Page 19 of Wicked Knight

“Hey.” I stepped closer to her. “You’re okay.”

“We’re trapped.” She slapped my hand away. “Please let me out.” She screamed. Even though I couldn’t see her, I could tell she had fallen to her knees. “Let me out.”

“Jesus, you’re afraid of the dark?” I managed to catch both her wrists. When she fought me to free herself, I kneeled in front of her and brought her hands to my chest. “Stay with me, Donata. Can you feel that?”

At this point, my heart was beating so fast, there was no way she couldn’t feel the thumping threatening to crack my rib cage. I placed her palms under my suit jacket and pressed them against me. “I’m right here. You’re not alone, Donata. Breathe. I’m right here.”

“Luca.”

“Yes.” I wrapped my arm around her body and hugged her tightly, while I reached for the elevator phone to call security. “I’m going to call security.”

“Okay.” She nodded.

“Hello?” A man answered immediately.

“This is Luca Gallo. I have Ms. Donata Salvatore with me. We’re trapped in the elevator.” I winced at my choice of words.

“Right. You need the access card.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

“No.”

I gripped the phone tighter, but before I could tell the asshole exactly how he was going to die if he let Donata spend another second in this elevator car, the call was muted. When he came back on, he was still arguing with another man.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Gallo.” A new male voice came on the line. “Toby is new. He’s still getting familiar with our penthouse residents. My sincere apologies.”

In the next breath, the elevator came to life and the lights came back on. I had so much more I wanted to say to the security guard, but the horror I saw on Donata’s face left me speechless. She looked so vulnerable and broken. What the hell happened to her to make her so afraid of the dark?

I wanted to give this Toby guy a piece of my mind, but Donata was all that mattered right now. Glaring at the security camera mounted on the top corner, I put the phone back in the call box.

“Come on. You’re safe.” I escorted Donata into the foyer.

A tiny voice in my head told me I should get as far away as I could from Donata. But I couldn’t leave her like this. The house felt empty. And who knew when Enzo would make it home tonight.

“You can go now.” Donata wiped her cheeks stained with tears. She was covered in a cold sweat and looked so pale.

“Where’s your room?”

“Upstairs.”

Not a real answer. I supposed it didn’t matter where she slept tonight. “Okay. Up you go.”

“I don’t need you here.”

“This isn’t the time to play the tough girl. You’re stuck with me until I know for sure you’re okay.”

“Why do you have to be so bossy?” Fresh tears streamed down her pretty cheeks. “Why do you have to be so you?”

“Good.” I stepped closer to her and cupped her face. “Sounds like you’re feeling better. More yourself, at least. I wouldn’t call that better.”

“Bite me.”

“Don’t tempt me, Donata.”

She shot me one of her glares, then spun around and headed for the grand staircase. At the bottom of the steps, she stopped in her tracks and bent over. “I’m going to be sick.”

“Here. Let me help you.” I reached for her.

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