“Only if you’re sure,” Brock said.
“I’m positive. Brock, you’ve been here so much, you know this show as well as I do. I’m safe here, take a break.”
He watched me for a second then nodded. “Okay. We’re going to grab something to eat down the street. We’ll come back every so often to check on you.”
“Okay.” I smiled.
I wasn’t trying to get rid of him—he could have stayed if he really wanted to, but this was the first time he’d have to sit through the show twice on the same day. I just couldn’t do that to him. With all of the security in place to keep out the crazies I was fine, as long as I stayed back stage.
That was the thing with having two shows: there wasn’t any time to get bored. Between sound checks and costume changes, lunch breaks, and shows, the day passed quickly.
The final performance over, I was in my room, changing to meet Ashton for dinner. Brock had already stopped inside and I’d told him I’d be a few. He searched the place, then told me he’d be in the car waiting. It had been our routine for the last few weeks, ever since Ashton had been arrested. Brock still scared me to a certain degree, but I was beginning to see flashes of the real him, and we’d built a good routine. He was a good guy, and I was pleased I had him around to keep an eye on me.
Stepping through the door, the crisp night air wrapped around me cooling my skin. Across the lot sat the Bentley. Everyone else was still inside, having a drink, celebrating the show, but I’d made my excuses, wanting to get to Ashton. It was weirder than I’d thought to not have him watch the show, and I was anxious to get to him.
Two steps toward the car a hand gripped my arm pulling me to a stop. A shudder raced down my spine when the voice spoke next to my ear.
“My dumb little wife thinks she’s moved onto bigger and better things, does she?” Dominic’s voice slithered across my senses.
“Get your hands off me.”
“Fuck that. You’re coming home with me, where you belong.”
I attempted to jerk my arm out of his grasp. My gaze darted to the car and I realized that he’d pulled me out of their line of sight. Eventually they would come looking for me, but it was still early. I was going to have to deal with Dominic on my own.
“I don’t belong anywhere near you. You want a slave you can emotionally destroy, not a wife.”
“A wife is supposed to serve her husband in every way.”
When he moved his head, I noticed the crazy glint to his eyes. He’d always been cruel to me, but now he looked as if he’d completely lost it. I clenched my fists to keep him from seeing my hands tremble.
“No, marriage is supposed to be a partnership. Ashton has shown me exactly how I deserve to be treated and it’s nothing like the way you tortured me.”
He growled, slapped me across the face hard enough to bring tears to my eyes and slammed me against the wall of the building. Pain reverberated down my back. With both of his hands holding my upper arms, I used the self-defense training Ashton insisted I learn, and drove my knee up into his groin as hard as I possibly could. He let go of me instantly to cup his crotch.
Run, Elena. Run!
Seeing a clear path, I started to run toward the car. Halfway there I was thrown to the ground by Dominic’s weight. Spinning my body, I threw him off but I wasn’t fast enough and he jumped to his feet, coming toward me, pulling a pistol out of the back of his pants.
“Now, you’re going to come with me quietly, or I’m going to turn this gun on the goons in the car.”
There was only one way this could end.
Throwing out my leg, I was able to knock him to the ground. The clang of metal against the concrete drew my attention to the gun that had slipped from his grip. Scrambling forward, I tried to get to the gun first. The second my hand slid around the barrel, I rolled, and pointed the gun at Dominic.
I pulled the trigger and the sound echoed through the lot.
Footsteps pounded across the pavement toward me as Dominic’s eyes met mine, his hands covering the hole in his stomach. He dropped to his knees.
There was blood.
A lot of it.
Everywhere.
“Elena,” Brock shouted, grabbing Dominic’s shirt and pushing him away from me.
Lewis pulled his phone out of his pocket, calling first the police then Ashton. Brock sat next to me, taking the gun from my hand. “Are you okay, Elena?”
The sight of Dominic’s body, oozing life, held me immobile.
“Physically she’s fine.” Their voices sounded like they were coming down a tunnel. “Yeah, I’m not sure she’ll answer. She seems to be in shock. Of course I called the fucking police. No reason for us to clean up this mess. She was defending herself. Hold on.”