Page 103 of Craving Danger

Todd’s deranged face will not be the last thing I see!

My body bucks beneath his, attempting to throw him off, then my fingers touch the handle of the pan, and gripping it tightly, I swing it through the air.

The base of the pan connects with the side of Todd’s head, and he sprawls onto the floor beside me.

My throat aches as I suck in desperate breaths of air, and scrambling to my feet, I run for the front door.

It feels as if Todd’s right behind me, and it has me sprinting down the stairs. When I burst through the exit of the building, I run up the sidewalk and flag down the first cab I see.

The moment the car pulls over to the curb, I yank the door open and dive into the backseat. “Go!” I shout, the terror of Todd getting to me all I can think of.

The cab pulls away, and the driver keeps glancing over his shoulder at me. “To the hospital?” he asks.

Todd can get to me at the hospital. I won’t be safe there.

I shake my head wildly and give him Franco’s address.

Chapter 33

Franco

“He was last seen in Seattle,” Paulie informs me.

An icy sensation ripples through my body, and I turn to Marcello and order, “Get men to Samantha’s apartment. I want her watched twenty-four-seven!”

“On it, boss,” he says before hurrying out of the living room.

I turn my attention back to Paulie. “Anything else?”

He shakes his head. “I have men watching all the main airports.”

Letting out an angry huff, I pull my phone out of my pocket and dial Samantha’s number. When she doesn’t answer, and the call goes to voicemail, I say, “I’m coming over.”

Just as I walk to the sliding doors, the doorbell starts ringing incessantly.

“Jesus Christ,” I mutter before I bark, “Will someone get the fucking door!”

“I’ll check who it is.” Milo walks out of the living room, and seconds later, I hear him shout, “Boss! Come quickly!”

I rush to the foyer and see Samantha falling into my house. She scrambles to her feet and moves away from Milo and the guards stationed at the door.

Her eyes are wild with terror as she glances around her, and the moment she sees me, she loses all her strength.

I grab her in time, and her body slumps against mine.

Ferocious rage instantly shudders through me as I lift Samantha into my arms, and I see the red and blue marks around her throat.

I hurry to the living room, and placing her on the couch, I ask in a deadly tone, “Was it Todd?”

She nods frantically, and when I crouch in front of her, I see the blood covering her left hand. I take hold of her wrist, and noticing a shard of glass embedded in her skin, I shout, “Milo! Bring the first aid kit and get Marcello.”

“Marcello,” Milo shouts by the sliding doors. “Boss needs you STAT.”

My eyes lock with Samantha’s terror-filled ones, and I say, “You’re safe now, baby. I’m going to have Marcello fix up your hand. Okay?”

She nods, her face way too fucking pale.

Marcello bursts into the living room, and when he sees Samantha, he asks. “What do you need me to do?”

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