Sex and the Billionaire Crime Boss - Season 2

Ch. 10: Temptation

Like hell. I slam my head backward connecting with her face and hear a crunch that I'm hoping is her nose, and swing my elbow back as hard as I can. It also connects but I don't wait to see how much damage or even what my assailant looks like.

I just run for the door, almost knocking over two girls who look at most 20 who were just coming into the restroom. I push my way through the crowd of dancers with getting away the only thing on my mind, not even thinking to look for Gabe, until I run into a hard male chest and look up.

Max.

His arms steady me.

"The restroom," I say, the words coming out in a gasp. "Someone - a woman - she had a knife. I think it was a knife." I'm breathing hard, and panic is starting to set in after the fact.

Max looks over m shoulder and I turn in time to see Gabe heading back toward the restroom. He must have been right behind me after I bolted out.

"Come on," Max says, taking my arm and building me back to the plush banquette where everyone else is sitting now. I slide into my seat and Max moves in beside me. He signals someone for water, but I pick up my mostly untouched glass of champagne and down it in one long gulp. I no longer care whether I get drunk or not.

"What the hell?" Gino asks.

Max glances over. "Apparently someone accosted her in the restroom." He turns back to me.

"Okay, Hadley, take a deep breath and tell us what happened."

But before I can even start to answer, Gabe is back. Max looks up quizzically, but he shakes his head.

"By the time I got there whoever it was was long gone. The only thing I saw was some blood splattered on the floor."

Max yanks me around to face him. "Are you hurt?" His gaze moves over me.

"No. I think I broker her nose, though."

"You think you broke her nose," he repeats and I nod.

"Yeah, I took this self defense class and one of the techniques if someone tries to grab you from being is to through you head back and try to break their nose. Then jab with your elbow. If you're lucky, that combination is enough to loosen their grip and you can maybe get away."

Gino gives a low laugh. "Hell, Max, make sure you never try to grab your woman from behind."

Max almost smiles. "I think my woman can take care of herself."

I get a gooey feeling inside when her calls me his woman, then remind myself immediately that this is only for Gino's benefit, and I am not, in fact, Max's woman or his anything else, by my own choice. But right now - in the moment - it feels comforting just hearing him say it.

"Tell me exactly what happened, Hadley. Start at the beginning."

So I do. When I'm finished, Max looks over at first Gino and then Joey D. "Any ideas?"

Gino shakes his head. "It's always possible someone trying to move in on my territory followed her from my table, figuring she was important if she was sitting there and trying to send a message. But nothing like that's happened before."

Joey D shrugs. "Maybe some trouble followed you from Miami."

I look Gino square in the eyes. Max may not want me to say this, but right now it's been a hell of a day and I'm pretty much beyond caring. I've been walking a tightrope all evening being so careful what I do and say, and I still ended up in the bathroom of a nightclub with someone poking a knife in my side and threatening to cut me.