When I'm with You (Hope Town #3)(75)

“Not that I’m complaining, but what was that for?” he questions, color still high on his cheeks.

“No reason. You looked tense, and I couldn’t have that.”

He laughs, the sound like a low rumble of thunder, and walks toward me. “Next time you’re in deep concentration on one of your paintings, I’m going to have a lot of f*cking fun returning the favor, baby.”

I sway in his arms and lick my lips, his eyes following the movement of my tongue.

“I just have to get payroll submitted and then we’re out of here. I’m going to f*ck you hard all night.”

“Promises, promises.”

He kisses my forehead, and after another moment of searching my eyes, he walks back to the desk.

“Do you mind if I head down to get a drink at the bar?”

He pauses, half down in his seat before nodding. “Let me text Shane and have him send someone up to escort you. I don’t want you fighting through that crowd on your own.”

I nod. “Thanks, love.”

He presses a few buttons on his phone, and I wait for someone, who is security I’m assuming, to come up. It takes almost ten minutes, but finally a mountain of a man enters the office after a brief knock. His black shirt says SECURITY in bold white letters.

“Sir?”

Nate looks up and frowns slightly. “Are you new?”

“Yes, sir,” he replies, his tone dark.

“Joe, right?”

The huge man gives a grunt in response.

“Right, well, Joe, this is my girl, and she wants to head down for a drink. Make sure she gets to the bar without any trouble. Shane knows you’re coming and is waiting for her at the main bar.”

Another noise from Joe.

“Love you, honey,” I call to Nate and walk over to the scary-as-hell Joe.

“Love you too, Ember.”

Joe doesn’t speak. He gives me about two seconds of attention, his ice-blue eyes sweeping my whole body in about a second, before turning to open the door. I step out with one last wave to Nate and wait for Joe to close the door and lead the way. If I know Nate, he’s now standing behind that wall of black windows, watching our every move.

The crowd might have looked crazy from his office, but being down here and trying to move around takes it to a whole new level. I keep my eyes trained on Joe as he seems to part the sea of people with no effort at all. It’s as if they sense the danger coming toward them and want to get as far away as possible.

We make it to the bar with no issue, and after a nod to Shane, Joe walks away and over to the entrance to the holding room. His back goes to the wall as his massive arms cross over his chest. Whoever hired him did one hell of a job on making sure they had not only the muscle but the fear factor as well.

“Hey, Ember,” Shane yells over the music.

“Hey!”

“What can I make you?”

With a smile, hoping Nate is still watching, I point up to the sign where my drink is still written above the bar. Shane laughs, shakes his head, and turns to get everything he needs.

Once the flames stop, I take the drink down quickly, and this time, ask Shane to just make me something fruity. He gets busy and I turn around to survey the crowd. I smile when I take in everything around me. I still think it’s a beast, but this beast is just proof of how successful my man is and I couldn’t be more proud of him.

The music changes and my eyes widen when the dance floor I just walked around seems to come alive and not in a good way. Bodies start colliding, and it isn’t long before I hear someone screams something about a fight. I look around, seeing Joe start stalking into the fury, but I lose him the second he enters the tangling bodies.

I was just about to turn around and ask Shane to get me back up to Nate when I feel someone bump my side. I jump when something pokes me in the ribs and turn to look up at the man next to me.

What I see has my heart seizing in raw fear.

He bends, making it look like he’s about to call over a bartender. The shift digs whatever is at my side deeper until I cry out slightly. Then he turns his head and looks at me sinisterly.

“Get up and walk to that back hallway. Don’t even think of doing shit to make anyone get curious.”

My blood runs cold, and I risk a glance toward Nate’s black wall of windows, hoping that he still has his eyes on me, but I feel a palm shove between my bare shoulders and the movement pulls my eyes away when I almost fall to the ground.

With each step I take toward the hallway, my panic starts to take over until I feel like I’m going to pass out from the fear alone. I know nothing good can come of this, but when one bruising hard hand wraps around my bicep, I fear there is nothing I can do but follow.

I stumble down the hallway as he drags me with him. He moves me around like a ragdoll, my arm aching from his hold, until he slams open the back door and the cool night air hits my tear-streaked face.

Then with a rough shove, he pushes me until I tumble to my knees with a cry of pain.

“Levi, you don’t want to do this,” I weep, my words hitching as my sobs grow. I fall on my ass when he takes a step toward me and I start to crab crawl backward.

“Wrong move, bitch.”

He reaches down and pulls me off the pavement with a rough hold of his hand at my throat. I claw at his arm when the air to my lungs cuts off instantly, but I’m no match for him. Before I know what’s happening, he’s holding me up off the ground with just his hand squeezing tightly around my throat. Tears fall and I kick my legs frantically as I fight to take a breath.