Chapter 5 #2
Despite the periodic shudders that tried to slow her down, the walk was uneventful. Elena could see the bright sign declaring the hotel’s name in bold green letters and the shiny brass doors. They’d made it that far unscathed. Just a few more steps and she’d be in relative safety.
Unless someone decided to open fire on the crowded sidewalk. The chaos would give them plenty of time to snatch Elena and dispatch Jamie, in whichever order was necessary. She was mostly certain Pyotr didn’t want her dead. No, he’d want his pound of flesh for humiliating him first.
As if in answer to the dark path of her thoughts, Elena found her arm caught. The force of it wheeled her around, bag spilling over the ground as she dropped it in favor of clawing at the face coming close.
“Elena, it’s me!”
Jamie shoved Anthony back just as Elena recognized him. The deep timbre of Jamie’s warning growl shuddered through her bones as his body pushed her back towards the smooth stone front of the hotel.
“Shit. I’m sorry.” Anthony let out a loud sigh, raking his hand through his hair. Revealing the torn front of his shirt and the gleaming runnels of blood flowing down his chest. With a wince, he lowered his arm, repeating, “Sorry.”
“What happened?” Elena didn’t try to go around Jamie, keeping his bulk between her and the flow of foot traffic that veered around them.
“Apparently being rammed by a car isn’t like the movies.”
“That… that was you?”
“Yeah.”
The tilt of his lips was hard, an edge to it that jangled her nerves. As he took a small step back and made the effort to lower his shoulders to appear less threatening, Elena’s breath left her in a rush. Eyes wide, she slowly shook her head, unable to comprehend it.
“Why,” she finally asked, gripping Jamie’s arm for more than just comfort as she came even with him.
“What do you mean?”
“Why did you help me?”
“Don’t be silly.” The smile softened some, almost charming. “Why wouldn’t I help you? That wouldn’t have ended well for you.”
“I don’t understand.” She seemed to be saying that a lot lately. Maybe she didn’t understand half as much as she thought she did. This new world was strange and terrifying.
“Come on, let’s get you out of here. You shouldn’t be on the streets like this.” Anthony held up his hand, a shimmering silver sports car pulling up to the curb at his signal.
“Wait—”
“I know it’s not the most practical, but your guard here can get you wherever you’re going.” A man in dark, casual clothes climbed from behind the wheel, tossing the keys to Anthony who in turn held them out to Jamie. “Just let me know where you leave it.”
“Mr. Marchetti—”
“The least you can do is call me Anthony.” He flashed his teeth, a not-smile as his hand swept towards the car. “Now say thanks and get in.”
“I’m already at—”
“Miss Costanzo,” Jamie snarled, interrupting Elena.
Too late. Anthony’s brows lowered, his dark gaze raking over Elena, the suitcase in Jamie’s hand, then to the bright doors of the Talbot.
He repeated it in the reverse, and Elena shifted her weight.
Uneasy beneath his attention, knowing the judgement he was already laying upon her. He proved it in the next breath.
“Here? You’re staying… here?”
“Thank you for your assistance,” Elena said, taking the bag Jamie scooped up from the sidewalk. Clutching it tight against her middle, she tipped her chin higher, daring to meet Anthony’s eyes for a brief instant. “It’s very much appreciated, but if you’ll excuse us.”
“Give me a break, Elena,” Anthony said through a low growl, keeping pace as they headed for the doors. “This is hardly the place where you belong. Definitely not where I’d put you.”
“Then it’s a good thing you have no say,” Elena murmured as the doorman greeted them with a stiff nod and opened the door. Gods, she must look terrible if even he was being less than gracious.
Perhaps it was the Alpha stalking along beside her who obviously did not belong there with his designer slacks and shiny loafers.
Anthony was right. Nothing about this hotel was what she was used to, not that she’d stayed in many of them over the years.
The very fact Jamie was in quiet conversation with the front desk attendant, and they weren’t being whisked up to some huge suite was jarring.
There was no valet vanishing with her luggage, and the dark green card Jamie fished from his wallet did not have Costanzo engraved upon it.
Tears stung the backs of her eyes, but Elena refused to let them fall as she sidled away from Anthony when he eased closer.
The pounding in her ears matched the throbbing ache in her leg and arm.
It drowned out everything for a handful of heartbeats before she dragged in a shuddery breath that smelled of bleach and institutional air fresheners.
“I truly am sorry, Elena. Let me buy you dinner,” Anthony was saying as he edged around to face her. Not quite blocking her view of Jamie, but close. “Bring him along, of course. We’ll eat here, I’ll have something brought in.”
“As if that kind of spectacle won’t be noticed.” Elena scoffed.
“I’ll sneak it in through the back. Bribe the manager and attendants.”
“Right.”
“You have to eat, Elena. Why not with some company? For the sake of an old friend.”
“We were never friends, Mr. Marchetti.” Elena pulled her lips to the side, glancing up at Anthony. It would be nice to have an actual conversation. Jamie was wonderful, more than she could have ever asked for, but he was decidedly Spartan with his talk.
“And I was more the fool for that,” Anthony said with a low bow of his head. He offered her that same strange, sharp grin that made her skin prickle in warning. “Let me make up for lost time. Hotel restaurant, eight o’clock sharp. Do you like steak?”
“I haven’t said yes.”
“You haven’t said no.”
“Miss Costanzo,” Jamie murmured, taking her elbow to start Elena towards the elevator.
She glanced at Jamie, one brow raised. Question and plea both as he set her suitcase down in favor of resting his palm over the butt of a gun in his belt. Jamie gave a gusty sigh.
“Medium rare,” Elena called as the doors closed.