Chapter 9

We both jumped ten feet in the air and practically fell on our bottoms again as we spun to face the doorway.

"What the hell is going on?" Trev growled as he stalked towards me.

I had to fight the urge to run up to him and let him protect me from everything. But I stayed quiet and left it to Bethany to spill the beans. She sighed and slumped her shoulders, but stepped forward, nonetheless.

"It's all my fault," Bethany admitted in a defeated tone.

"What do you mean?"

"I… Well…I… um," she stuttered, obviously unsure of how to start.

"Just spit it out, Bethany," Trev spit out frustrated.

With that, the flood gates opened and the story began to spill itself out.

The large amount of money she had inherited from her uncle had actually been the large amount he had stolen from his old employer. A very prominent Columbian drug lord. Bethany had found this out a few weeks ago when the men had approached her and demanded it back. It had been the 'supplier meeting' she had refused to tell me about.

When she had refused, stating that her uncle had never been a part of something so vile. The men had grown angry with her adamant denial that they told her she would regret her dismissal of them. But Bethany had ignored their warning thinking the man was crazy.

"Well, believe it now?" Trev snared out.

She nodded and sniffled a little bit then wiped the tears off her face. Trev came over and gingerly pulled the towel away from my face. In a flash, his face went murderous.

"Who did this?" he growled out.

"One of the men. I don't know his name. But I think he was the boss," Bethany told Trev.

She was looking at her feet, her face flushed in shame and guilt coloring her eyes.

"Why?" he asked.

"They were trying to make sure I knew they were serious."

Trev spat out a curse before pulling his phone out and storming out of the room. We could hear him just outside the door talking on it. Bethany looked up at me and the sorrow in her eyes grabbed at me. Despite my insides quivering with fear, I hugged her close. I wanted to comfort her and let her know that I was not mad at her.

"I'm so sorry," Bethany spoke hoarsely, then gave up trying to hold the tears back.

She buried her face in my shoulder and continued to sob so hard that her tiny frame shook.

"Better?" I asked when she calmed.

"No. God, Vie, I've just done it again. I've gotten another one of my friends hurt and I didn't mean to. I am so, so sorry."

"Bethany, you didn't know who they were or who your uncle was. You can't take that sort of blame on yourself," I reassured her.

Bethany shook her head, refusing to believe like the stubborn tiny woman I knew her to be. I had to contain myself before I grabbed her by the shoulders and shake some sense into her; I also knew that my arms would tire before that would happen.

I watched her get up and walk out of the room, hating the slump of her shoulders. She came back in a few moments later with a first aid kit and instructed me to sit down so she could fix up the cut on my face.

Trev stalked back in the room with that terrifying glare still on his face. He took one look at what Bethany had in her hand and immediately offered me his hand while she cleaned the cut. I managed to smile weakly up at him, grateful for his support. He just continued to stare at me with a churning fury in his eyes and said nothing to either one of us. That was until Bethany touched the alcohol-soaked cotton ball to my cheek.

"Damn it, girl, go easy on her," Trev cursed at her when I let out a little cry and squeezed his hand.

The wounded puppy look on her face sparked my anger in defense of her.

"Trev!" I berated him. "She's doing the best that she can. No matter what she had done, it would have hurt. It's a cut on my face, not a piece of dirt. So, knock it off!"

A giggle came from the doorway, and we looked up to see Lizzie and two men standing next to her. Both men were hulking giants making Lizzie appear to be a dainty little thing. These two dark and mysterious men were the epitome of the phrase: tall, dark, and handsome. But I also had no doubt in my mind that they were dangerous. They also had matching looks of concern as they took in the scene in front of them.

"Yeah, Trev, just back off," Lizzie repeated still giggling.

Trev glared at her. "Don't test me today, little sis."

True to Lizzie's nature, she ignored the warning in his voice and stuck her tongue out at him. Lizzie had quite an attitude which would explain why she had two Masters.

Trev shook his head at his sister then turned back to me.

"I've got to go out and talk to the guys. Are you going to be all right?" he asked softly.

I did not answer right away, feeling a strange girly need to keep him close by.

"I'll stay with you if you want me to," Trev reassured me.

Chastising myself for being needy, I forced myself to let go of him with a shake of my head.

A flash of pride crossed Trev's face before he tipped my chin up and brushed a gentle kiss across my lips. But as soon as his lips met mine the tender peck turned instantly. His arms swept around me and pulled me to him. One arm wrapped around my back and the other hand gripped the back of my head tangling into my hair and holding me still as his mouth ravaged mine.