Page 5 of Naughty Noelle
A sudden jolt from behind knocks me to my knees and I cry out at the sharp bite of pain. I turn to look over my shoulder to see Tom grappling with Hiro. What the actual fuck is happening?
I squint into the semi-darkness, just in time to see Tom slash at Hiro with a wicked looking blade, and Hiro responding with a kick that looks like something out of an action movie. Tom stumbles, but isn’t down, a roar erupting from his throat as he launches at Hiro again.
Hiro catches him before he can land a blow, just as I see campus security running across the parking lot, and presses his wrist against Tom’s neck, the tendons bulging before he slides to his knees.
Hiro ignores the shouts from the guards as he lifts me into his arms and strides to the SUV, buckling me in like a child, before rounding to the driver’s side and pulling away smoothly as if he hadn’t just left a scene of chaos behind him.
He presses a button on the steering wheel. “Mr. Abbott.” The woman’s voice startles me.
“Madeleine. I need you to take care of something for me.” He rattles off the address for the campus bar where the Christmas party is. “Please have the security feeds pulled as well. I’m going to want to see who was at that party.”
“Consider it done, Mr. Abbott.”
The call disconnects. I blink rapidly, my brain trying to make sense of what just happened back there. “Why did Tom follow us outside? Why wasn’t he dancing with Karli?”
Hiro keeps his eyes straight ahead, and I realize he’s got the lights turned off as we snake through the campus streets. “I don’t think Tom was there to dance.”
I sit back, breathing heavily. “Why were you there?”
“Henry asked me to come.”
“Who is Madeleine?”
“She works for me.”
I think back to what I know about Hiro. I know he owns some kind of tech company, and he developed an app that he sold for millions. He doesn’t dress like a tech guy though, and the way he put down Tom isn’t exactly something I would think a tech guy capable of. “What kind of app development teaches you those moves?”
“You’d be surprised.”
I bet. This is answering none of my questions. I lean forward, peering into the darkness. “My building is just off the next right here.”
Hiro keeps driving.
“Hey, where are we going?” Alarm straightens my spine. I look out the back window, but no one is behind us. “Shouldn’t we go back and speak with security? Or maybe the police?” I pull out my phone.
“What are you doing?” Hiro asks.
“Texting Karli.”
“Don’t. Don’t use your phone.” He holds out his hand. “Give it to me.”
I hug it to my chest. “I’m not going to give you my phone.”
Hiro blows through the stone gate marking the entrance into campus. He makes several left turns heading down residentialstreets before he pulls into an empty driveway and touches the screen on his watch.
“What are we doing here?” I ask, looking up at the dark windows of the house.”
“Waiting.”
“I don’t think anyone is home. Do you know who lives here?”
“I don’t. And I don’t care if they’re home.” Hiro shifts, turning to me, his dark eyes flashing. “We’re going up to my cabin for a few days.”
“We’regoing? Like me and you?” I point my finger back and forth between us. “Is Henry there?”
He shakes his head. “No, he’s still in Singapore. It’s just temporary, until he can fly back and get you.”
“Why send you? I could just stay in my apartment until he gets here.”
