Page 35 of Her Intense Protector

She didn’t care about Phil and Greg anymore, she had to get out of here; her red dress was a beacon for bad guys. She pushed against the crowd until it spit her out in front of the hallway leading to the ladies’ room. She ran at full-speed and hit the bar of the door with all of her might, slamming the metal door against the brick wall of the building.

Greg and Phil were there.

“You have my money,” Greg said belligerently.

“We’ve got to get away. They’ve got guns. Let’s get to my car. Do either of you have a phone?”

“Give me my money,” Greg shouted.

“Hey, be cool.” Phil slurred. “She won’t steal from you, she’s a friend of my wife.”

Greg grabbed at her purse and Samantha pushed him away with her right hand. Pain radiated up her arm. Phil grabbed Greg in a headlock.

“Leave her alone, you asshole.”

She watched as they started to throw punches at one another.

“We have to go. They’ll come after us with guns,” she pleaded.

“Phil, you goddamn douche, what the fuck are you doing?” a deep voice yelled from the corner of the building.

Phil didn’t look up as he took another swing at Greg.

Samantha considered trying to stop the fight, but she was afraid she would get even more injured…but still.

“Don’t even think about it, Samantha.” She whirled around and found Ezio standing behind her. “We’re out of here. Let David worry about his worthless brother-in-law.”

She looked up again and realized the deep voice had been David.

“Why are you here? How are you here?” she asked as she watched David and Asher grab both Greg and Phil and shake them like puppies.

“Don’t ask questions. We saw everybody coming out the front; it’s mayhem. We need to get the hell out of here. Where’s your car?”

She pointed.

“You two take care of those fucking idiots, I’m taking Samantha. Asher, I’ll meet you back at your house.”

11

“Give me your keys,” Ezio demanded when they got to her car.

Samantha tried to fish them out of her purse with her left hand, but with all the cash, she was having trouble. Plus the throbbing of her right wrist was making it hard to concentrate.

“What’s wrong with your hand?” Ezio immediately asked.

“Nothing,” she lied.

Ezio carefully pulled her purse away from her body then put his hand in and found the keys at the bottom. He hit the key fob, then opened the passenger side door for her. Samantha was relieved that she didn’t have to drive; she was spent.

Magically, he was in the driver’s side a second after he’d closed her door. Probably not, but it seemed like it.

“Buckle up,” he told her.

Sam fumbled with her belt, but she couldn’t do it. Her wrist was killing her. Ezio leaned over and did up the belt for her. He smelled so good. It wasn’t like he was wearing cologne or anything, just the smell of Ezio. Then she realized she stank of cigarette and cigar smoke.

As he started the car, she rolled down her window—anything to freshen the smell.

“Roll that back up, you’re going to call too much attention to yourself. Your hair is whipping out the window.”