‘I can handle it. Close the door, cara. Now.”
‘No. Not without you.”
Salvatore swore.
His eyes flicked to the men on the floor. One of them started moving.
Frantic with fear for his safety, she screamed
‘Salvatore come in” Then instinctively knowing he would not put her at risk she repeated her earlier warning.
‘l’m not shutting this door with you on the outside” She took a step outside the vault to prove to him she meant what she said.
He said a word she’d never heard him use even in the throes of passion. Then he kicked the door to the apartment with one powerful thrust of his leg, sending the men
behind it staggering into each other. Almost simultaneously, he spun on his heel and ran toward her.
Shoving her completely into the vault, but remaining on the outside, he went to shut the door. She cried out in rejection of that move and grabbed his arm, her grip so tight he’d have to hurt her to break the hold .
Gunshots sounded and the wall beside the vault exploded in a shower of plaster and splintered wood.
Cursing again he pushed inside the vault and yanking the heavy door shut he immediately spun the locking mechanism into place. The sound of heavy bolts shifting was accompanied by more gunfire, but none of the bullets penetrated the one-foot-thick door to the vault.
Soon, even the sound of the gunshots faded as the door sealed completely. She pressed the button for the emergency light and was relieved when the low-level glow penetrated the absolute darkness of the vault.
Salvatore yanked out his cell phone and swore.
‘lt’s a thick vault, but someone will have heard the gunshots and called the police.” More than one person no doubt. Gunshots were not the usual evening sounds in the small town.
‘Si” He turned to her, his eyes accusing. ‘Damn it, Elisa, why did you disobey me?” Typical arrogant macho male.
‘Even you aren’t impervious to a bullet Salvatore. They could have killed you.”
Just the thought had her teeth chattering in shock.
‘Why didn’t you come to the vault immediately?” Tears clogged her throat and burned her eyes.
‘You could have been shot. ” His expression was unreadable.
‘And this would have bothered you?” How could he ask such a stupid question?
‘Ye-es.” Her voice broke and the word ended up a terror-filled wail.
He shook his head and pulled her into his arms with tender savagery.
‘I am fine. This is what I am trained to do, no?”
‘you m-mean y-you risk your life like th-this all the time?”
she stuttered out past the tears. It was an aspect of his business that had never sunk in before disturbing her when it should not matter at all.
She knew what he was but to her he had always been the suave tycoon, not the dangerous security expert that could send three men flying in seconds.
‘I own the company amore.”
‘But you’re trained for this.” Her voice ached with accusation and fear of what that meant.
He smiled cynically. ‘lt is a rare thing for me to act as a bodyguard.”