Page 3 of Captured Innocence
When I handed him my fake ID, he barely glanced at the particulars other than my name. Then a smirk crossed his face. There was no one here that would do the math. It simply wasn’t important.
“No can do, miss. Move along.”
His tone was gruff and he was stupid enough to try to push me aside.
I jumped in front of him, tilting my head as I threw out the gold card. “I don’t think you want to deny anything to the daughter of Roberto Lazarro. Do you?”
The hulking mass of a man lifted his eyebrow, a cold, calculating smirk crossing his face. The other bouncer walked over, grabbing the invitation from Mr. Hulking Mass Number One’s hand, giving me a hard onceover. “Let her in.”
Although he sneered given his disapproval, he did what he was told, not even pestering Celeste for her ID before motioning us in.
“Dentro ci sono uomini cattivi che desidereranno mangiare delle belle ragazzine.” There are bad men inside who’d desire to eat pretty little girls.
I threw my head over my shoulder after hearing his comment. “Then I guess it’s good I’m a crack shot, isn’t it?” I used English although I could have chosen French or Spanish, Turkish or Russian. If he had any clue what I’d said to him, it wasn’t apparent, the bastard grinning lewdly as he opened the door.
In return, I flicked him the bird then pounced inside, acting as if I owned the place.
“Wow. That was impressive,” Celeste said as she giggled. “Did you see the one guy’s face? I think he wanted to eat you alive.”
“He’s just hired muscle. He knew better than to touch me.” I had a feeling my arrival had been noted, which was exactly what I wanted.
“God, this place is gorgeous and insane. Look how crowded it is,” Celeste said, clinging to my arm as if terrified I’d leave her.
Men of all sizes and shapes scanned us like we were prime grade-A beef as I pushed our way through the crowd. I was searching for one thing: Mattia. To that end, I made certain I preened in front of several cameras. If he was working, he’d be told I was here. I was certain of it. After a few seconds, I glanced at the balcony, the prime real estate exactly what I was looking for.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
As soon as I pointed, she followed my gaze. “To where all the pretty people play.”
“You are such a bad girl. Did I ever tell you that?”
That’s exactly what I planned on being if only for a single night. I’d concocted the plan on my eighteenth birthday, the party held at my father’s favorite restaurant. Mattia had been there with his entire family, celebrating something special as well.
I’d watched him as he’d watched me, careful not to allow anyone to see our interest in the other. The images of what happened that night tickled the back of my mind just as it had dozens of times before.
As the hand was snapped over my mouth, preventing me from screaming, shock tore through me. I was quickly dragged from the corridor, the assailant quickly leaving through the rear door of the restaurant. That’s when my fight or flight kicked in and I struggled, managing to kick the powerful man in the shins.
But he was too strong for me, jerking me toward an oncoming vehicle. When the driver skidded to a stop, the door pitched open, I did everything I could to get away, biting the asshole’s hand.
My high-pitched scream was short lived, the horrible man knocking me to the ground.
“You bitch!”
The words were spouted in English, but I knew the language. Dazed, the wind knocked out of me, I tried to scramble away but he was too fast, wrapping his hand around my arm and jerking me off the cracked pavement.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
Four rapid shots were fired and I was dropped. Then I watched in horror and glee as the man who’d tried to abduct me fell to the ground, pitching face first. Seconds later, the driver slumped to the steering wheel, the car rolling into the brick wall of the building next door.
When a figure approached, I tried to scream but nothing came out. Then a larger than life man dropped beside me, immediately cupping my face.
“You’re okay, bellissima principessa. I will never let anyone harm you again. That is my pledge to you.” The words ‘beautiful princess’ should be ones I hated, but his deep voice made me feel as if he was my knight in shining armor.
When he gathered me into his arms, carrying me under the light over the back door, I recognized my hero.
Mattia.
He whisked me inside, easing me to the floor near the restrooms. Exhaling, he brushed the backs of his knuckles across my face, giving me the kind of seductive look that would fuel fantasies for days and weeks to come. Then he dared move closer, taking a deep breath and allowing it to slide across my face. “Are you alright?”