The Arrogant Artist : A Billionaire Boss Romance (International Bad Boys Set Book 2), стр. 60

“Fuck you,” he spits, blood pouring from his face.

“Louis,” Daniel calls out. “Louis,” he calls to me again. “Get. Emily. Now.” This stops me. My chest is heaving as I hold Yves by his ripped shirt, turning my head.

Quickly, I get to my feet and rush over to Emily, who’s out cold.

“We need an ambulance… a doctor.”

“I’ve organized for one to meet us back at your place,” Daniel tells me. “Pick her up and take her away from here. We’ll clean up this mess.”

“She wanted it, Louis. She wanted me,” Yves yells at me.

My blood boils, and I turn to go for him again, but Daniel punches Yves instead, flooring him.

“Shut the fuck up, you piece of shit. You’re about to be fucked,” Daniel states.

“The boys in lock-up are going to love a pretty boy like you,” Marcus tells him. “I’m going to make sure I put you in with the best.” The sneer, followed by a bark of laughter, makes me take a second look. Marcus follows that by rubbing his hands together, where I see he’s taking pleasure in his actions. It makes me feel better knowing Marcus is going to take care of Yves once and for all.

I take off my shirt and place it over Emily. She doesn’t need the world to see her in her underwear—this gorgeous woman has suffered enough. I pick her up, cradling her, then slowly walk back the way I came and out into the darkness. Headlights light up the courtyard, and I can hear her friends frantically talking. They notice me coming and gasp seeing Emily’s limp form in my arms. I push open the door, and they crowd around us.

“Fuck! Emmy… we’re so sorry.” Rosie is crying.

All of them have tears running down their cheeks—they know what she has been through.

“He didn’t?” Ava asks.

I shake my head.

“You made him pay, didn’t you?” Georgia asks.

“Fuck, yeah.”

The girls all nod, but shock is setting in. I watch each of them needing something to support themselves in an upright position. They all lean against the car as their breathing becomes rapid, and they all start sobbing.

“There’s a doctor coming to my place to check her over. I think she’s going to want to see your faces when she wakes.”

They all give me teary looks but nod.

The driver opens the door for me to slide in while cradling Emily to my chest.

I won’t ever let her go again.

“Do you think she’s going to be okay?” I ask her friends once the doctor leaves.

It appears like we got there in time. Yves hadn’t had time to assault her.

“I don’t know, Louis,” Ava tells me. “We’ve been here before. It took her a long time to get over what happened last time. Not sure she ever did.”

“I can’t lose her,” I tell her friends.

They all give me sad smiles as if they know it’s inevitable.

“The guy who did this to her last time… he was her best friend.” My stomach sinks at Rosie’s words. “She trusted him. We all did.”

“We didn’t realize how his crush had turned into an obsession,” Georgia adds. “He stalked her, and he was right there under our noses.”

“I brought this man into her life.” I scrub my hand across my face.

“How would you have known he’d do this?” Rosie questions.

“He tried it on at the gala. But I thought… I tried to make her safe.”

“How could you have known?” Ava tries to reassure me.

“That’s the thing… I did know. I thought he was dangerous, but I had no idea…” I run my hands through my hair. “Not only has he destroyed my past, but he’s also now destroyed my future.”

“Not going to lie. Prepare yourself, she’s probably going to want to run,” Georgia warns me.

I look up at her friends, my heart aching at this thought, but how can I blame her. I wouldn’t want to stay here either.

“Just give her time. She’ll come back to you.”

“And if she doesn’t?” I look at them.

“Then you fight for her… if she’s what you want,” Ava tells me.

“She is what I want. More than anything,” I confess. “She brought light back into my life when all I could see was darkness.”

“Then don’t give up on her, Louis,” Rosie pleads. “She was happy with you, even when you were an asshole.” Her words make me smile even if it’s fleeting. “Just remember what you had together before everything got fucked up, especially when she pushes you away.”

Please come back to me, Emily. Please.