at his kneecaps with the thick heels of her hard leather boots. He stumbled, fell against the daybed and knocked over a lamp.
Not wasting a second, she headed for the door, hearing his roar of rage as he lunged after her. His fingers tangled in her hair and she was jerked backward. Ignoring the pain, she spun around and slashed at his face with her nails.
“Little cock-tease,” he yelled.
Then there was another roar of rage. Only this one didn’t come from Jude. It came from behind her, from the door to the apartment, which she’d neglected to lock when she came in.
Ross. He was here. Against all odds, for who knew what reason, he’d come up and gotten here just in time.
Stunned, Lucy watched as he thundered past her, tackling Jude around the waist and taking him down. A handful of her hair went with them, but she was so relieved, she barely noticed.
“You slimy sack of shit!”
The two guys rolled across the floor, knocking over furniture. Jude squirmed away and tried to stagger to his feet. Ross leaped up faster, his fists curled, and let one fly at Jude’s face. There was a satisfying crunching sound, then blood spurted from that perfect, surgically enhanced nose.
Jude staggered back. “Dude, you broke my nose!”
Ross ignored him, striking again, this time landing a powerful fist on her would-be rapist’s stomach. Jude doubled over, then collapsed onto the day bed, wailing.
Ross gave him a disgusted sneer before turning his attention to Lucy. “Are you all right? Did he…”
“No, I’m okay,” she said, shaking as it sunk in just how bad this could have been. “Thank you.”
“I was a block away, when I realized I was still holding your present from your brother.” He gestured toward the floor, where the package lay. “I heard yelling from outside. Fortunately I remembered the numbers you hit on the keypad.”
Thank God.
“I’m gonna have you arrested for assault!” Jude raged as he staggered back to his feet.
“Okay, sure. We’ll share the back of the police car as you’re hauled in for attempted rape,” Ross replied, fury sparking off him as he took a threatening step toward Jude.
The other man dropped his shaking hand, eyeing Lucy, his mouth quivering. “Wait, I didn’t mean…I wouldn’t have…”
“Yes, you would have,” she replied, knowing it was true. “And I am pressing charges.”
“Don’t—my parents…I could lose my internship! I’m sorry, I guess I just went a little crazy.”
She didn’t feel any sympathy for him. But she was worried about Ross. He was a carpenter, a flat-broke out-of-towner, and Jude was the only son of a rich corporate shark. Lucy only had her word to convince anyone that Jude had attacked her.
Well, that and a probable bald spot.
She needed to think about this. “Just go,” she said, suddenly feeling overwhelmed.
“Thank you!”
“I’m not promising you anything. At the very least, I’m reporting you to campus security and to the dean’s office.”
Jude’s bottom lip pushed out in an angry pout. But Ross cut him off before he could say a word. “Get the fuck out, before I hurt you some more.”
Shutting his mouth, Jude beelined for the door, giving Ross a wide berth, as if not trusting him not to lash out. Probably a good call, considering Ross was visibly shaking with anger.
Just before he left, Jude cast Lucy one more pleading glance. She ignored him, focused only on Ross. Her knight in shining armor, whether he saw it that way or not.
Lucy had never been the kind of girl who wanted to be rescued. Nor had she ever thought she’d need to be. But tonight, that Galahad riding in on the proverbial white horse thing had come in incredibly handy.
Once they were alone, Ross strode to the door, flipping the lock. When he returned, he didn’t hesitate, walking right to her with open arms. Lucy melted against his hard body, letting go of the anxiety of the past ten minutes and just holding on, soaking up his warmth and his concern. He kept stroking her, running his fingers through her hair, tenderly rubbing tiny circles on the small of her back. Murmuring soft words into her ear.
It was, quite honestly, the most protected and cherished she’d felt in years.
“It’s okay, Luce, he’s gone. He’s gone.”
Finally, after several long moments, he pulled back a few inches and looked down at her. “You shouldn’t stay here alone.”
No, she probably shouldn’t. “He said he made a key…”
“You’re definitely not staying then.” He mumbled a curse and stiffened, and she knew he was mad at himself for not getting the key back before Jude had left.
“I guess I could go to a hotel…”
“Screw that,” he muttered, looking at her with an incredulous expression, as if she’d said something absolutely ridiculous. “Pack a bag, you’re coming home with me.”
Now
Chicago, December 24, 2011
ROSS WAS AT his parents’ house outside of the city when the call came in about Chip being taken to the hospital. The caller told him the elderly man had gone outside to deal with an accident, and the exertion of helping to push a car out of the snow had apparently caused a heart attack.
The police officer who called didn’t have any more information, but that was enough to send Ross back into town. He didn’t have the phone numbers of the other guards with him, nor could he be sure they’d be able to go in to the office. He had no idea whether Chip had even locked the main doors when he’d gone out to help the driver, so somebody had to get in there. And the buck always stopped at the boss’s desk.
The drive would be bad, and he already knew he’d have to spend the night at the office. Fortunately Stella had made up the fold-out sofa in his office. Besides, while everyone was disappointed—especially his older sister, who’d just arrived with her family for the holidays—he couldn’t deny he wouldn’t mind getting away from all the holiday cheer. He hadn’t been able to take his mind off Lucy, and the longer he stayed, the more likely it was somebody would notice. He just didn’t feel like explaining his mood to a nosy sibling or parent.
It was nearly 2:00 a.m. by the time he arrived—the trip had taken three exhausting, stress-filled hours. The plows were barely managing to keep up with the thick snow—he’d earned a few scolding stares from their drivers as he followed them down newly plowed stretches of highway.
The private parking lot wasn’t plowed, of course, and he was glad he drove a monster
