“Oh, I disagree. If you’re going to be mine, I need to know your name.”
“I’m not going to be yours—”
“You are though,” he spat. “Now, let’s go. We can talk about your name later.”
“Screw you. I’m not yours to command.”
River feinted one way then spun and darted the other. Emiliano though, as big as he was, still moved with cat-quick reflexes. He grabbed her arm and spun her around, making her yelp in pain. She tried to pull away from him, but his hand was like an iron vice, and just the pressure of his fingers pressing into her flesh as he held her arm was painful.
“Let go of me!” she screamed.
The words had only just passed her lips when she heard a loud grunt. She turned in time to see the second of Emiliano’s goons join the first one, face down on the ground. And then Nico was there moving toward Emiliano as if he'd materialized from thin air. River's heart raced and her belly churned as hope took hold of her. Nico was holding a large chrome gun and had it pointed straight at Emiliano’s face. The man’s iron-tight grip on her arm loosened somewhat, but he didn’t let go of her completely.
“Let go of her arm,” Nico snarled, his voice low and tight.
“Shoot me,” Emiliano taunted. “Let’s see what happens after that if you do.”
He was putting on a brave face, but River heard the slight tremor in his voice and felt the tremble in his hand. Nico stood a couple of feet from Emiliano, the barrel of his gun scant inches from the tip of the man's nose. His eyes were narrowed, his jaw clenched, and he looked at Emiliano with undisguised hate. Nico’s eyes were so cold, and his expression so filled with malice, it nearly took River’s breath away. Her entire body trembled for in that moment, she believed he was capable of killing somebody.
“Let. Her. Go,” Nico said.
Though continuing to bluster and put on a brave face, Emiliano let go of her. River rubbed her arm, trying to work some feeling back into it. Nico and Emiliano continued staring at one another, the air between them crackling with tension.
“River, come with me,” Nico said.
She looked from Emiliano to Nico and felt the blood drain from her face. She trembled and felt a slick sheen of sweat covering her body as her stomach churned.
“River,” Nico said. “Come with me.”
Never taking his eyes off Emiliano, Nico held his hand out to her. Her mouth dry, River licked her lips and tried to force herself to move. The look on Nico’s face was hard. Cold. Completely devoid of any sort of emotion. It sent a finger of ice sliding up her spine that made her tremble. She was terrified.
“River,” he demanded.
She lifted her foot, trying to will herself to take a step toward him but at the last minute, she turned and ran the other way. River pumped her arms and her legs, her lungs and legs burning as she sprinted down the narrow lane. Nico’s voice, calling her name, echoed down the lane, chasing her. River gritted her teeth, put her head down, and ran harder, desperate to get away from the both of them.
10
Nico walked up the flight of stairs and down the hallway to her door. He checked the tracking app on his phone and saw that her cell was pinging inside. He frowned to himself as he remembered the look of fear he’d seen etched into her face. Nico hated that she’d been afraid of him. Nico knew it was his fault and he hated that he’d made her feel that way.
He knocked on the door and waited. Nico could almost feel her crouched down on the other side of the door, holding her breath, her body strained with the effort of trying to keep from moving. Trying to keep him from hearing her in there. She didn’t know that he’d had one of his guys tracking her phone so he always knew where she was at. He knocked again and waited. A minute went by and there was still no answer.
“River, open the door,” he said. “I know you’re in there.”
She remained silent inside her apartment, no doubt hoping he’d just go away. He wasn’t going to though. Not until they’d talked. He was not going to leave until he’d explained himself and she wasn’t afraid of him anymore. Nico knew if she heard him out, he’d take away that fear.
“River,” he called again. “Open the door, please. We need to talk.”
“Go away,” she finally said, her voice muffled through the door. “I have nothing to say to you. I don’t want to see you. Go away.”
“River, open the door. Now.”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” she yelled.
“We need to talk.”
“No, we really don’t.”
Nico reached down and grabbed hold of the doorknob and chuckled to himself when it turned in his hand. He opened the door and pushed it inward to find her huddled on her sofa. And when she saw the door open, she groaned.