Page 32 of Just Heartbeats (Royalla Motorcycle Club #1)

The air in the house smelled of cigarettes and mold, like it had been stagnant for years.

Roma strained against the bindings at her wrists, pulse hammering in her ears.

The windows were all covered with blankets, and she'd lost track of how many turns the Deception member had made since leaving the compound.

Her nose tingled. She pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth, trying to keep from sneezing and drawing attention to herself. The furniture was old and dusty. She couldn't breathe without inhaling the toxins floating in the air.

Every minute seemed like a year.

There was nowhere to get help. No neighbors.

No one else was at the house except the Deception member who had driven her there.

Nate—that asshole. He set her up and never got in the car with her.

He tossed her away like yesterday's garbage as if their friendship meant nothing.

If he were smart, he'd ride away fast before a Royalla member found him and killed him for what he'd done.

The Deception member prowled the length of the room.

His restless movements kept her on guard.

Ever since they'd arrived at the house, his eyes darted around, never focused, as if he were paranoid.

Whatever rage or motive filled him, he was twisted.

Something wasn't right. She could feel the unstable emotions whenever his gaze lingered on her. It made her sick to her stomach.

"I wanted you the moment I saw you with your dad," he murmured, the words crawling under her skin. "That's why Curt and I—" He fisted his hair and groaned. "Damn him. We were going to make you ours." His face scrunched. "But I'm not stopping. I get you now."

A cold shudder ran down Roma's spine. The way he said "ours" made her stomach churn. Curt must be Curtis Morgan. Kodiak had killed him for murdering her dad. He was also the one who tried to kidnap her.

The man's fury crackled in the air, tightening the atmosphere in the depressing room. Roma pressed her lips together, fighting back the nausea rising in her throat.

"You think you get to decide where you belong?" His voice turned razor-sharp. "You think Kodiak will come for you?" He laughed harshly. "You're only a job to him. Another responsibility."

The words hurt. She wanted to shut them out, to deny them, to fight against his claim. But in this darkness, in this place where she was powerless, doubt came knocking. Would Kodiak come? Would he fight for her?

She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself to breathe through the fear. He'd come for her. He would. He had to. What they had was real. He'd even gone in front of his men and claimed her as his old lady.

She remembered the way Kodiak looked at her—the softness in his eyes that he only gave to her. She wasn't a promise he'd made to her dad. She was his, and he was hers.

She lifted her chin, bracing herself against the storm brewing in front of her. No matter what the man told her, she wouldn't stop believing that Kodiak was looking for her and he would find her.

His expression changed, rage boiling over in an instant. Roma barely had time to react before he lunged toward her, fingers tangling in her hair as he yanked her forward. She bit back a cry, refusing to let him see her break. Not now. Not ever.

The walls closed in on her. The room darkened. All she had to do was hold on for a little bit longer. Kodiak would ride into the compound and learn she was gone. He'd come looking for her. All she had to do was wait and try not to get killed.

"You belong to me, not Kodiak." The man shook her head.

She bit her tongue, refusing to argue with him. Deep in her chest, beneath the terror and doubt, he couldn't take away her love for Kodiak. Her love for Royalla. She loved the life she was born into and wasn't ready to let it go yet.

She had to survive.

She had to make it back home.

He let go of her with force, tossing her to the side. She tumbled, banging her shoulder onto the floor. Her lungs tightened and burned. She sniffed. Was that smoke?

Unable to push herself into a sitting position with her hands tied behind her back, she inhaled through her nose again.

At first, it was a faint, acrid aroma curling through the air, barely noticeable beneath the staleness of the house.

Then it thickened. She could see the heavy white cloud seeping in from the other room.

The Deception member froze mid-step, nostrils flaring. His gaze darted to the door, then back to her.

"What did you do?" His voice was sharp, edged with sudden fear. "No, no, no. This wasn't supposed to happen."

Roma coughed, blinking against the sting in her eyes. Swirling tendrils of smoke seeped through the cracks, curling under the door like snakes coming toward her. In the distance, the air snapped and crackled.

Her kidnapper turned frantic, pacing, muttering curses under his breath.

He pulled his phone from his pocket, tapped furiously, then hurled it against the wall.

Roma gasped, swallowing air that tasted bitter and burned.

Her throat tightened. She wasn't going to make it out of the house. She was going to die here.

The heat followed the smoke, creeping through the walls, pressing against her skin. She strained, rolling to her stomach. Unable to get up on her knees, she squirmed toward the door, knowing she'd never be able to reach the doorknob.

She cried out. More than dying, she mourned never telling Kodiak how much she loved him and planned to love him for the rest of his life. That no matter how far away he was now, she had never stopped believing he would find her.

Flames entered the room. A jagged cough ripped from her chest.

Gunfire exploded. She screamed, plastering her cheek against the floor, trying to see who was shooting and where the danger was coming from.

The kidnapper jerked, his body lurching back, a stunned breath leaving his lips before his knees buckled beneath him. Roma barely registered his fall before the door splintered open.

Kodiak entered the haze like a leather-wearing-tatted angel coming to save her. Her vision blurred. The heat made her dizzy. He crossed the room in three strides, cutting through the smoke in the low light.

"Roma." He lifted her into his arms without hesitation, plastering her to his chest. Her world spun, but she was safe. She was his. He'd come for her.

Flames clawed at the walls as Kodiak carried her out, the fire swallowing the house behind them. Roma coughed against his shoulder, her body weak, but her heart fierce.

She was alive.

And she was going home.