Page 14 of King of Ruin
Roman was right. I shouldn’t have answered the door.
I swallow down a lump, my heart roaring in my ears. I have no idea what happens next. I’m somehow between Roman and Vigo. Why do I ever leave the house? I should have watched that baseball game with Josh and Lucia.
If I ever see Lucia again, I’m going to tell her that I should have just stayed hidden. Tucked away. “I c-can’t come with you. I have my animals to care for.”
“I don’t give a fuck about your animals.” And then, before I can even react, he’s bending down, wrapping an arm around my legs and lifting me in the air.
I scream, trying to squirm away, but it’s as useless as a baby bird squawking. Until it isn’t.
I feel the air moving a second before the sound of something hard hitting flesh fills the room.
Suddenly I’m falling to the side, my shoulder crashing into the hard floor. I cry out, curling in on myself.
A moment later a hand touches my other shoulder. I scream again, but gentle fingers grip me. “Maddie.”
Roman’s voice helps me draw in a breath and then another.
“Are you all right?” he asks.
I shake my head, trying to decide. “I think so.”
“Come on, sweetheart, we have to go.”
“Go?”
“Vigo’s going to wake up very soon. I only knocked him out, bludgeoning a man to death in your house isn’t going to play out well.”
I start to sit up, testing my shoulder. “You want me to go with you? Just leave him lying in my living room?”
“That’s right.”
I shake my head, my hand still gripped around my phone. I’ve been rather stupid all night, but just this moment, I do what I should have done when I first found this man outside.
“Call nine-one-one,” I say into the phone, which instantly dials.
“What are you doing?”
“Vigo is going to jail for attempted rape,” I say. “I can’t leave my home. I won’t.” Never mind that until Lucia forced me out last week, I’d barely left in months. This has been my home my entire life. I’ve never slept anywhere else. Even when I went to college…
Roman kneels over me, still calm but his body exudes power now. I look up at him, half in awe. “Sweetheart. Hang up. When Vigo doesn’t return, Vincent is coming.”
His words slice through me. Shit. He’s right.
“Nine-one-one. What’s your emergency?”
I only take one second to decide. I lift the phone to my ear. “I made a mistake. Butt dial. Sorry.” And then I hang up.
He takes my hand and I let him pull me to standing and lead me outside. “I need to know where you’re taking me.”
I know I’m in deep trouble.
“My place,” he answers. “I’ll explain on the way.”
I’ve made a few mistakes tonight that can’t be undone. Can I trust Roman? Who knows.
But I can’t stay here and wait for Vincent. I just heard him shoot two people. And I’d like to find a way to help Kate.
So that means I’m going with Roman. “My animals.”