Page 58 of Tempt Me
Opening my eyes as a wave of guilt washes over me, I know Rue deserves better than this. She deserves someone who can be there for her all the time, not just when it's convenient for me. But despite everything we've been through, I know deep down that we love each other.
But is it enough with all the obstacles in our way?
Closing my eyes again, I drift off to sleep, my mind continuing to flit between the past and present.
But then, a loud noise jolts me out of my slumber. My heart races as I leap out of bed and rush towards the bedroom door. It's only when I step out into the hallway that my fears are confirmed.
The villa is under attack.
Moving swiftly into action, I take a step forward, only for Vik to yell up at me.
"No! Stay with Rue!"
Turning instantly to head back into my bedroom, I shove the broken interconnecting door open.
"What is it?" Rue asks, awake and coherent, already strapping on her knife holster over her black leather-clad thigh, then pulling a black vest over her head.
"Get in the bathroom and lock the door. Stay there, no matter what."
"Fuck off," she growls. "This is my fucking house. You stay in the bathroom."
Snorting with amusement at her feisty attitude, I shake my head.
"I'm not arguing with you right now, Rue. Just do as I say."
Without waiting for an answer, I quickly move over to her and kiss her deeply, pouring out all the love I have for her in that one moment. When we pull apart, her eyes betray her fury at my actions. I'm confusing her, and that's not fair to her.
"Stay here, please, Rue. Let me see what's going on first, okay?"
"Be careful," she whispers before heading into the bathroom and locking the door behind her.
I know for a fact she caved to get rid of me. It's a classic tactic of agreeing to shut the other person up.
Shaking my head, I take a deep breath, preparing myself for what's to come. As I make my way down the stairs, I can hear the sounds of glass breaking and men shouting in foreign languages. My heart is pounding furiously in my chest as I remember all the training I've gone through.
My muscles tense as I approach the bottom of the stairs, where two men with loaded weapons stand in my way. With no time for hesitation, I lunge forward and snatch one gun while channeling a powerful kick that sends the man flying into the wall. The second assailant is more challenging to outmaneuver; his lightning reflexes make him seem impossible to defeat. After a few pulse-pounding moments that feel like an eternity, I gather all my strength and deliver a punch to his throat that takes him down.
Gasping for breath, I turn my head to spot Vik on the other side of the room, firing off a round at the idiot who tried to take him out.
"Who are they?" I yell.
He shrugs, stepping over the dead body, focused on killing as many of these intruders as possible.
Shrugging as well, as I move on to the next, I end up spilling outside onto the front lawn, where I dunk the head of the man in my grip headfirst into the ornate fountain. His body goes limp after a few seconds, and I let go of his hair as he slumps into the water.
Looking up, I see another man charging towards me, wielding a machete. Without missing a beat, I grab Bessie from my boot and fling it as hard as possible. The knife connects with his chest, sending him sprawling to the grass.
I can barely hear my own thoughts over the roar of gunfire and explosions. Surveying the chaos around me, I realize there are more attackers than we can handle. We're outnumbered and outgunned.
I need to get Rue out of here.
Snatching my blade back, I sprint back inside the villa, race up the stairs, and pound on the bathroom door.
"Rue! We need to get out of here, now!"
No answer.
"Dammit, woman!" I roar, kicking the door open with such force that it slams back against the wall and then bounces back into place. "Rue!"
