Terror rips through me and just as I go to slam my elbow back into my attacker’s stomach the way the boys have trained me, a familiar, hushed, “Shhhhh,” falls around me. I twist my head back to find Roman standing at my back and he cautiously releases his hand from my mouth as he holds up a finger, warning me to stay silent.
My brows furrow and I stare at him in confusion. Without missing a beat, he slips his arm around my waist and silently repositions me enough for us to both peer around the corner.
My heart leaps out of my chest, and as I suck in a gasp, Roman’s hand slams down over my mouth, muffling the soft sound as we watch in silence while a man slips in through the dining room, peering his head around a corner in an attempt to keep himself hidden.
I recognize him instantly, and just seeing his face sends a wave of furious rage coursing through my veins as the need to pummel his ass slams into my chest. Judging by the look on Roman’s face, he has absolutely no idea who the fuck this man is and that only pisses me off more. I look up at him and catch his eye, but not wanting to make a sound and give our location away, I’m at a loss.
My hand slips back and skims over the front of Roman’s jeans. He flinches as my fingers brush past his junk, and he shoots a glare at me, assuming I’m trying to get down and dirty in the worst possible way. Ignoring his sharp glare, I continue feeling around before slipping my fingers into his pocket and letting out a silent breath of relief as my fingers curl around his phone.
Pulling it out, I waste no time opening up a new text message and quickly typing as Roman watches our new intruder over my shoulder. Finishing my explanation, I hold the phone up to Roman at an angle where he can read my message while also keeping an eye on the man slowly slipping out of the dining hall.
That’s James. The fucker who kidnapped Jasmine. I recognize him from the tomb party.
Anger burns in Roman’s eyes as a dark shadow cuts across my vision, and I find Marcus silently stalking the asshole through the castle. He catches my stare, and I don’t miss the way his gaze sweeps over me, checking that I’m alright with Roman before continuing his stalking with a sick smirk twisting over his delicious lips. It’s as though all his Christmases have come at once. There’s nothing the DeAngelis brothers like more than stalking a victim on their own turf where they control the game. Trust me, I’d know.
Roman shifts us in our position, having the best vantage spot to watch James from all angles but as he moves toward the den, fear rattles through me.
“Levi?” I murmur, my voice so low that I doubt Roman even hears me, but the thought of Levi carelessly pulling his drum kit into pieces without knowing what’s going on out here terrifies me and has a fat lump forming in my throat.
“Levi is a big boy,” Roman tells me, silently moving us across the room as James disappears into the darkened den. “He can handle himself.”
That’s proven a moment later as we slip inside the den to find absolutely no sign of Levi, though only a moment ago he was sprawled out on the ground pulling the drum kit to pieces. I don’t see him anywhere, but he’s not the only person I can’t see.
We hide in the shadow of the big party room, and while I hate being in this particular room, I suck it up. Now is not the time to get caught up in the terrors of my time here. My sharp gaze scans the room, searching for James. The hairs rising on the back of my neck tell me he’s in here, though I come up blank until Roman takes my chin and turns me toward the corner of the room.
James stands in the shadows, his skillful gaze sailing around the room, though judging by the way he’s still searching, he has absolutely no idea where any of us are, and I don’t doubt that in a moment, he’ll move onto the next room, searching until he gets what he wants.
But what is that? Why the fuck is he here? Did he find out about Jasmine? That I was the one who took her? Does he know that we brought her back here? Is he here looking for her or is he here to punish me? Who fucking knows. Perhaps this is completely unrelated and he has business with the boys that they don’t know about.
A sickening shiver trails down my spine, and I know without a doubt that this is about me.
He’s slowly slinking through the room, none the wiser about the three DeAngelis devils slowly stalking him. It’s like a twisted game of cat and mouse, only James thinks he’s the cat. He’s never been so wrong.
If only there were a way to keep him from walking out of the den. There are too many passageways that lead out from here. If he were to walk out the back entrance, we wouldn’t be able to follow him without being caught. We’d lose him first, and that’s a risky game, one that I’m not willing to play, especially now that we have him in our sights.
If he thinks he’s the cat, then why not give him a chance to flex?
The idea filters through my mind, but I know exactly what the boys would think about it, and as the phone silently vibrates in my hand and I glance down, that point is only proven.
Marcus - Don’t even think about it.
My gaze shoots up and I find Marcus stepping out of the shadows just enough for me to find him, his fuming expression warning me that I’ll be punished for what I’m about to do.
Roman’s hold tightens on my body, keeping me close as he reads the message over my shoulder, trying to figure out what the hell Marcus could mean. But my mind is set, and without a hint of warning, I push out of his arms and drag my feet as I make my way across the room.
I keep my head down, but I feel the exact moment that James gets me in his sights. His wicked stare is like two laser beams pinning the back of my head, watching my every step like a lion playing with his meal, and despite just how dangerous this man is, I know that I have never been safer in my life.
Pushing my way in behind the fully stocked bar, I turn my back and reach up to grab a glass tumbler before placing it down on the bar as though I don’t have a care in the world. It’s well after midday now, and it’s more than acceptable to pour myself a stiff drink.
Grabbing the bottle of vodka and the orange juice from the row of bar fridges below, I get to work pouring my drink, and all too soon, his game of cat and mouse begins.
Hiding the grin that stretches across my face, I watch out of the corner of my eye as James slowly stalks me, moving across the room in a way that he thinks he’ll be able to get the jump on me, completely unaware of the fact that I’m drawing him out and that he’s the one currently being stalked.
Turning around, I push the bottle of vodka back onto its high shelf and as I do, I catch Levi across the room. He doesn’t look happy about the situation, but it’s a little too late to change the plan. He watches me with a hard stare, his eyes focused heavily on mine, but I know he’s also watching James slowly moving toward me. Levi won’t let anything happen to me.
Holding his stare a moment longer, I wait, knowing James won’t be able to resist jumping at me now that my back is turned. That’s just what men like him do. They attack women when they’re most vulnerable and not in a position to fight back, just as he did to Jasmine. He kidnapped her for weeks and she endured the worst kind of abuse at his hands, and because of that, he will not walk out of this castle alive. This sorry fucker has got another thing coming.
Levi nods and just as he mouths the word, “now,” I spin around, and drop down low, narrowly avoiding James’ arms as they swing toward me. Without skipping a beat, I kick my heel out with a powerful strike to his balls just as the boys taught me, only the momentum from his missed swing has him falling forward and my heel connecting with his guts instead.