Taming Pierce

25

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R E E C E
25 | lovely things

Tatia is in panic mode. I can't place the exact reason for the shift in her demeanor. It started from the moment that large man in the café collided with her. He had muttered something to her, something that made Tatia go pale as she stared at him with bulging eyes.

I was quick to rush to her but by the time I reached, the man was already gone. She continued to look at him, then at every other customer in the café, her eyes clouded like she was stuck in a trance.

She dragged me back to the car, forced me to drive at full speed, and is now dragging me into the penthouse.

Her steps are agitated once we enter home, her fingers slipping their grip from mine as she proceeds straight in the direction of her bedroom.

I walk behind her briskly, trying to catch her but she is surprisingly quick. She slams the door as she enters her room, heading for the wardrobe.

"Will you tell me what happened?" I ask her, watching her open the wardrobe and gather clothes from inside.

She works frantically, causing a knot of tensed muscles to throb in the center of my forehead.

"I have to go," she says hurriedly, shoving the clothes inside her handbag. "They have found me."

The sharp intake of breath I inhale gets snubbed by Tatia's shoes clicking against the floor. She opens a drawer in the wardrobe, drawing out two underwear and a bra.

"What? Tatia-" I grab her arm as she walks past me, forcing her to turn.

She finds my gaze, her eyes gleaming with tears. She sobs silently, the clothes dropping from her hand and the look on her face burns my chest, making me clench my fingers around her slim frame.

"They were his people..." she explains, hiccuping as more teardrops spill between us. "All of them. Reece, I have to go."

She pushes me, bending to pick up the clothes she dropped. I blink at the back of her head, the news she shared going over my head. Her hesitant hands, worriedly thrusting clothes and other stuff in her small handbag have me snapping out of that bewilderment.

I spin her around, holding her shoulders and bending to meet her eye level.

"Tatia, calm down..." I whisper, cupping her face.

"Oh shit!" She forces my hands away to slap a palm to her forehead. "My money. I don't have money." She searches around the room, before blinking up at me. Her expression turns mournful, the corners of her lips drooping. "Can I take your card with me? Or...perhaps you can get me some cash? Please...please...last help. I won't ask again."

She intertwines her fingers together, giving me a pleading gesture. I envelope her joined hands with mine, shoving them back down.

"Tatia, stop this," I say gravely. "Calm down."

"I won't tell anyone..." she continues her pleas, clutching my shirt and tugging at the fabric. "You'll be safe, I promise. Just lend me some money. I...I'll give it back...someday."

"Tatia, shut up! Look at me!" I snap this time, yelling at her face as I hold her by her arms, bringing us closer together.

She gasps, her pupils clearing as she notices the proximity of us. Whatever she had been thinking gets forgotten for a moment as she peeks at my lips near her own, her fingers on my shirt slipping.

"Breathe..." I order, calmly.

"They have found us..." she mumbles, unable to concentrate as I press us closer together, touching my forehead to hers and breathing in the scent of her vanilla perfume.