Read Online Lost in Italy by Stacey Joy Netzel - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Stacey Joy Netzel
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killer’s hand muffled it to a moan.
“Shut up, sweetheart, or you’ll bring the whole damn building running.”
Halli went completely still. Trent?
Relief weakened her knees and wiped all logical thought from her mind. She’d never been so glad to hear a familiar voice in her life. She tried to turn and face him in the dim light, but his hold prevented any movement.
“I told you not to go to the police.”
Halli stiffened at the unexpected menace in his low growl and his arms banded tighter. She tried to speak, but his venomous whispers overrode her muffled attempt.
“You’ve screwed up everything, dammit. Everything I’ve worked on for the past two months, Lorenzo’s death, saving your ass—all of it for nothing because you had to go to the damn police.”
Lorenzo? Was that the friend he’d spoken of earlier?
“Do you know who showed up about fifteen minutes ago, Halli?” Trent snarled in her ear. “While you’re wandering around the police station like some lost little tourist?”
She tried to nod her head, but he spun her around so they were face to face. His hand remained glued over her mouth as he pinned her against the door. Beneath the shadow of his blue baseball cap, hazel eyes burned into hers with an anger that scared her almost as much as the man out in the station.
“Your buddy from the villa. The guy who shot up my car when he tried to kill you . And what thanks do I get? You turn around and walk straight into his hands. He’s waiting out there right now to finish what he started this morning.”
Halli couldn’t suppress a terrified shiver in the face of Trent’s blunt, furious words. A dark, dangerous aura cloaked them in the confined space as she endured his glower. So why, then, was she also completely aware of every inch of his hard, angry body vibrating against hers?
Something fluttered in the pit of her stomach, something more than fear. She darted her gaze around, desperate to focus on something other than him. They appeared to be in some sort of storage closet, full of miscellaneous items and janitorial supplies.
“I’m taking you out of here right now,” Trent stated, compelling her attention back to him. “Despite the pain-in-the-ass you’ve been, I refuse to let them kill you like they did my brother and Lorenzo. I can’t live with another death on my hands, you hear me?”
Halli frowned in confusion at the gruff declaration. His brother committed suicide. It’d been all over the news. Here, in Italy, in Trent’s villa, almost three months ago.
“Once we’re out of here,” Trent continued, “I’ll take you to Milan, to the Consulate General. You’ll be better off there. Safer. Then they can deal with the consequences of what you’ve done and help you find your family.”
Tears threatened, even though he’d just told her he’d take her exactly where she wanted to go. She really was losing it, because though she knew now she’d been wrong to come here, knew she should’ve listened to him, his recriminations piled on the guilt.
Until indignation reared up and reminded her, what the hell had he expected her to do? Sit in his house like a victim?
“Deal?” he demanded.
She nodded.
“I’m going to move my hand. Don’t. Scream.”
She shook her head, assuring him she’d be quiet.
His gaze narrowed, holding hers for one last quiet warning. “Understand this, if you don’t trust me to get us out of here, if you choose not to believe me right now, then we’re both as good as dead.”
Trent watched Halli jerk her head in another nod and finally, slowly, removed his hand. He was still pissed as hell, worried as to how they’d even get out of the building, and not the least bit sorry for the fear he’d stirred up in her eyes.
He stepped back, paused briefly at the sight of her slim figure in the tight Wet & Wild T-shirt, then spun to survey the contents of the closet. It was time
“Shut up, sweetheart, or you’ll bring the whole damn building running.”
Halli went completely still. Trent?
Relief weakened her knees and wiped all logical thought from her mind. She’d never been so glad to hear a familiar voice in her life. She tried to turn and face him in the dim light, but his hold prevented any movement.
“I told you not to go to the police.”
Halli stiffened at the unexpected menace in his low growl and his arms banded tighter. She tried to speak, but his venomous whispers overrode her muffled attempt.
“You’ve screwed up everything, dammit. Everything I’ve worked on for the past two months, Lorenzo’s death, saving your ass—all of it for nothing because you had to go to the damn police.”
Lorenzo? Was that the friend he’d spoken of earlier?
“Do you know who showed up about fifteen minutes ago, Halli?” Trent snarled in her ear. “While you’re wandering around the police station like some lost little tourist?”
She tried to nod her head, but he spun her around so they were face to face. His hand remained glued over her mouth as he pinned her against the door. Beneath the shadow of his blue baseball cap, hazel eyes burned into hers with an anger that scared her almost as much as the man out in the station.
“Your buddy from the villa. The guy who shot up my car when he tried to kill you . And what thanks do I get? You turn around and walk straight into his hands. He’s waiting out there right now to finish what he started this morning.”
Halli couldn’t suppress a terrified shiver in the face of Trent’s blunt, furious words. A dark, dangerous aura cloaked them in the confined space as she endured his glower. So why, then, was she also completely aware of every inch of his hard, angry body vibrating against hers?
Something fluttered in the pit of her stomach, something more than fear. She darted her gaze around, desperate to focus on something other than him. They appeared to be in some sort of storage closet, full of miscellaneous items and janitorial supplies.
“I’m taking you out of here right now,” Trent stated, compelling her attention back to him. “Despite the pain-in-the-ass you’ve been, I refuse to let them kill you like they did my brother and Lorenzo. I can’t live with another death on my hands, you hear me?”
Halli frowned in confusion at the gruff declaration. His brother committed suicide. It’d been all over the news. Here, in Italy, in Trent’s villa, almost three months ago.
“Once we’re out of here,” Trent continued, “I’ll take you to Milan, to the Consulate General. You’ll be better off there. Safer. Then they can deal with the consequences of what you’ve done and help you find your family.”
Tears threatened, even though he’d just told her he’d take her exactly where she wanted to go. She really was losing it, because though she knew now she’d been wrong to come here, knew she should’ve listened to him, his recriminations piled on the guilt.
Until indignation reared up and reminded her, what the hell had he expected her to do? Sit in his house like a victim?
“Deal?” he demanded.
She nodded.
“I’m going to move my hand. Don’t. Scream.”
She shook her head, assuring him she’d be quiet.
His gaze narrowed, holding hers for one last quiet warning. “Understand this, if you don’t trust me to get us out of here, if you choose not to believe me right now, then we’re both as good as dead.”
Trent watched Halli jerk her head in another nod and finally, slowly, removed his hand. He was still pissed as hell, worried as to how they’d even get out of the building, and not the least bit sorry for the fear he’d stirred up in her eyes.
He stepped back, paused briefly at the sight of her slim figure in the tight Wet & Wild T-shirt, then spun to survey the contents of the closet. It was time
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