Page 77 of Mafioso's Muse
She wandered over to the door and loitered awkwardly while glancing inside. At the back of the room, she thought she spotted Vaughn through a haze of cigarette smoke. His tall, commanding frame was so familiar to her at that point. She glimpsed a man seated while others stood behind. Finn was among them. It was clear that the business meeting was still underway.
Willow was about to return to the bar and order something tragic like mineral water with a slice of lemon in it when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw one of the men grab hold of the seated man and yank him to his feet. Sucking in a breath, she stepped back out of sight. The music in the main bar was too loud for her to hear anything. She should have walked away at that point, but instead, she peered around the edge of the door and saw the man being dragged across the room and through another door at the back. A cold sensation crawled along Willow’s skin as she watched Vaughn remove his suit jacket before following them, Finn at his heels.
That was Willow’s cue to leave. Leave and pretend she was never there.
But her feet didn’t carry her away like they were supposed to. A sick, insatiable curiosity had her checking her surroundings before slipping into the now-empty room. She looked around the space as she walked slowly through it, unable to appreciate the vibrant prints on the walls or the plush fabric of the armchairs in that moment. She was driven forwards by her need to truly know the man she couldn’t seem to walk away from.
When she reached the door on the other side, she paused, partly hoping someone would appear and tell her she was lost before politely guiding her back to the safe part of the bar—but no one came to stop her. With heat gathering beneath her favourite jacket, she reached for the door handle and held her breath as she turned it, then pushed the door open.
Still, no one came to stop her.
She peered inside, discovering what appeared to be a storeroom of some kind. Her senses were heightened by the dark. The muffled sounds of a struggle drew her inside. Her footsteps quickened the closer she got to the noise. She stopped at the edge of a tall metal storage shelf packed with beer cartons, then peered around it. Her stomach twisted as Vaughn’s fist slammed into a man’s face with a sickening thud. The other men were holding him in place, making it easier for the mafioso to beat him with accuracy.
Willow’s hand flew up to her mouth, holding in a gasp. She took a hurried step back so that the beer cartons were blocking her view once more, then flinched when she heard the same noise again followed by a pain-filled groan. Creeping backwards, her feet landing softly, she tried to exit as quickly and quietly as she could.
The absence of breathing was making her dizzy.
When she was finally through the door, she gently closed it, then drew a greedy breath, followed by several more. She turned to flee and slammed straight into a rock-hard body. When she looked up, she saw a face she didn’t recognise. The man grabbed hold of her arm, and she felt her soul leave her body.
‘Who do we have here?’ he asked as his hand tightened on her. ‘Did you get what you came for?’
She shook her head. ‘I was just looking for someone.’ Her voice was shaking all over the place.
His grip turned bruising. ‘And who might that be?’
Willow wasn’t sure if saying Vaughn’s name would cause more problems, but she didn’t know what else to do. ‘Vaughn Gallo.’
The man drew her close, bringing his face to hers. ‘And why would you be looking for him?’
‘I…’ Fear buzzed through her body. ‘Please let go,’ she managed to get out.
‘First tell me who sent you here,’ he replied.
The door swung open, and Vaughn stepped into the room, wiping his hands on a bloodied towel. He stopped when he saw Willow, and it was the first time she recalled ever seeing him shocked by anything.
Finn stepped around him to see what the hold-up was. ‘Oh shit,’ he muttered.
Every muscle in Vaughn’s body appeared to grow rigid as he took in the sight before him. His eyes glazed over, making them appear black in the smoke-filled room. He looked at the man holding her. ‘Let her go.’
The man immediately released her, and she placed a protective hand over the tender spot where he’d held her. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said quietly, unsure who she was apologising to. Perhaps herself.
Vaughn stepped up to the man and shoved him—hard. Despite his size, he stumbled backwards a few paces, making no attempt to defend himself.
‘If you ever put your hands on her again, I’ll fucking kill you,’ Vaughn said, his tone matching the look in his eyes. ‘Understand?’
The man raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. ‘Easy now. I was just looking out for you.’
‘He didn’t hurt me,’ Willow blurted, feeling the sudden need to protect this person she had never met before.
Vaughn’s gaze returned to her. ‘Everyone out. Finn, bring the car around.’ His voice was ice cold.
Everyone filed out of the room. The man Vaughn had beaten was nowhere to be seen.
‘What are you doing here?’ Vaughn asked the moment they were alone.
There was really no answer she could give that would satisfy him. ‘I couldn’t sleep.’ She sounded so pathetic. ‘I thought I would come here and wait for you to finish.’
‘To finish?’