Page 109 of Only for Love

From out of nowhere, security surrounds Ryan from behind. My brother’s an intimidating guy, and there’s pure, one hundred percent rage on his war-ready face. We’re in a small area full of large, violent-looking men who seem ready to fight to the death. The Aussie edges back with me still in his arms. Grayson and the other man push toward Ryan till the three of them stand shoulder to shoulder. But they’re outnumbered two-to-one.

“I have an agreement,” Bruno says. “No badges in here.”

“You don’t have an agreement with me, asshole.” Ryan squares his shoulders. “If my sister wants to leave, she gets to leave.”

Bruno swerves toward me. “Brother’s a cop?”

The Aussie’s protective hold on me tightens, reassuring me, and the dark-haired guy next to Grayson steps in front of me. “Girl goes, place closes down early tonight. We sort shit out.”

Bruno shakes his head. “Nothing to sort out.”

Aussie guy shifts again, and he’s slowly extracting us from what seems ready to be a bloodbath. Bruno casually lifts his wrist toward his mouth. I know that move! Communicating with his behind-the-scenes guys.Shit—this is so bad.

I don’t know Aussie from a hole in the wall, but Grayson said he was interviewing for a security job with good men. He’s protected me so far, so I turn to him and whisper, “There was a girl downstairs. I wasn’t supposed to see her.”

His blue eyes study me for a second then jump to the guy in front of me. “Boss.”

The dark-haired guy pivots, keeping his eye on Bruno. “Yeah.”

Aussie and dark-haired guy exchange a look, a passing of information with a shift of their hands and eyes.

Bruno watches them then shouts into his mic, “Close it down.”

“Shit,” the Aussie says casually, even though we’re suddenly moving fast. He dives us behind a table.

Noise explodes from where we were seconds ago—flesh hitting flesh, people the size of mountains wrestling each other to the ground.

A new guy ducks under the table with us. “Talk fast.”

It’s another accent—South American maybe. His face has fading bruises. Are all these guys ready to throw punches or what?Okay. Talk fast. Um.I struggle with my thoughts. “There was a girl in a room downstairs, and I didn’t recognize her. But I heardsold…” My stomach drops all over again. “Like she wasbeingsold.”

His swollen eyes narrow. “You saw a prostitute?”

“Bruno lets girls pro here if they want. This was more like an auction.”

“Fucking confirmation.” He shakes his head. He rambles into his wrist faster than I can speak then turns to me. “Good girl. I’m Javier. That’s Ryder. Welcome to our world, gorgeous.”

---