Page 17 of Fate's Unseen Shadow

He tipped the corner of his lips up, seeming amused at the memory. “No. We found Hayley in this guy’s garage while he was inside the house. I passed her to Xavier to take to safety. Then I let myself into the house.” He lifted his chin. “Eat, Ella. Before it gets cold.”

She picked up the sandwich, more interested in the story. “Did you shoot him?”

“No. I didn’t carry a gun, and I still don’t. I had my fill of them in the Marines.”

That was interesting. “Then what did you do?” She took a bite.

“I beat the shit out of him.”

Ella snorted and then coughed, nearly choking on the bite she’d taken. “Sorry, I didn’t expect you to say that either.” She coughed again. “So they got you on battery?”

“Battery? Oh, no. I left him permanently disfigured and one step away from death.” He said it so calmly, it was difficult to tell if it was true. But why would he lie about that? Even knowing his time in the Marines, it was hard to imagine him that…scary? He seemed sweet and caring.

“Do you like your sandwich? I can order you something else.”

She smiled. “It’s delicious. Back to your story. It doesn’t sound like you needed a gun after all. Did you stop on purpose?”

“Yes. Otherwise, they would’ve charged me with premeditated murder.”

“It’s ridiculous you received any time. How long were you in jail?” Shaking her head, she added, “Not sure I’ve ever said those words before to someone over breakfast.”

He crossed his arms, pausing a moment before answering. “I was in for nine months before I was paroled out.” He smirked. “I see that bothers you.”

“You being in jail doesn’t bother me, but that seems a little excessive for what he did to your niece.”

“I was glad to take the punishment.”

He’d mentioned taking care of the stalker if he showed up at Cager. Based on that story, he wouldn’t have any issue. “Where is the guy that took Hayley now? Still in prison, I hope.”

“Dead.”

She slowed her chewing. “Do I want to know how that happened?”

“Probably not.” He took another bite of his sandwich like the idea of the man’s death didn’t faze him in the least. She wouldn’ttake away her initial thought of Damon being a nice guy, but there was a darker side in there where death and possibly murder was normal. Anyone who dealt with runaways and their horrible situations in such a straightforward, matter-of-fact way had to have a harder side to their personality.

He’d saved a half-dozen children last night and yet, he sat across from her like it was a normal Thursday morning.

“Is your coffee sweet enough? I’ll get you something else if you need it.”

Ella shook her head, taking her cue to move on from their previous conversation, although she still had dozens of questions. “This entire breakfast is great.” She wiped her mouth with a napkin and reached for her coffee. “What time do you want me ready tonight?”

“Five-thirty is fine. Go ahead and order yourself dinner before then. Don’t forget lunch.”

She laughed lightly. “You are really worried about me eating.”

Damon didn’t return her laughter. “Based on the pictures that I could find on the Internet, you’ve lost a significant amount of weight in the last month. It’s hard not to think it’s because you didn’t have the money to eat.”

With a sigh, she agreed. Her clothes hung from her body. “I guess I need to go shopping for clothes. I have some, but I don’t think it’s anything I can wear to work in a bar. I’m sure a mall is the last place you want to go with me.”

“The mall is the last place I want you to go, period. We need to limit your exposure. I’m fine with you at the bar. No one there will recognize you or expect you to be somewhere like that. I watched your news story yesterday morning and didn’t see any resemblance until you showed me your license. But out and about at the mall is a different story. If you order things, I will pick them up.”

Thankfully, having tried items on in thrift stores gave her a general idea of her size. “Sounds good.”

He pulled out his wallet and set his credit card on the table. “You have about thirty minutes before I need to go to work. Use the phone I gave you and order what you want. I don’t care.”

She grimaced, slouching in the chair. “I really hate you spending money on me.”

He lifted his gaze from his phone. “Just order the clothes, Ella. Stop complaining about the money. Unless you start buying dozens of thousand-dollar shoes, you can’t break me.”

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