Stoking the Fire (Salus Security #1) - Teodora Kostova Page 0,52
into my brain instead.
“Who are these people?” I ask, breathless after running several flights of stairs.
“I don’t know. But they drugged you for a reason.” He takes a corner too quickly, and I trip behind him. He catches me, because of course he does, steadies me, and pulls me down the steps again. “If we don’t get out of here before they come to, we’re fucked. My backup won’t be here in time, and I don’t know how many people they’ve got with them. I’m sure they didn’t want to cause a scene at the party because of all the people and the heavy security, but there’s nothing stopping them once we’re outside.” He’s breathless by the time we reach the bottom of the staircase.
For a moment, we stand frozen in front of the heavy door, the Fire Exit sign shining a bit too brightly in the dim space. And then Alec tries the handle. It opens, making us both exhale in relief.
“The car will meet us on Hewes Street. We have to get out of here as fast as we can.” He cups my jaw, forcing me look at him. His face is much less blurry than before. I can see the determination in his eyes, but I can also recognize the shadow of anxiety when I see it. “Don’t let go,” he says, squeezing my hand in his.
All I can do is nod and run after him when we step out. The street behind the building is dimly lit and quiet. Too quiet. Our footsteps echo all around us, the sound too loud in my ears.
I don’t know how long we run for, but my breath’s starting to come in gasps that burn my throat. My heart’s about to beat out of my chest, and my whole body is starting to hurt.
Just as I’m about to ask Alec to slow down, he comes to a sudden halt. I crash into him, and he catches me as if expecting me to end up in his arms. A second later, the familiar black SUV pulls up to the curb. Alec yanks the door open, shoves me inside, and staggers in behind me, before snapping at the driver to drive the fucking car.
Never in my life have I heard a sound more soothing than the screech of tires and the click of the locks.
Sagging against the cool leather, I put a hand over my chest, trying to will my heart to slow down.
“It’s okay. You’re safe now,” Alec says, reaching for my hand.
My head rolls to the side, my eyes meeting his. “I was always safe. Because you were there.”
Chapter twenty-one
I feel the bright light even before I crack my eyes open. The blackout blinds are up, letting the sun shine in all its glory inside my bedroom. Groaning, I pull the blanket over my head and blissfully close my eyes again.
A soft snore close by makes me open them in panic. I throw the blanket off me and sit in bed, frantically looking for the perpetrator. In hindsight, someone who’s trying to sneak into my room wouldn’t be snoring while I sleep, but I’m not awake enough to rationalize that.
Heart pounding, my eyes slide across the room until they land on Alec, who has somehow managed to curl his huge body into an armchair and is sleeping peacefully. The usually tight lines of his face are relaxed, and he looks years younger than his thirty-one.
Looking at him, memories from last night flood my thoughts. Surprisingly clear memories. I distinctly remember Alec’s worried face as he found me in the bathroom, his greedy hands as they roamed my body in the stairwell. It might have been just for show, but I’d like to imagine he actually wanted me in that moment.
My dick gets hard just thinking about it.
And then… Images of us running, of the urgency written all over his face, of the way his body shielded me from anyone and anything that wanted to hurt me.
The way his eyes widened and face softened when I told him I’d always been safe with him.
It wasn’t the drugs talking. I believe that this morning as much I believed it last night.
As if feeling my insistent gaze on him, Alec stirs and wakes with a jolt. He looks adorably confused for a moment before his eyes clear and he sees me sitting in bed.
“Are you okay?” he asks, already up and moving toward me.