Page 3 of Midnight Rose

Not being able to move means the four male guards are out in the hall behind me, and only the female guard is beside me.There is no way to overpower them before someone, probably me, is hurt.

Then I start calculating the possible scenarios and exit routes. On my dad's orders, one of the classes I was forced to take was for situations like this.

"What do you want?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Money. Five million will do it," the male sneers.

"I have to call my dad to get that kind of money."

How sad is it that this is something I've been trained in? Once on the phone, we have different code words to let him know everything, from how many people are in the room to if I'm injured.

"Do it." The male says, nodding his head toward me.

"My phone died in class. The charger is right there on my nightstand. If I plug it in, I can make the call." I say, knowing if I can move in, the male guards can have room to act.

They both hesitate, but finally, the female nods her head, and I move slowly, with no sudden moves.

This allows the men behind me they hadn't seen yet to get in the room and tackle them. When a gunshot is fired, I turn and run out of the building. Relief that I'm safe hits me at the same time that it hits me that after this, my dad will never let me out of the tower again. He will marry me off to the highest bidder, but I can't let that happen.

I have to run. I have to get away and disappear as fast as possible. There’s no way I can go back to the tower, and I won't be forced into some marriage to someone I've never met.

When I’m out of the building and only then do I look back to see I'm not being followed, so I run faster. If I can get to the tree line just beyond that parking lot, then I can lose them. I’m halfway across the parking lot when I hear footsteps behind me, so I run harder.

No one is yelling for me to stop or slow down. Then a hand wraps around my waist, pulling me back against a solid body as a hand goes over my mouth, and I'm thrown into a black car that pulls up beside us.

Chapter 4

Orlando

I watch her walk from class into her dorm but can't seem to pull myself away. I sit in my car in the parking lot, just staring at the building. Something in my gut won't let me leave, and I always trust my gut.

As I sit here, I remember the smile on her face as she moved into the dorm last week. The look of pure joy on her face as she went to her first class. This is what she has wanted for so long, and now she's here. To know she is getting to live out this dream, even in part, settles my soul. Well, that is, until today.

I'd do anything to put that smile on her face, and that smile is what draws me here day after day. Here and there, I can catch little glimpses of her. I can stand in her dorm room, in her space, and touch the things she's touched. It's so much more than I ever had while she was in the tower.

She might not know I'm here, but I'm just out of her line of sight, lurking in the shadows and watching over her. She will always be safe so long as my heart is beating and if I play my cards right, even after that.

I am pulled from my thoughts by my worst nightmare. A gunshot goes off, and my blood runs cold. A moment later, my phone rings, and it's her security.

"Two people were in her room. One gunshot was fired, but it missed her, and she's fine. Though we have them detained, she ran. We are in pursuit." The guard says without me even saying a word.

That's when I see her running out of her dorm, and even from here, I can tell she is crying. Her hair is flying behind her, and she’s looking around like she is trying to figure out where to go next.

"I've got eyes on her." I bark into the phone, then hang up and exit the car, giving my driver his marching orders.

Whoever made her cry will die a slow and painful death by my hands. But right now, the only thing on my mind is getting to her and making sure she is safe. Without any security, she is vulnerable to anyone out there.

She is so upset as she runs that she bumps into a girl who drops her books but keeps up running, getting to the parking lot. Calculating the best way to intercept her, I watch her every move.

Either she doesn't see me, or she just doesn't think I'm worth worrying about because she runs right past me, just out of arms reach. I take off running behind her, and I’ll admit she's pretty fast. When she hears me, she picks up speed, but with my long legs, in seconds, I'm close enough to grab her.

Then I wrap an arm around her waist, pull her body towards mine and get her to stop. I put my other hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming. The last thing we need is even more attention. When my driver pulls up beside me, I open the door, push her into the back seat, and get in behind her.

"Home," I tell the driver and then close the privacy glass so it's just her and me.

Now that she is safe, I take a moment to soak in that I just had my hands on her. I haven't been this close to her in years, and she is even more beautiful than I remember. Feeling her skin and having her body pressed against mine was a sensation I never dared to imagine but has left me fighting the worst hard-on of my life.

When she finally looks at me, her eyes go wide. I know I've changed. Even though I have a few more scars and a short beard, my heart hopes she recognizes me. I have faith that her body knows, even if her mind is a mess right now.

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