Page 12 of The Devil's Wrath

A ghost of a smile played at the corners of her mouth. “Likewise, Theo West.” She studied me for a moment, as if trying to piece together a puzzle. “You know, you still haven’t explained why you just happened to be following my boyfriend tonight.”

I shrugged, attempting an air of nonchalance. “Call it intuition, I guess. I had a feeling something wasn’t right.”

“Intuition,” she echoed, arching an eyebrow. “Is that what we call stalking these days?”

My heart skipped a beat, and I fought to keep my expression neutral. “Stalking? That’s a pretty serious accusation.”

She took a step toward me, her gray eyes boring into mine. “Almost as serious as breaking and entering. Which, if I’m not mistaken, is exactly what you did tonight.”

I held up my hands in a pacifying gesture. “Whoa, hold on. I was just trying to help. I heard him laughing with a couple of dipshits at the party that he was going to come over here and teach you a lesson for embarrassing him in front of everyone. When I got here, I heard the commotion, and I reacted. Maybe I shouldn’t have barged in like that, but I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.”

Raven regarded me for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Finally, she sighed, running a hand through her tousled hair. “I suppose I should be grateful. But there’s something I don’t understand.” She looked up at me before continuing, “Why do you care so much, Theo West? Why risk your own safety for a stranger?”

Her question hung in the air between us. It was heavy with unspoken implications. Why did I care so much? It was a question I had been asking myself all night, ever since I’d first seen her at the fight. There was something about her that drew me in. Something that made me want to protect her and keep her safe from harm.

But how could I explain that without sounding like a complete lunatic?

I took a deep breath, choosing my words carefully. “Look, Raven, I know this might sound crazy, but I felt a connection from the moment I saw you at that fight. Like something was pulling me toward you.” I paused, gauging her reaction. When she didn’t immediately recoil in disgust, I pressed on. “And when I overheard those assholes talking about what Connor was planning to do, I couldn’t just ignore it. I had to make sure you were okay.”

Her expression softened slightly, but the wariness didn’t entirely leave her eyes. “A connection,” she repeated slowly, as if testing the word on her tongue. “You do realize how that sounds, right? Like something out of a bad romance novel?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “Yeah, I guess it does. But that doesn’t make it any less true.” I took a step closer to her, my hearthammering in my chest. “Look, I’m not expecting anything from you. I want you to know that I’m here if you ever need someone. No strings attached.”

“Okay,” she said softly. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She bit her lip and fidgeted with the sleeves of her shirt before looking up at me. “Actually, speaking of no strings attached, there’s a door that you kicked in that needs to be fixed. How about I cash in on that ‘here if you ever need someone’ offernow?”

I couldn’t help but grin at her playfulness. I appreciated her wit more than she realized. “Fair enough,” I conceded with a nod. “I did make quite the entrance, didn’t I? I suppose the least I can do is fix what I broke.”

Her lips quirked into a small smile, the first genuine one I’d seen from her all night. “That would be appreciated. I’d rather not have a gaping hole in my back door, inviting every passerby in for a late-night visit.”

“We wouldn’t want that,” I agreed, mentally calculating the supplies I’d need to repair the damage. “I can come back tomorrow if that works for you. I’ll bring my tools and fix it up in no time.”

She hesitated momentarily, and I could see the wheels turning in her head as she considered my offer. “Alright,” she finally said. There was a note of caution still present in her voice. “But just to fix the door. Don’t go getting any ideas.”

I held up my hands in a gesture of innocence. “No ideas here. Just a man with a hammer and a mission to restore your home security.”

She rolled her eyes, but I caught the hint of amusement that flashed across her face. “We’ll see about that,” she muttered, more to herself than to me.

An awkward silence settled between us, neither of us quite sure how to proceed. I cleared my throat. “Lead the way then,” I said, gesturing for her to go ahead of me. “Your handyman is at your service.”

Rolling her eyes again, she headed out of the bedroom and down the stairs. I followed close behind, trying not to let my gaze linger too long on the sway of her hips or how her torn shirt revealed tantalizing glimpses of smooth, pale skin.

When we reached the kitchen, I surveyed the damage. The door hung off its hinges, and the frame was splintered where my boot had connected. It looked worse in the bright light of the kitchen than it had in the heat of the moment.

“Shit,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. “I really did a number on this thing, huh?”

She leaned against the counter, her arms crossed over her chest. “That’s an understatement. You’re lucky I don’t call the cops on you for destruction of property.”

I winced at her words, knowing she had every right to be pissed. “I am sorry about that. I wasn’t exactly thinking straight in the moment. All I could focus on was getting to you.”

She sighed, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. “I know. And as much as I hate to admit it, I’m glad you did. Connor is a dick.”

I looked around the kitchen, taking in the high-end appliances and granite countertops. “Nice place you’ve got here, by the way.”

She shrugged. “It’s not really mine. It belongs to my parents. I’m just staying here while I’m in grad school.”

“Grad school, huh? Let me guess—law school? You’ve got that whole ‘justice for all’ vibe going on.” I grinned at her, trying to lighten the mood.

She actually cracked a small smile at that. “Not quite. I’m studying to become a nurse practitioner, actually.”

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