Page 21 of Beautiful Vengeance
No.I’m angry with him.I’m going over there to give him a piece of my mind.
Of course you are.
She ignored the snide little voice inside her that sounded remarkably like her older sister and walked out into the night.Sloan paused to stretch, her muscles protesting faintly.It felt good, though, like she’d really pressed herself today.She started for the beach, but she only made it about a block before it dawned on her how dark it actually was on the streets of Callaway Rock.
In her time here, she hadn’t made a habit of going out after sunset—especially since sunset was at nearly nine in the evening—so she hadn’t noticed that there weren’t many street lamps.With all the businesses shut down for the day, there was only the faintest of lights shining through the windows lining the street.It should have made the whole town look sleepy and comfortable, but some instinct she hadn’t realized she had perked up and sounded the alarm.
Sloan turned a slow circle, studying her surroundings as well as she could through the shadows holding dominance.There was no one out, and though she’d only walked a block, the relative noise of the bar seemed worlds away.Anything could happen to her and no one would know about it until morning.
“Stop it,” she told herself.Her voice sounded small and scared.“Stop it right now.This isn’t Boston.You aren’t in danger here.”But shefeltlike she was, as if some sniper had her in his scope and was currently caressing the trigger.
She took a big step back, reaching behind her for the brick wall of the market, her heart beating too hard.No one knows where I am…that I know of.That thought wasn’t nearly as comforting as it should have been.Someone could have found her.They could be waiting just around the corner to throw her in a car and take her home.
What if it isn’t my family who’s found me?
Fear wrapped itself around her throat, making it hard to breathe.She knew the O’Malleys had enemies.Her youngest brother, Devlin, had paid the price because of those enemies.They might not be actively at war at the moment, but that didn’t mean that snatching her off the street wouldn’t be a coup for whoever managed to do it.
Oh God, I am so incredibly stupid.
She started moving, because the only other option was to stand still and wait for morning.Her tennis shoes beat a quick rhythm on the pavement, and she could almost swear she heard a second set of footsteps echoing hers, just a breath off.Panic swelled, swallowing any ability to rationalize away her fear.She glanced over her shoulder, saw a shadow detach from the market building, and couldn’t contain herself any longer.
Sloan full-out ran.
Chapter Nine
Jude bolted awake to the sound of someone pounding on his door.He surged to his feet, halfway to the door before he registered that he’d been asleep in the first place.What time is it?He checked the peep hole, frowned, and shoved his gun into the nearest drawer before opening the door.“Sloan?What are you doing here?”How long had he slept?The last thing he remembered was showering and sitting on the couch to figure out his next step.
Can’t believe I fell asleep.
“Jude, thank God.”She rushed inside and stopped short, as if realizing that it might be rude to charge in uninvited.She raised shaking hands to tuck her hair behind her ears, and only then did he notice how pale she was.
He glanced outside, noting that she’d come to the street-side entrance, rather than up from the beach, and shut the door.“You look…”Fucking terrified.
He went to her before he could think better of it, pulling her into his arms.Shivers racked her body, and her breath came too fast, as if she’d just sprinted here.He hesitated and then smoothed back her hair.The move seemed to calm her a little, so he did it again.“What happened?”
“It’s silly.”She buried her head in his chest, which made it impossible to gauge her expression.
“‘Silly’ isn’t a word I’d use to describe you.Tell me.”
She took a shuddering breath, held it for exactly three seconds, and exhaled.“I was walking back from the little pub in the middle of town.I didn’t realize how dark the streets would be, and I spooked myself.That’s all.It’s nothing.”
It didn’t sound like nothing.Sloan might be edgy around him, but he’d observed her enough to know that she didn’t jump at shadows.All he knew was that something had scared the living daylights out of her, and she’d just run some distance to come tohisdoor.It would have taken her a grand total of five seconds to reach the O’Connor house and bar herself inside, but she hadn’t done that.
She wants me to protect her.
The thought staggered him.He held her closer without meaning to.No one came to him for protection.They feared him, even if they weren’t able to put a name to their fear until he stood before them, their death in his eyes.He stalked, hunted, killed, leaving destruction in his wake.
He didn’tprotect.
But he suddenly wanted to make an exception for this woman.She was so small in his arms, her strength gone in an instant, her body shaking even as she tried to calm herself.He wanted to stand between her and the world, to fight whatever demons plagued her.
Jude almost snorted.That wasn’t who he was.That wasn’t what hedid.He might forget that from time to time when he was around Sloan, but that didn’t change his reality.
He still wasn’t going to make her leave while she was terrified.
He guided her over to the couch and sat down, taking her with him.She curled her legs up, fitting in his lap with laughable ease.They sat like that for a long time.Jude didn’t know what to say.He wanted to know what really set her off, but she obviously didn’t want to talk about it.Fuck, he wanted to know a whole lot when it came to Sloan, but she wasn’t the sharing type.
“I was so angry at you today.”She spoke so softly, he thought he’d imagined it until she raised her head and looked at him.Sloan sighed.“It seems rather petty right now, though.”
