Silent No More(16)
“I told you this wasn’t over! We! Aren’t! Over!” He grabs both of my shoulders in a vise-like grip while pushing me backwards at the same time. My calves touch the base of the footboard of the bed.
“Ow! That hurts!” I may be a decent boxer, but Luke’s much stronger than I am. I’m pushed down onto the bed and he is quickly on top of me, straddling me to hold me in place.
“Get the fuck off me, Lucas!” I shout. I’ve only ever called him Lucas when I’m pissed. Right now, I’m beyond pissed at him. How dare he barge into my room like this?
“Allison might be the fuckable kind, but you, my love, are the marrying kind. Do you hear me, Shannon?” He’s shouting at me. What the fuck? I’ve never seen him like this. Hell, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this drunk. He’s usually the sober one when we go out.
I hear the door open and it slams hard against the wall behind it. A few seconds later, Luke is ripped off me and thrown against the wall, breaking the glass mirror that is hanging there. I look up and see Nick standing over him. His eyes are full of rage. I swear I see a trace of red beneath the blue flames.
A moment later, a larger man enters the room. He’s dressed in all black and sports a shaved head. He looks intimidating as hell. I could feel sorry for Luke at this moment if I wasn’t so fucked off with him.
“Get him the fuck out of my hotel and make sure he doesn’t return!” Nick orders the man. Nick’s eyes are dark and burning with fury. I’m more scared of that look than I was when Luke was on top of me.
The man picks Luke up as if he weighs no more than a few pounds and tosses him out the door into the hall. He turns, looking at Nick. “Yes sir.” It’s all he says, and then they are both gone. I’m slowly sitting up trying to make sense of what just happened. Nothing is making sense right now. What the hell just happened here?
I can feel him looking at me. I bring my hands up to cover my face as I start to cry. I’m usually not a crier, but everything over the last two days surfaces all at once, and I can’t stop myself. I’m balling uncontrollably. I haven’t cried like this in a very long time.
Nick gathers me up into his arms. I put my hands around his shoulders pressing my face against his neck. I still can’t stop crying. He doesn’t say anything as he walks out of the room carrying me. I hear the elevator door open and he steps in. I don’t lift my head, but I know he enters the code to the penthouse and we are riding up.
When we exit, he doesn’t set me down on the floor to open his door. Once he walks through, he kicks it closed behind him. It’s a loud thud and I jump in his arms.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” His voice is a soothing balm. Entering his kitchen, he sits me down on the granite island countertop in the center of the room. The granite is cold, and the room is dark, since he hasn’t turned the lights on.
Turning on his heels, he goes to the cabinet and removes a small glass. He fills it with water and brings it back to me. I take the glass he offers me, taking a small sip. It feels cool and refreshing as I swallow. It relaxes and calms me a little. I hand it back to him. He places it in the sink and then returns back in front of me.
What am I doing here? I don’t know this man, but for the strangest reason, I want to be here. I feel safe.
Nick positions himself between my thighs. My tight-fitted black dress rides up a few inches. We are eye level and he wraps his hands around my waist, pulling me closer, making my dress ride up another inch or two.
Enclosing me in a tight embrace, he whispers, “I’m sorry. I knew I shouldn’t have left you alone.” He pulls back, looking me over his eyes more intense than I’ve seen before. He looks like he’s the one in pain. He turns his face looking away from me.
Why is he sorry?
“Nick, look at me, please,” I say with concern, and I cup his face. Why am I doing this? It’s too intimate and we don’t know each other. But, shit, my hand instinctively reaches out to him.
“You couldn’t have known what was going to happen, but I’m glad you came when you did. Thank you.” I’m going to fucking kill Luke if I see him again. Nick looks at my shoulders; both are still red from the grip Luke had on me.
“I should have. I saw it in his eyes earlier today. I’ve seen that same look too many times before not to know what it means.” He moves a hand to my left shoulder and rubs soothingly. His eyes tell me he is angry. I don’t really understand, and I briefly wonder what he means. He continues before I have a chance to ask him.
“That’s why I did what I did. That’s the reason I moved you behind me today.” The rage comes back into his eyes the longer he stares at the red marks. He really doesn’t like them, so I do the only thing I can think of to make that look go away.