Page 19 of Ruby Red Sky

He was making me nervous. Not only because of what I witnessed, but he loomed over me, staring down his nose, eyes narrowed. I knew all too well what he was capable of. He was a monster that looked like an angel. Deceptive packaging.

“I chose you. You are not to leave this room.” He waved his hand and the door slammed shut, vibrating the walls so hard I ducked for a moment. He pursed his lips. “If you go out there, you will die.”

You have got to be kidding me.

“You can’t tell me where I can and can’t go. I don’t even know you.”

I had been minutes away from freedom and restarting my life when this asshole barged in and slaughtered everything. My dreams, my life, my ex. Now, I probably didn’t even have furniture left. The building supervisor likely thought I was on the run, committing a major crime and then fleeing the scene and going into hiding.

“You know how bad you screwed me over? I have nothing now. There might still be time. I need to get back to my apartment.”

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You are much better off, here.”

“You just said I have to stay in this room or I’ll die.” I crossed my arms. “That’s not an improvement.”

His hand shot out and I was lifted off the ground. “You are to stay in this room. Do not disobey me.”

I fell to my knees when he let me go, and I sat there rubbing my neck. Hot tears threatened to spill from beneath my eyelids, and I swallowed them down. He was staring at me again, I could feel it, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of looking back.

“Where’s my bag?” In my panic, I’d forgotten all about it.

“In the closet.”

I’d never bothered to open those doors and gone straight for the wider, double one I figured was an exit.

Lukas watched me as I pulled myself up off the floor, his gaze intense enough to burn a hole through my chest. It felt like he was noticing every little thing and it made me self-conscious.

He was studying me. Flicking a glance at him, I rolled my eyes. His expression changed, giving me the barest hint of a smirk. Other than that, he didn’t move. He didn’t even seem to be breathing. The lack of even a minor twitch of an arm was deeply disturbing. What the hell was he?

“What are you?” My walk to the closet was unsteady but I made it.

The door opened smoothly, and a light turned on, revealing extensive shelving, and a ton of men’s clothing. My duffle bag was slotted like it’d always been there. Taking it with me, I turned around and Lukas was right in my face.

“Excuse me, please.” He didn’t budge.

My entire view was of his pectoral muscles and this time, his chest did move. Glancing up, I was greeted by the hollows of his cheeks, a very faint five o'clock shadow, and then the bright green of his irises.

His response was to cup my cheek and rub his thumb on my skin. I sucked in a breath while my face heated, the sensation running down to my belly.

What was this guy doing? The first time I met him, he offered to kill people for me. In the coffee shop, a week before then, I was pretty sure he sniffed my hair. Weird, but New York City was full of those types.

I’d done nothing to earn his attention other than to just exist.

I grabbed his hand, but he snatched it with his other. The emerald shade of his eyes darkened slightly as he peered down where I’d touched him. Then he looked at me.

“Why did you bring me here?” My voice was quiet in the stillness of the closet.

“Because you’re mine.”

“I’m not, though.”

I pushed him until his grip loosened, and he slowly let go of me, his large hand smoothing down to my wrist before it fell away. “You are and you will be.”

Hoisting the bag over my shoulder, I asked, “How do I get home?”

He rubbed his chin and turned, running his fingers through his shiny hair. Sliding past him, I headed straight for the door.

Again, the door fought me.