STORY EXCERPT

This woman may be small, but she’s fast. I jog to catch up to her and she spins around, wielding a small switchblade.

“Whoa…I just wanted to see if you needed any help. Have it your way, lady.” I hold my hands in the air and walk backward.

“Shit…hold on. Are you…” The woman pulls a piece of crumpled paper from her back pocket and looks it over. “Are you the owner of Rinaldo’s MMA? I’m looking for Frankie.”

I blink as I’m momentarily stunned by the songful sound of her sweet voice with the slightest tremble under it.

“Well…are you?” she asks impatiently.

“No…I’m not Frankie. He’s my oldest brother. I co-own Rinaldo’s along with my siblings and father. Why are you asking?” My eyebrow hikes up as she shifts on her feet.

“I…a…umm…a friend…a friend needs to know. She was told to ask for Frankie.”

She’s telling a lie that she’s clearly desperate to sell as she now stands under the street light and now I see why. A fading black eye turned yellow and purple in an ugly ring around her pretty eye.

My stomach balls into a tight knot as I look her over.

“What’s your name?” I soften my tone as I tilt my head.

Her eyes dart toward the empty street. “I need to get out of here.” The woman spins on her sneakers.

“Let me help you.”

She pauses, but her head shakes.

“I can teach you self-defense. You deserve to feel safe and whoever hurt you won’t have another chance if I have anything to do with it.”

The woman breathes out hard as her chest rises and falls with the effort. She slowly turns to face me as she shivers slightly.

“You don’t even know me, why would you want to help me?” Her hands disappear inside her sleeves.

“Why wouldn’t I want to help you? Do you have a safe place to stay?”

“I’m at a…fuck!” She throws her head back and stares up at the night sky. “I’m staying at a shelter.”

“I could get you a hotel room for the night, somewhere warm and quiet.”

“What? No…I can’t do that. I appreciate the offer, but you could be either a saint or a serial killer and I can’t tell the difference. No…thank you for the offer, but no.”

“Why not? Isn’t it better than being in a shelter?” I can’t fathom why someone would rather stay in a can-of-sardines packed shelter instead of a nice hotel.

Fair enough.

“The women’s shelter I’m at is the safest place for me right now.”

“I understand, sorry for pushing. Can I at least know your name and walk you back to the shelter so you’re not walking the streets alone?”

She studies me as she tries to decide if I’m a risk or a lifeline.

I have a sister and the instinct to protect Melia has always been strong for myself and the rest of my brothers. What I’m experiencing now, with this woman, is something different, more intense. I don’t just want to protect her, I want to kill whoever has put her in the situation she’s in.

“Sarah Mitchell.” She slowly pulls a hand from her sleeve and juts it outward in my direction.

“Luca Rinaldo, pleased to meet you, Sarah.” I take her ice-cold hand in mine and electricity zings up my arm and through the rest of my body.

The feel of the contact knocks the air from my lungs as my eyes go wide and Sarah quickly snags her hand out of my grasp like I burned her.

“I have to get back, but…no…you can’t walk me to the shelter. For the safety of the other women who are residing there, it’s best that the location remains unknown.”

“Understood.”

Sarah gives me a quick wave and walks away. I stand there momentarily stunned by my body’s reaction to her touch, before I sprint down the sidewalk.

“Hey…Sarah,” I call out as I slow my pace so I don’t startle her.

“Come by tomorrow at nine p.m. and we’ll start your training. The gym will be closed so no one will know you’re here.”

* * * *

My chest tightens. “I’d be honored to listen to your story, Sarah.”

“Rhea…my real name is Rhea Kennedy.”

The air around her shifts as she speaks her true name. It’s raw and brave.

“Beautiful name,” I tell her softly.

“Thanks.”

 “Well…Rhea Kennedy, I’m starving and I suspect it’s been a while since you’ve eaten. Why don’t we get some food and we can continue this conversation in the breakroom? This hallway is depressing as hell.”

“What about training? I need to train. I need to take back my life.” Rhea’s hand goes to her locket hanging around her neck and she holds on to it like her very existence depends on it.

ADULT EXCERPT

I pepper kisses along her stomach and nip just above her waistband as her breathing accelerates. She watches me with wild eyes and parted lips as her chest rises and falls like she can’t catch her breath.

I hook my fingers into her waistband. “Tell me to stop.”

“I’ll kill you right here if you do,” she whispers, breathless.

I chuckle as I peel her legging down her legs as I take her sexy lace panties with them. Her pussy is soaked and glistening and the sight of her bare like this makes my mouth water. I press a kiss inside her knee then her other as I tease her and she spreads her legs wide for me. I finally run my tongue through her folds and she bucks her hips.

“Fuck, Rhea…you taste so good,” I groan against her.

I lap at her slowly to start as I savor and tease her sensitive bundle of nerves. Rhea is panting and writhing as I press my tongue firmly against her swollen clit and flick it just the way I already learned she likes it. She moans my name like it’s a prayer leaving her lips and I internally say my own prayer.

“Luca…oh…don’t stop…”