Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Irina headed inside, a huge smile on her face that she just couldn’t shake—and she didn’t want to. Things between her and Roman were better than ever, and she could no longer ignore the fact that she was falling for him.
She was still worried about what would happen once they got home, though.
They were legally married, but he could decide at any time that she wasn’t good enough or that he didn’t want to be part of her lifestyle.
Everything in her life had finally begun to fall into place, and she felt like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
She loved her career, but she was starting to love Roman just as much.
She couldn’t imagine life without him. Nothing ever went this well for her, and she didn’t want to have to choose between the two.
She’d thought more than once about abandoning the spotlight, maybe transitioning to voice coach or songwriter.
Her contract stated she would have to complete next year’s tour, but after that…
Who knew what would happen by then? Like Roman said, they would see what happened and reevaluate when the time came.
As long as he was with her, she could figure out the rest later.
She closed the door behind her but left it unlocked for Roman to come in once he was done.
They had left the lamp on before they went for their walk, and she allowed the soft yellow light to guide her down the hall to the bedroom.
She tossed her sweater on the bed, and the sound of the sliding door opening and then closing drifted toward her.
A smile curled her lips as she headed back out to find Roman.
She hoped tonight would be a replay of last night. A few minutes of TV, followed by hours of lovemaking. And talking—she’d never enjoyed talking to another person as much as she liked talking with Roman. She felt like she could share anything without him judging her.
He was the only person aside from Aster that she’d ever told about her mother and her upbringing back in Kentucky. She didn’t know how she’d ever gotten lucky enough to catch Roman’s eye, but she didn’t want to let him go.
As soon as she exited the hallway, a movement from the right caught her attention, and less than a second later, a huge palm clapped over her mouth as an arm banded around her middle like steel. She instinctively froze at the menacing voice.
“Don’t move.”
Despite the training she’d done with Roman, her mind went blank, and she couldn’t force her muscles to move.
A combination of fear and helplessness washed over her, and she fought to clear her head.
Where was Roman? Was he okay? Her phone was in her back pocket, but she couldn’t use it until she got away from the man.
She needed to get free and find Roman so they could get away and call for help.
She couldn’t believe the jerk had found her here.
Anger rose up, propelling her into action, and she fought wildly to escape her attacker’s hold.
She elbowed him in the stomach and was rewarded with a low grunt of pain.
She heard Roman’s voice in the back of her mind, reminding her of how to evade someone.
Soft spots, he’d told her time and again.
Throwing her other fist downward, she aimed for the man’s groin.
He moved just in time, and the side of her hand connected with his upper thigh.
She immediately kicked backward with her other foot and felt her heel connect with the man’s knee.
He let out a harsh curse, and his hold around her waist loosened, his hand dropping away from her face as he stumbled.
It was enough to get free, and she bolted across the room. “Roman!”
Where was he?
Just as she grabbed for the door handle that led to the patio, she was yanked back roughly by her hair. Pain exploded across her scalp, and she let out a stifled shriek. She fought against him, kicking over a chair as he dragged her toward the living room.
Half-turning, she threw herself against him as hard as she could, punching and kicking anywhere she could reach.
The man and she collapsed to the side in a heap, knocking the end table over and sending the lamp to the floor with a crash.
The light was extinguished, and for a split second, they both froze.
Her lungs heaved with exertion, but she refused to give up. Trapped underneath him on her back, she fought like a wet cat, scratching at his face, trying to jab him in the eyes. A string of muffled curses met her ears, and she blinked in surprise when the overhead light flipped on.
“What is going on here?”
She swiveled her head toward the very familiar, very feminine voice. Relief coursed through her as the woman came into view. “Aster! Help me!”
Aster didn’t spare her a glance, just glared at the man. “What is taking so long? You said you had this under control.”
Irina could only stare at her, trying to understand what was happening. Just as Aster’s words registered, the man delivered an open-palmed slap to the side of her head. Her skull connected with the floor, sending a shower of stars dancing in front of her eyes and pain slicing across her face.
“Didn’t expect her to put up such a fight,” the man said as he deftly caught the roll of duct tape Aster tossed to him.
Irina tried to fight back, but she was no match for the heavy weight on top of her.
The man quickly bound her hands, and she frantically searched her mind for something—anything—to save her.
She’d tried everything Roman had taught her—except her last resort.
Opening her mouth and relaxing her throat, she screamed, long and loud.
“Shut up!”
A heavy fist connected with her head again, and she went limp as the room dipped and swirled before her eyes. The man slapped a layer of duct tape over her mouth, then lifted her in his arms.
“Hurry up.” Aster yanked open the front door, and Irina glared at her through her swollen eyes as they passed. The man tossed her in the backseat, then crawled in behind her and slammed the door shut.
Aster hopped in the driver’s seat, and Irina glanced through the rearview window at the house. She tore her gaze away, her heart jumping into her throat as the engine cranked and the car lurched into gear, then sped forward.
Where were they taking her? And why? Even though it had felt like a lifetime, she knew it couldn’t have been more than four or five minutes that they’d spent wrestling on the floor inside. What worried her was that Roman hadn’t come to her aid—and she couldn’t begin to contemplate what that meant.