“I told you not to come here, Andrii.”
She not only sounded terrified, but she looked it as well. It was all Maestro could do not to pull her tight against him.
“He has people watching me.” That came out a whisper.
Maestro straightened to his full height. “Are you talking about the idiot who parks across from the complex, pulls out his phone and plays games on it? Babe, I clocked him the first time I was following you like the worst of stalkers. He’s never seen me, and he won’t. I’ve had my friend looking out for you when I couldn’t be here, and that idiot never saw him either.”
“You have someone looking out for me?”
She had beautiful eyes. When she looked up at him under that thick veil of lashes with a mixture of trepidation, desire and interest, his heart melted. Damn, but she was adorable.
He slid the pad of his thumb along the full curve of her bottom lip. It felt like silk. “Yeah, baby, I’ll always have someone looking out for you when I can’t do it myself. I’m not taking chances with your safety.”
Her long lashes fluttered. “You’re taking chances with your safety, Andrii. Billows is very dangerous. I’ve always known I would need to find a way to get out from under him, but I’m beginning to suspect he’s far worse than I originally thought.”
“Get ready while you’re talking to me. Jeans, comfortable shoes, the blue top. We’re in a time crunch.”
“I can’t be seen with you in public. He might find out.”
The fear was real. He could see it on her face. In her eyes. Her lips trembled. He wrapped his palm around the nape of her neck. “I want you to trust me to take care of us. He isn’t going to see us together. I want to take you out, Solnyshkuh. It’s important to me. I planned for this, and I think you’re going to love it. We can talk while you get ready.” Deliberately, he ran his thumb along her high cheekbone, tracing it gently, feeling her shiver in response. “Can you do that for me?”
Her little studio apartment was small enough that if she dressed in her bathroom, they would have no trouble hearing each other.
She reacted to his voice, the one he used that was velvet soft yet compelling. He’d become a master at using that tone. The fact that Azelie responded to it every time was not lost on him. And she didn’t want to disappoint him.
Maestro could see the conflict in her eyes—the need to protect him warring with her need to please him. Her teeth bit into her bottom lip and then she capitulated, going to the small closet to pull out the clothes he’d brought for her a couple of days earlier. She disappeared into the bathroom but didn’t close the door all the way.
“I need to tell you something about Billows, Andrii. It’s important.”
“I’m listening, Zelie.”
He was. He was also moving around her apartment looking for the necklace that held the key to the underground rooms.
“Months ago, when I was in the office, I heard a woman scream.”
His head went up sharply and he froze, turning toward the bathroom. “A woman screamed?” he echoed, willing her to keep talking.
“I’m not ever supposed to leave my office when I’m working, and I never have. The offices are located directly beneath the Adventure Club.”
He heard the rustle of clothing as she donned the pair of jeans he’d chosen for her. He found himself feeling warm and even happy, liking that she was wearing something he’d given her. He wanted everything she wore to be from him. He’d never thought about purchasing gifts for anyone until he’d laid eyes on her.
“Keep talking, Zelie. I’m listening.”
“It’s soundproofed down there, and I think, but I don’t know, that the entire floor is taken up with various rooms. I’ve never explored because it’s strictly forbidden. Cameras and motion detectors everywhere. Around two-thirty in the morning a couple of months ago, while I was working, I heard a woman scream. I’m not crazy, I know what I heard. She sounded in pain. Agony. It was terrifying, especially since I had been told never to go anywhere but the office, but I couldn’t just leave her.”
Maestro’s heart clenched hard in his chest. She was so damned courageous. But she’d just confirmed the suspicions Torpedo Ink had about those underground rooms hiding trafficking victims. They were definitely held and trained below the Adventure Club before they were auctioned off.
She came out of the bathroom dressed in the vintage blue jeans and ash-blue off-the-shoulder sweater he’d gotten for her. The denim hugged her curves, and the off-the-shoulder sweater was perfect, sexy and innocent at the same time, just the way she was. His cock hardened just looking at her.
“You’re so fuckin’ beautiful, Zelie,” he said. It was the truth. Absolute truth. He caught up her jacket. “You’ll need something to take notes with, your laptop and your glasses unless you’re wearing contacts.” He was certain she didn’t wear colored contacts. Her eyes were just that blue. “I’ve got everything else under control.”
That got him another flutter of her long lashes and a quick smile that lit her eyes. “What are you planning?”
“You’ll see. Hustle, baby. And we’re going to finish talking about the woman you heard once we’re on the way.”
“We can’t exit the building together, Andrii,” she cautioned as she allowed him to take her hand. “I’ll go out first and make sure Billows’ man is nowhere around.”
“No, you won’t,” he denied. “He’s gone for the night. My friend saw him drive off and he hasn’t been back.”
“Your friend?”
He took the keys to her apartment from her and locked the door. “Shit lock, babe. We’ll have to get you a better one.”
“I have a chain.”
He looked down at the top of her bent head in exasperation. “Do you think a chain would stop me if I kicked your door? News, baby, it wouldn’t.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to kick down my door.”
There was that hint of amusement in her voice. Despite everything, she’d still found something to laugh about and teased him with it. His ray of sunshine.
“You’ve met my friend a couple of times. At least you saw him with me. We went into the coffee shop together. His name is Lazar. We’ve known each other since we were boys. He was in the same school I was in. I’ll tell you about that later.”
He opened the car door for her and then rounded the hood to slip into the driver’s seat. He didn’t want them to be late. This was a special surprise that he was certain would mean something to her.
“Tell me about the woman, Zelie.”
There was silence. She twisted her fingers together in her lap, portraying nerves. He reached over and laid his palm over her restless fingers, driving with only one hand. That had been practiced like every other skill he had. He was nowhere near Transporter’s level, but he knew how to drive a car.
