Part 20 (1/2)

She was staring down at his shoes, refusing to meet his gaze.

He clenched his hands into fists to keep from reaching for her. Even when his mind was screaming for him to hold her, he would never touch her when she had told him she didn't want him to. ”The fact that I've grown to care about you outside of the dungeon has nothing to do with ten years ago or turning me down for a high-school dance. I think once you move past your hurt and anger, you'll see that.”

He took one step forward, hoping she would at least look at him.

She lifted the book and swung it, hitting him in the side of the head so hard his ears rang, and pain pierced his heart. When he raised his hand to touch his head and took another step forward, she threw the book at him and punched the b.u.t.ton to open the elevator doors.

”Just leave me alone.” She stared at him over her shoulder. ”I'm sorry if I hurt you all those years ago. I never meant to; I was too busy hiding my own secrets and too selfish to understand what you were going through. But that didn't give you the right to manipulate me, to trick me and to lie to me.” She stepped inside the elevator when the doors opened. ”I fell in love with you, d.a.m.n it, and now I find out it's not real. There's no trust between us.”

She hit the b.u.t.ton inside the elevator repeatedly until the doors closed, hiding her from view.

Brent cursed and sat down hard on his desk chair. He'd known all along that he needed to tell her. Dex had even warned him about this, and now he had hurt her, maybe beyond repair. The woman he loved had just run from him and asked him to leave her alone. But how could he? Especially when she had just told him she loved him too.

It was what he had hoped for, but he didn't expect it this soon. And especially when she'd found out he'd been keeping secrets from her.

Brent slammed his hand on his desk before he picked up the phone to call Jake and fill him in.

If he couldn't watch over Sandra, then there were others here who could. If she stayed here.

His blood ran cold. She had already been attacked once, and even though the junkie was in jail awaiting sentencing, Diego was still out there just waiting to get his hands on Sandra.

He tried to call Dex but there was no answer.

d.a.m.n!

He grabbed his remote and cycled through the different views on the bank of monitors, searching for her. He wasn't sure what to do next, but he knew she had asked him to stay away, and that knowledge had nearly ripped his heart out.

- When the elevator opened downstairs, Sandra stepped out and then stood in the walkway, not sure where to go or what to do. Brent hadn't reacted the way she'd expected. He hadn't denied hiding it from her, or tried to turn it around and somehow make it her fault.

She remembered him telling her he'd gone to ASU and that he'd grown up here.

d.a.m.n. He had tried to tell her, and now that she thought about it she remembered other times when he had started to tell her and then got sidetracked. She hadn't recognized at the time that that was what he was trying to admit, but now she did.

He had asked her if it even mattered. They were both different people now. Did it matter?

All she knew was that her emotions were in turmoil and she needed some time away to figure out how she felt about it. Right now she felt like a fool. She wasn't sure if Brent had meant to pay her back or not. It didn't really ring true for the man she felt he had become. But it could have started out that way.

But again, did it matter if it had? She loved the man he was now, or at least the man she thought he was. But she had thought that man would always be honest with her. If she could get past all this, she would always have that niggling doubt about his honesty. Because even though he had tried to tell her, for something that important, he should have told her despite interruptions or anything else.

Dex.

She needed to find Dex. He said he would always be there for her if she needed him, and right now she needed someone she trusted.

She walked around the perimeter of the main dungeon level, seeing all the new faces most likely here for the Roman orgy. When she finally found one of Jake's security team, she asked if he knew where Dex was.

”He said he left something in his car. He just went down to the parking garage.”

Sandra forced a smile and thanked him. At least now she had a destination and a purpose. She weaved through the crowd and made her way to the parking garage.

She remembered Dex's car, but with so many people here for the event she wasn't sure how she would find him. He and Brent had reserved s.p.a.ces, but she had only been down here once, and her sense of direction wasn't the best.

The security guard watching the door from the parking garage into Club Desire turned to smile at her. He had seen her several times over the past week. ”Leaving already?”

”Just looking for Dex.”

He nodded. ”He went to grab something from his car.” He pointed to the right and she thanked him and headed that way.

The garage was jam-packed tonight with cars. She realized this had to really be a huge event.

She edged along the wall, figuring she would eventually find Dex. He had to pa.s.s her to get to the entrance back into the Club.

She pa.s.sed several rows of cars and even some buses and a few motor homes. Some jacka.s.s had parked his truck right on the line so he blocked two s.p.a.ces. She edged around the bed of the truck to get by.

Someone grabbed her from behind. Strong hands grabbed her neck and squeezed as they pulled her back against a hard p.r.i.c.k. Her lungs were filled with the familiar scent of cologne she had hoped she would never smell again.

Diego!

She clawed at his hands, trying to get him to loosen his grip.

No, it couldn't be. How did he find her? She tried to take a breath to scream, but he squeezed her throat until she gasped and sputtered.

”You stay quiet or you'll end up quiet forever. Got it?” Diego's voice. She'd been right.

She nodded and said a silent prayer that Dex or Brent's security teams would find her on their multiple video cameras.

”You disobeyed me and caused me a lot of trouble, little girl. And you'll be severely punished. Do you understand?” Diego loosened his hold just enough for her to answer.

She knew what he expected, but she was done being a doormat and a punching bag. So she did the stupidest thing she had ever done. She took a breath and shouted, ”f.u.c.k you!”

He immediately squeezed her throat and she thrashed, kicked, and fought with all her strength.

He squeezed her throat tighter and she thought he would crush her windpipe if she couldn't break free.

She stomped down on his foot as hard as she could and reached back trying to scratch and hit him, but it wasn't effective in this position.

Silver stars were beginning to sparkle behind her eyelids and her head swam.

Was this it? Was she going to die in a parking garage and never see Brent again? How stupid could she be to walk away from love over a decade-old secret? After, all she'd had her own. But she'd trusted him enough to tell him hers, even though it had been one of the hardest things she had ever done.

Blackness started to close in.

- Brent's heart nearly split in two when he rounded the corner and saw Sandra. A tall man-Diego?-stood behind her with his hands around her neck.

He started to rush forward, but a hand settled on his shoulder, stopping him.

He looked up at Dex, who motioned for him to circle around the other side.

Brent watched as Dex pulled his Glock from a shoulder holster Brent only saw him wear while not on duty, since FBI a.n.a.lysts didn't carry guns. And then Brent concentrated on circling around behind several cars to come up on the other side of where the man he a.s.sumed was Diego was choking Sandra.

”Take your hands off her or I'll put a bullet in your head, a.s.shole.”