Page 21 of Dangerous Refuge

“Yes, I am. You agreed to it.”

I lie here wondering for a moment if he actually has feelings for me or what he’s even thinking. Why does he just pick a woman off the street and say “That’s the one I’m going to marry?” Has he never heard of romance, dating, love?

“And if I want to divorce you later on?” I reach for the covers, my sweat-glazed body beginning to take a chill. He covers me up, then tightly wraps his arm over my torso again. I actually enjoy the feeling of his warmth against my back as he holds me tightly. His answer is slow in coming, but he does answer.

His voice is low and gruff as he says, “You won’t ever have the desire to do that, but if you do, you will be free to leave.” He sounds almost dejected, and I feel sorry for him.

I contemplate what he means by that answer. Considering we don’t know each other at all, I’d say there is a very high likelihood that I will want to divorce him in the near future. Just as soon as Paul is gone. Hell, I’m not even married to him yet and I want to divorce him. But I give him the benefit of the doubt and stop my prying questions. At least as far as the forced marriage is concerned.

“The man who was bleeding… Did he die? Who was he?”

I feel Sven tense as I ask the question, and he mumbles, “I think you should just focus on sleeping.”

“Sven?”

“Mmm,” he mutters, before he lets a yawn escape. His hot breath breezes across my cheek and I hesitate asking the next question, but it’s one burning in my heart. I have to know.

“Are you going to hurt me like Paul did? Are you dangerous?” Now it’s my turn to tense. He pulls away and the bed is instantly an icebox. It shakes, and I feel him leave the mattress entirely. I stifle the whine that wants to escape because I don’t want to upset him more.

“I’m only dangerous to people who defy me or rebel. Now go to sleep.” He walks into the bathroom and shuts the door, and I see the light stream from beneath the thick wood.

Before I can put logical thought to the answer he gave me, my eyes shut, heavy with sleep. My breathing regulates; I hug the comforter to my chest and relax my shoulders. Sleep comes swiftly.

At least the sex is amazing…

12

SVEN

Things are a mess. Shipments aren’t being received properly; orders aren’t being tracked. And I’m not talking about the raw fish sales we process through this facility. Dominic is going to be furious when he finds out and he’s going to blame me. I’ve been spending so much time trying to keep Allie out of harm’s way my duties are slipping.

I slam my fist on the desk in the front office and the pens in the cup dance. Jen shakes, startled by my outburst and stares up at me with saucer eyes, scared. After dealing with the mess Allie’s ex made for me with David and Lenny, I am in no mood to read how far behind we are with things. Trouble has been brewing a while anyway, but now under my watch I’m going to be responsible to fix it and I just don’t have time. Not until I make that bastard pay for shooting my guy.

“Sir, I only did what Nick told me. The numbers are straight; we just didn’t—”

“Enough!” I snap, cutting her off. I’m livid now, the kind of anger that makes me want to be violent. Nothing has gone my way for days and I feel like a caged lion. “No excuses. You get Fischer on the phone and tell him to pay the invoice now or he will get a visit from Rome. And don’t take no for an answer.”

“But sir, Rome is—”

Just my glare silences her this time. My younger brother ties up loose ends and that’s what he’ll do if I give the order. “Where is Nick?”

After he tried to manipulate me into going behind Dom’s back the other day, the damn bastard ignored what I told him and did what he wanted anyway. The numbers don’t lie. I don’t care how many millions we stand to profit if there isn’t loyalty in the family then there is nothing. Money doesn’t go into your grave with you.

“Sir, I don’t know. He and Leo were talking earlier about taking lunch at Amelio’s.” Jen trembles as she speaks, a sure sign my screaming has gotten through to her. I scowl and head off toward the production floor with hands clenched into fists. The door slams into something as I push it open, sending gun parts flying across the room. Several of my guys look up in surprise, a few of them chuckling.

“Nick!” I shout, scanning the floor. I see the tow motor hauling a skid full of boxes toward the docs where a semi waits to be filled. Nick isn’t there, and I don’t see him around the fishing crates either. “Anyone seen Nick?” I call out only to receive a grumble of mixed answers.

“Back office, boss,” one of the guys calls above the beeping of the tow motor, and I start that direction when I hear gunshots ring out. Everyone freezes and a few guys drop to the ground, but every one of us pulls our weapon and readies it for action.

“What the hell?”

“Who’s shooting?”

“What was that?”

The chorus of shouts meets my ear, but I’m not at all surprised to hear it. I crouch behind a large barrel of fish oil and pull my gun, chambering a round. Dominic warned me about the attempt on his life, that someone was gunning for him and I believed him. I know this has to be connected. I hear shots coming from the hallway that leads to the back office, so I point at a few of my guys and gesture for them to follow me. Lenny nods and Rex falls in line with us.

“Stay low. We don’t know what’s happening yet.” The instant the words leave my mouth, the hallway door bursts open and I see Nick barge in with guns blazing. He fires off several rounds in my direction.

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