“I said back the fuck off! Don’t you understand English?”
Gripping tight to the back of his leather jacket, I cling to Levi. It’s never been this crazy. Normally, they at least respect my space enough to give me some. But this? This is a madhouse.
We’re almost to the door when I glimpse movement on my left. A middle-aged balding man rushes forward, presumably to catch one last close-up before we’re inside. He’s so busy trying to get his shot that he doesn’t watch where he’s going.
Before I can register what’s happening and shield myself, he trips over a lip in the sidewalk and crashes straight into me.
All at once, my body slams into Levi and curls toward him, its first instinct to protect the baby. Levi’s clasp on my shoulders tightens. Then everything after that is a blur.
In a blink, I’m set aside and Levi is gone. From the shelter of the entryway, I see him leap onto the man who ran into me. He’s cursing and shouting as he takes him to the ground. The camera skitters across the sidewalk, shattering into pieces. There’s a lot of yelling and commotion as several other members of the paparazzi crowd in, some helping, some recording the action on their cameras.
My hands cover my mouth. This isn’t going to end well. I feel it like a stone in my gut.
The fight ends as quickly as it started and Levi storms over to me with fire in his eyes. Snatching my elbow, he turns me and pushes me inside.
True fear grabs hold of me as he continues maneuvering me how he likes. He doesn’t say a word, and I don’t dare speak. Menace radiates off him in thick, turbulent waves, and even though I know he would never hurt me, I’m not willing to risk it.
Levi lets go of me only long enough for me to take my keys from my purse and open the apartment door. Immediately, he crowds me inside and slams it behind us, flipping the locks with a quick snap of his wrist.
“Levi,” I breathe, at a loss for how to handle him in this state.
His breaths saw past his parted lips as he turns and stares me down, reminding me of a bull preparing to charge. Then, in three long strides, he crosses the floor and grabs me up into his arms, crushing me against his chest.
“Holy shit. Are you okay?” he breathes against my neck where he’s buried his face. I nod into his shoulder, some of the tension bleeding out of me.
His entire body is trembling. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I run my hands up and down his back, soothing him as best I can. I’ve never seen him like this before—out of control, literally shaking from fear.
“I almost killed that guy. I almost…Fuck!”
Releasing me, Levi paces the limited floor space. Stabbing his fingers through his mussed hair, he curses roundly before dropping down on the edge of the bed and hanging his head. “I fucked up,” he mutters. “I shouldn’t have touched him, and now it’s going to be plastered all over the place. But when he touched you,” he says, his voice and expression strained as he lifts his head to look up at me, “I lost it. It was like something inside of me just…snapped. I’ve never wanted to hurt someone more in my life.”
Easing down onto my knees in front of him, I hold Levi’s torn gaze wanting nothing more than to rid him of that look. It’s shredding me to see him so upset. “I’m okay. We’re okay. And all of that,” I say, pointing at the window and what lay beyond it, “will be okay.”
His eyes narrow slightly as he studies me, almost as if he isn’t sure whether or not to believe me. Then, with a loud groan, he throws himself back on the bed. He lays like that for several heartbeats before asking, “Is this what it’s like for you every day? Are they always like that?”
I sense where this is going and I’m not sure I want to answer, but I know I have to. I don’t believe in lying just because it’s easier than dealing with the truth. “No,” I say softly. In fact, I suspect that the only reason things got as heated as they did was because of Levi. He’s the one they really want. He’s the story.
The shrill ringing of the phone snaps at my attention and I hurry to answer it, eager to tell whoever is on the other line to call back later. “Hello?”
“Is this Miss Vista Marquis?”
I don’t recognize the woman’s voice. Figuring it’s a telemarketer, I cringe and reply, “Yes, this is she.”
Immediately, the woman launches into an excited speech. “Is your relationship with Mr. Black the real deal, or is this a publicity stunt like some are saying. Are you being paid—”
I slam the phone down and step back like the thing just caught fire.
Levi’s head turns on the bed and his brows knit together. “Who was that? Was that them?”
I don’t want to say the word, but he can see just from the look on my face that his suspicions are correct.
“Fuuuuuck,” he drags out through clenched teeth. Pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes, he shouts, “Fuck!”
“Levi, it will be okay. Everything will—”
“If you say ‘okay’ one more time, I’m going to lose my shit, Vista.” Shooting up, I shrink back as he resumes pacing the floor. “Me being here is a problem. I’ve just made things worse for you. I never should have come back here.”
My heart thunders in my chest as I listen to him talk. No. No! The last thing I want is for him to go away again. “Levi, stop.” Carefully, I approach him and block his path. “Don’t say that. I want you here. I need you here with me.”
His tranquil blue eyes, now filled with remorse and anger, hold mine prisoner. The longer I stare into them, the more I realize that there’s something else in there too—finality. He’s already made his choice. He’s leaving.
Tears cascade down my face when I realize that there’s nothing I’ll be able to say or do to make him change his mind. I’ve already lost him.
“As long as I’m here, they’re never going to leave you alone. I can’t stay here knowing that there might be a repeat of tonight, and it would be my fault. I won’t put you two in danger like that.”
“Please don’t do this. Please,” I beg, my voice nothing more than a weak whisper.
He examines the destruction on my face and releases a pained groan. Drawing me back into his arms, Levi holds me tightly. I grab onto him with everything I’ve got and close my eyes, inhaling the scent of exhaust and leather. I won’t let him go. I won’t.
But Levi’s stronger than I am. With firm hands, he pries me loose and sets me away. “I’m sorry, princess, but I have to go. If I stay here, I’m going to end up killing someone and the last thing either of us wants or needs is for me to end up in prison. It’s better this way.”
Staring at the floor through bleary eyes, I refuse to look at him. How can I, when he’s ripping my heart out? “Don’t do this,” I choke out. I know we can make this work. He’s overreacting. If he’d just take some time to calm down, he’d see that. I could make him see that.
“It’s already done,” he says gravely.
The finality in his statement sends a surge of anger rushing through me, igniting my blood. “So that’s it? You’re just going to walk away?”
“I’m leaving, but we’re not done. Vista,” he says when I still refuse to spare him a glance. His boots reenter my line of vision and he grasps my chin, forcing my head back. Those blue eyes are fierce when he repeats, “We’re not done. It won’t be like this forever. I’ll come back when all of this blows over, when they’ve got something else to focus their energy on.”
Jerking my chin from his grasp, I cross my arms over my chest and steel myself against everything I’m feeling. It’s the only way I’m going to keep from crumpling to the floor. Then I say something that I will probably regret for the rest of my life.
“If you walk out that door,” I say with a voice that shakes, “then don’t bother coming back.”