been sitting in moments ago.
Shock raced through my entire system. My heart pounded against my ribs, and the deafening hammering of my pulse filled my ears. If he hadn’t pulled me to the ground, I’d be dead.
His body shielded mine, pressing us against the dirty tiled floor of the old office.
“We’re gonna have to move, sweetheart,” he murmured, his voice edged with anger. “I need for you to stay low.”
He slid off me but slightly shielded my body.
“Move!” I screamed. “Are you crazy!”
He must’ve lost his damned mind if he thought we could make it out of here if we moved.
He didn’t respond, but another shot rang out, ricocheting off the rusted metal desk again. He reached behind his waist, pulling out a gun from his waistband. He pressed his hand against my back as we continued to duck, trying to make ourselves small as possible.
“On my mark, we move,” he whispered again. “Fast and low, Janea. Don’t stop until I tell you to, okay?”
Fuck! We’re really doing this.
