Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 68102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Well, she didn’t think he did.
She eyed Arseni. No, she was pretty sure that was all just posturing. Wanting to make sure Colm knew who she was and who protected her.
As if anyone could forget. Least of all her.
“Come, I’ll help you in,” Colm said, guiding her to the backseat.
Help her in?
Why did she need help getting into the car she’d been using for years?
But his hand was on her lower back as she climbed in and then he actually grabbed the seatbelt, pulling it over her.
“What are you doing?” Arseni asked aggressively, moving closer to Colm. He looked like he wanted to push the large Scot out of the way. She sucked in a breath, her nerves making her feel ill.
“It’s okay, Arseni,” she said quickly.
Arseni grunted and didn’t step away, but he didn’t try to attack Colm either.
So she took that as a win.
“Aren’t you supposed to be guarding Miller?” she asked quietly as he buckled her in.
This was all so strange that she didn’t know what to think about it.
“I am guarding her,” he retorted as he actually tested the seatbelt.
Did he really think that she’d be in a car without working seatbelts?
“Go straight to bed when you get home. Get some heat on your back and rest tomorrow.”
Then he shut the door.
Seriously. Was this guy for real?
Colm strode over to his car and opened the front passenger door for Miller. After he had climbed in and started the car, she turned to him. “Sooo . . . Sofia.”
He grunted. There was no way he was talking to Miller about Sofia.
“The two of you seem . . . close.”
“We’re not.”
“No?” she queried.
“No.” Why was he even answering her?
“You’re friends?”
“Acquaintances,” he muttered.
“Uh-huh. You’ve never done up my seatbelt or tested it.”
He shot a look at her. “Boss would kill me.”
“Oh, so that’s the only reason you’re holding back?”
Jesus. What had he done to deserve this sort of torture? Obviously, it must have been something terrible.
“You know, if you want to get her attention—”
“I don’t. Conversation over.”
“Right. Sorry. I just . . . I don’t think that Oleg guy is good enough for her. Sofia seems lovely, but he seems . . .”
Like a right prick.
Agreed.
But he was Sofia’s choice.
Even if it was the wrong one.
5
Sofia frowned as she walked back into the kitchen.
Where was Miller?
She’d said she was going to take out the garbage and then head home . . . but she was taking a while.
As Sofia headed to the door that led to the alleyway, some instinct had her grabbing the baseball bat she had sitting there.
She kept it there just in case. It wasn’t like she expected trouble. She doubted anyone wanted to incur Sacha’s wrath by attacking anyone here on his territory.
But then again, there were some really dumb idiots out there. So she gripped the bat and stepped outside into the alley.
Right into a horror scene.
Miller was lying on the ground and there was a man on top of her . . . attacking her.
Sofia’s breath came in sharp, panic-filled pants as she stepped forward.
She had to help Miller.
“Let go of me, asshole.” Miller pushed at the man on top of her.
Sofia didn’t have time to work out who was attacking the other woman. Without any more hesitation, she raised the bat. Letting out a scream, she smashed it against his head with a crack.
A sob escaped her as he slumped down.
Oh, God.
Oh, God.
Had she killed him? He was unconscious, right? Was he breathing?
Oh, God.
Oh, God.
“Get off! Get him off!” Miller cried.
Sofia stood there, dazed. What?
Sofia knew she should do something. That she should help Miller. But she couldn’t seem to move; she was frozen.
The other woman managed to roll him off her and then sat up. Sofia stared down at the man.
Dima.
It was Dima. Her kitchen hand. One of Oleg’s hires. Well, Boris, her manager, had hired him, but Boris didn’t do anything without Oleg’s permission.
This isn’t helping, Sofia! Move! Get help! Do something!
But she couldn’t. All she could do was stand there and stare at Dima’s lifeless body. There was enough light back here for her to see the red patch on the side of his head. He was bleeding.
“Sofia?” Miller asked quietly.
A wave of dizziness washed through her. She was going to collapse.
No, no, no.
She couldn’t collapse here on the ground. Much less, beside Dima.
Why was the world moving from side to side? It didn’t make any sense. Her gaze fixated on Dima again.
He was so still.
“Do you think I killed him?” she asked.
Miller let out a cry of pain that made Sofia jump. It cut through some of her dazed panic.
“We need help,” Miller told her. “Get Colm.”
Colm? Yes, she wanted Colm.
“Sofia! Get Colm. We need Colm.”
Yes, she needed Colm. He would know what to do. He would keep her safe.