confused me. I’d been expecting him to start questioning me straightaway. I’d braced myself for an interrogation, not this. “Um, well, yes,” I said. “Apart from the fact they wouldn’t let me go home and made me come here with them.” He might be all-powerful here, but I wasn’t about to let everything slide. He was responsible for bringing me here against my will, and he should know that wasn’t acceptable.
He gave me another dazzling smile and attempted to look bashful and apologetic. It didn’t really work, though. I doubted that Victor Blackthorne had ever been bashful in his life.
“I’m very sorry, Ella. I’m afraid the situation you find yourself in is my fault. My men need to be very security conscious, and it appears that through no fault of your own, you got caught up in this.”
I licked my lips nervously. This man was completely different to the Victor Blackthorne I’d been expecting. His choice of language and way of expressing himself came as a surprise. I’d expected a coarse, cursing, violent biker, and he was the complete opposite.
“Yes, well, I can assure you I didn’t get caught up in anything,” I replied, aware that I sounded a little pissed. “It must have been a case of mistaken identity. I was in Vegas for a vacation, and I didn’t see anything.” I was determined not to mention what went on between Nick and I that night. It wasn’t relevant, and it wasn’t any of his business. All he needed to know was that I hadn’t seen anything that would put his crew at risk.
“I’m well known in these parts, and I have enemies. I’m sure you can understand I need to be careful.”
“I’d never even heard of you before Chad kidnaped me,” I snapped.
He laughed at my response, and that drew the attention of the other people in the bar, including Nick, who shot me a concerned look.
“It’s just as well I don’t have a huge ego, Ella. Are you always so brutally honest?”
Too late, I realized what I’d said could be misconstrued. The fact I’d never heard of him could be interpreted as a slur on his reputation.
“I… I didn’t mean that as an insult,” I stammered, turning redder and redder.
Dammit, I shouldn’t have had so much to drink. I’d completely lost focus.
“Please, Ella, don’t look so afraid.” He leaned closer to me. “I won’t eat you.” His voice was husky and in response, a slight gasp escaped my lips. “Although, I imagine that experience could be quite pleasurable.” His intense gaze locked with mine, and I shook my head as the implication behind his words sunk in.
“I’m just teasing you, Ella.” He took my hand in his and then pressed my fingers to his lips as his eyes remained fixed on my face. “We wouldn’t want Nick to get jealous now, would we?” He turned, and I followed the direction of his gaze.
Nick stood by the bar, glaring at us. I’d never seen him look so mad.
“I’d say you have made quite an impression there, Ella.”
More than anything, I wanted to pull my hand away from Victor and run over to Nick, but that was stupid. Nick wasn’t my savior. He wasn’t the white knight I wanted him to be. Victor was the only one who could save me. He and he alone could grant permission for me to go home. Without his say-so, I could be trapped here indefinitely.
“I really would like to go home,” I said dully. Deep down, I had started to believe they would never let me go. Why would they take the risk? It would be easy to get rid of me out here in the desert.
“Of course you can go home.”
I looked up sharply. “What?”
“I don’t want to keep you here against your will, Ella. Chad and Tom are returning to Vegas on Monday. They can take you with them.”
Monday. That wasn’t long to wait. Could he be telling the truth? Would Victor keep his word?
I blinked unable to quite believe it. Was he really going to let me go, just like that? I waited for the inevitable but, or for him to burst out laughing and
He gave me another dazzling smile and attempted to look bashful and apologetic. It didn’t really work, though. I doubted that Victor Blackthorne had ever been bashful in his life.
“I’m very sorry, Ella. I’m afraid the situation you find yourself in is my fault. My men need to be very security conscious, and it appears that through no fault of your own, you got caught up in this.”
I licked my lips nervously. This man was completely different to the Victor Blackthorne I’d been expecting. His choice of language and way of expressing himself came as a surprise. I’d expected a coarse, cursing, violent biker, and he was the complete opposite.
“Yes, well, I can assure you I didn’t get caught up in anything,” I replied, aware that I sounded a little pissed. “It must have been a case of mistaken identity. I was in Vegas for a vacation, and I didn’t see anything.” I was determined not to mention what went on between Nick and I that night. It wasn’t relevant, and it wasn’t any of his business. All he needed to know was that I hadn’t seen anything that would put his crew at risk.
“I’m well known in these parts, and I have enemies. I’m sure you can understand I need to be careful.”
“I’d never even heard of you before Chad kidnaped me,” I snapped.
He laughed at my response, and that drew the attention of the other people in the bar, including Nick, who shot me a concerned look.
“It’s just as well I don’t have a huge ego, Ella. Are you always so brutally honest?”
Too late, I realized what I’d said could be misconstrued. The fact I’d never heard of him could be interpreted as a slur on his reputation.
“I… I didn’t mean that as an insult,” I stammered, turning redder and redder.
Dammit, I shouldn’t have had so much to drink. I’d completely lost focus.
“Please, Ella, don’t look so afraid.” He leaned closer to me. “I won’t eat you.” His voice was husky and in response, a slight gasp escaped my lips. “Although, I imagine that experience could be quite pleasurable.” His intense gaze locked with mine, and I shook my head as the implication behind his words sunk in.
“I’m just teasing you, Ella.” He took my hand in his and then pressed my fingers to his lips as his eyes remained fixed on my face. “We wouldn’t want Nick to get jealous now, would we?” He turned, and I followed the direction of his gaze.
Nick stood by the bar, glaring at us. I’d never seen him look so mad.
“I’d say you have made quite an impression there, Ella.”
More than anything, I wanted to pull my hand away from Victor and run over to Nick, but that was stupid. Nick wasn’t my savior. He wasn’t the white knight I wanted him to be. Victor was the only one who could save me. He and he alone could grant permission for me to go home. Without his say-so, I could be trapped here indefinitely.
“I really would like to go home,” I said dully. Deep down, I had started to believe they would never let me go. Why would they take the risk? It would be easy to get rid of me out here in the desert.
“Of course you can go home.”
I looked up sharply. “What?”
“I don’t want to keep you here against your will, Ella. Chad and Tom are returning to Vegas on Monday. They can take you with them.”
Monday. That wasn’t long to wait. Could he be telling the truth? Would Victor keep his word?
I blinked unable to quite believe it. Was he really going to let me go, just like that? I waited for the inevitable but, or for him to burst out laughing and
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