groaning at the softness of the cushions as they hugged me like a cloud.
“Are you sure you don’t wanna have fun with me, handsome?” the hostess asked as I found myself looking up at her, my head swimming, heart pounding, arms two leaden weights at my sides.
She looked funny, or at least she must have because I was laughing and I wasn’t sure why else I would have been.
She placed my cellphone down on the table before me and I could only stare at it. So close and yet so fucking far away.
The colours of the room were pulsing between bright and dim, my lips were tingling and I sucked in a sudden breath as I realised I’d forgotten to take one for a while.
The hostess climbed onto my lap, straddling me as she brushed her hands along the sides of my face.
“I would have given you a ride for free, gorgeous. But the cash is a nice bonus all the same,” she purred, her lips brushing my ear as my head fell back against the seat and I tried to remember why I was here.
My savage girl, with the soul of a warrior, owner of my heart...
We left the house in a black Rolls Royce with a group of Ramon’s men and I noticed that even the driver was packing heat. Not to mention the guards in the other two cars, one driving in front and one behind.
I wore a champagne coloured dress that had a high neck and went down to the knee. There hadn't been anything in my closet which suggested I'd once liked the sexier sort of clothes Frankie had provided me with. But I didn't see why my taste would have changed so drastically, kidnapped or not. I definitely preferred Frankie’s clothes, but I wasn’t exactly upset that I didn’t have to wear anything more attractive in front of Ramon.
My husband was in a black dress shirt, navy slacks and a blazer which I suspected concealed a gun of his own. All of the weapons surrounding me made me feel uneasy even though I was used to the Romeros carrying them.
"What is it you do again?" I asked lightly. He'd told me he was a businessman which was about as clear of an explanation as telling me he was a red blooded human being.
"I work in the oil industry," he said smoothly, the lie almost sounding true.
"You need this much protection because of that?" I frowned and he waved a hand dismissively, not looking me in the eye.
"There are plenty of activists in Sinners Bay, not to mention I am on high alert since you were stolen from me, my darling."
I turned my gaze out the window, figuring there was no point pushing the subject. As soon as I got the chance tonight, I'd be making my escape anyway. I'd even picked out the lowest pair of heels in my closet to make running that much easier. And I could always kick them off if things got really hairy.
We arrived downtown and drove alongside the glossy exterior of a high end club. The cars didn't stop there though, instead turning a corner and driving down an alley where a man was waiting beside a side entrance. He hurried forward to open Ramon's door and my husband took my hand, pulling me after him as we stepped onto the concrete.
The cold air made me shiver as Ramon led me to the door and we were allowed inside with six men flanking us without so much as a pat down. My heart tripled its pace as I glanced back at the wall of muscle following behind us. I was going to have to give them the slip somehow. Maybe if there was a restroom with a window, I could climb out of it and disappear into the night…
The heavy pounding of a bass sounded above us and we were soon heading up a sleek black staircase and arrived in a club that was thronging with people. The crowd were dancing in a sea of swinging blue and white spotlights, crying out to the DJ and singing along to the fast song. The noise and the amount of people made my chest tighten. This didn't feel like my kind of scene, but I just had to suck it up and seek out the exits. Even at the thought of being so close to freedom, adrenaline was surging into my blood.