Page 14 of King of Ruin

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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.”




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