“What happened?” a muffled voice asked.
She hugged her knees to her chest and peered through her fingers. One of the monsters pulled off its head to reveal a man. She squinted, realizing the two furry brown monsters were men in costumes from Where the Wild Things Are. Several more men entered the library, all staring at her in nothing short of total surprise. Either they were all huge enough to come straight out of an action movie, or her drugs had not yet worn off.
“Gods, are you all right?” one asked finally, moving toward her.
“No!” she shouted. “Don’t touch me, don’t touch me, don’t touch me!” The last thing she needed was more of the gruesome visions!
“Sofi?” Jake’s stunned tone drew her attention. While surprised to see him there, she was struck by how well Jake fit in with the other men. He was built from the same mold-- large and muscular, the kind of man more fitted to military special forces or UFC prizefighting than financial planning.
The man approaching her had nearly reached her, and she huddled into a tighter ball.
“Han, don’t!” Jake called. “Leave her be.”
“She’s bleeding to death!”
“Trust me. She’ll go ape shit.”
Sofia wanted to pound Jake’s face in. Her heart raced to the point of pain, and she felt sick enough to puke.
“Go get D,” the man called Han said. He squatted near her. “You okay?”
Her gaze cleared, and she focused on her surroundings. Her first impression was confirmed-- the men in the room were UFC material, all well over six feet and solid. They were all dressed for a white tie party in expensive tuxedos.
“I gave you enough drugs that you should be asleep until next week,” Jake said, joining Han. He was also dressed for the exclusive party. Seeing him well rested and well dressed pissed her off even more.
“Can I help you up?” Han asked, extending his hand as if approaching a wounded animal. His brown gaze was friendly but cautious.
The others fanned out, and she suddenly felt like a lamb surrounded by a wolf pack trying to decide what to do with her. She didn’t know these men, but her instincts told her they were 100 percent predators. They moved in tandem without looking at each other, their movements controlled and efficient. If she flinched, they’d snap in unison.
“What did you do to me, Jake?” she demanded.
“We’ll wait on that,” Jake responded. “There’s a lot of blood. You okay?”
“You drugged me.”
He rubbed his mouth.
“She’s little, pick her up before D sees the blood all over the floors,” another of the men urged.
“Don’t touch me!” she warned again.
Despite being able to bench press two of her, the men actually listened.
“What happened to my floors?” a new voice demanded.
If the men around her were predators, the man who entered next was their alpha. Unlike the others dressed for a white tie event, he was dressed in leather pants with a tight black Pearl Jam T-shirt, his hair braided, a chain from his spiked belt to his wallet, and heavy black boots. She didn’t miss the way the others moved out of his way or the way the aura of command around him filled up the room. His gaze swept around the room methodically, coming to rest on her. He approached with a slow, steady gait, like a predator inspecting its disabled prey before going for the kill.
She tightened into her ball. He was as large as the others, with olive skin, long white-blond hair, and golden eyes the unusual color of honey. His features were firm and chiseled. He was not a pretty boy but a man with rugged, bad-boy beauty and a slow sensuality about his movement that made her heart skip a beat despite her pain.
“You got blood all over my floors,” he told her, his golden eyes taking her in. He knelt beside Han. She tensed.
“You can blame the Wild Things, D,” Han said. “They scared the shit outta her.”
D reached out to her, and she recoiled, pushing herself farther into the corner.
“Sofi, you shouldn’t-- ” Jake started, eyes going nervously to the newcomer.
“Not gonna hurt you, okay?” D said, holding up his hands.
A sense of power swirled around him that scared her. She felt it circle her, prod her, and retreat. His honey gaze was similar to Han’s: warm but wary. She ducked her head and braced herself as he reached for her again. His large hand was warm against her arm. No visions pierced her thoughts.
“See?” he said.
She looked up at him, surprised. By the look of understanding on his face, he knew what she expected to feel. Relief flooded her, and she flung her arms around his neck. She’d never known the power of a single touch until everyone who touched her hurt her!