She launched off the bed just as the door creaked open and a huge shadow stepped inside. She needed her gun…which she’d left in her purse, right there by the door. Jesus. Her two years in the comfortable life of Lark Warren had made her sloppy.
She ran to the kitchen, which had come equipped with a full butcher block. Her hand shook, and it took her two tries to find the big knife, but as soon as her fingers closed around the handle, she swiped at her intruder, catching him across the upper arm. Not nearly as damaging a blow as she’d hoped. He cursed and shoved her against the wall with one huge hand while way too easily disarming her with the other. She kicked out, but his shin was like a steal beam, and he didn’t so much as flinch.
“Lark,” he said through his teeth. “Cut it out.”
Oh God. That voice. Low, soft, but with an oh so deadly edge that made her heart speed up and her nipples tighten. She knew that voice, the way it said her name. Had heard it over and over again in X-rated dreams on her loneliest of nights.
She stilled and stared up into the slivery-blue eyes of Vaughn Wilde.
For several heartbeats, neither of them moved.
Finally, he eased his grip on her and pushed a strand of her newly blonde hair out of her face. That snapped her back to the here and now like nothing else could have.
Vaughn had found her. Which meant anyone could find her.
He drew a breath as if about to say something, but she wasn’t going to give him the opportunity. She slammed a knee into his balls, and he bent double with an umph. Pain seized the back of her throat for hurting him, but dammit, she couldn’t afford feelings of guilt. If she let them in, they’d consume her. She bolted past him, scooped up her bag, smacked open the side door that let out into the alley…and ran directly into another big male chest.
Goddammit.
She glared up, expecting to see one of Vaughn’s brothers—most likely his twin—but instead met brown eyes crinkled in amusement.
Marcus.
So that was how Vaughn had found her.
He caught her arm and the corner of his mouth lifted in a half-smile that was too damn charming. “Going somewhere, doll?”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!
She glanced around. The alley was blocked on three sides by the walls of her neighbors’ houses, and he was barring her only exit onto the street. She had to get past him if she had any hope of escaping.
Okay, no problem. She knew what made guys like him tick.
She drummed up every ounce of desperation she felt and let it leak out her eyes in the form of crocodile tears.
“Please,” she whispered, giving her voice a tremble. “Let me go. He’s my ex, and I’ve been trying to get away from his abuse and—”
“I don’t think so,” Marcus said, and his smile widened. He was enjoying himself, the bastard. “See, I know all of the Wilde brothers, and not a one of them would ever harm a woman.”
So much for tapping into his inner knight in shining armor.
Dammit, she’d known this guy was trouble. As soon as he walked into Elixir and her inner alarm bells started clanging, she should have ran out the back door to a new life. It had been so, so stupid to ignore her instincts when they hadn’t failed her yet. She’d know better next time.
If there was a next time, which wasn’t looking too promising. Marcus still held her by the arm and inside, Vaughn’s heavy footfalls were coming fast through her apartment toward the side door.
“Marcus?” Vaughn called, his voice strangled.
“Yeah, I got her.”
Oh, no. No, no, no.
She looked up at Marcus. He seemed like a decent enough guy, and she hated to hurt him, but…
“I’m sorry.” She yanked a Taser from her bag and shoved it into his ribs. He made a choked sound and dropped as if his legs had dissolved from underneath him. Without glancing back, she jumped over his prone body and sprinted into the street with Vaughn’s curses chasing her into the chill of the night.
…
Vaughn staggered to the door, wincing as he readjusted himself. The woman had damn near kicked his balls up into his throat, and his stomach threatened a revolt with each step he took.
A shout of pain rang out from the alleyway. Vaughn cursed, slammed through the door, and found Marcus on his hands and knees in the alley. Lark was long gone.
“Jesus.” He dragged his hands through his hair, then locked them behind his head and stared down the alley. At his feet, Marcus groaned and sat up. He was looking a bit green, and Vaughn winced in sympathy. “Nut shot?”
Marcus dropped his head into his hands. “Dude, she fucking tasered me.”
Vaughn swore again and dug his phone out of his pocket. “If you were her and wanted to get out of the city fast, where would you go?”