Page 13 of Fallen Angel
Chapter Six
Ethan derived little pleasure from the club scene—crowded, sweaty, loud. He never stayed long. He never had to. It normally only took a few minutes to find a sexy woman eager to accompany him to the nearest hotel. When he was done, his association with the woman was done too. He left the hotel, usually without even first names being exchanged—which is how he wanted it. He never gave out his number or took a woman home. The last thing he wanted was a nameless pickup showing up at his door looking for more than he was willing to give.
And tonight had started out no different.
It took less than three minutes to zero in on the flavor of the night. She was everything he normally looked for in a woman. Hot, curvy, and ready. But for some reason, she couldn’t hold his interest.
He left her on the dance floor and walked back to the bar and poured himself a drink-to-go before leaving Tidal Wave with a hard-on but no way to satiate his need. Why he wasn’t right now positioned between Burgundy Corset’s tight thighs, he didn’t know.
Then a flash of Angel came to the fore of his mind. Frowning, he threw back the shot of Jack before he passed the glass to the bouncer. “Later, Props.”
“Take it easy, man.”
Ethan breathed deep the night air, freed from the smell of sweat and perfume and started walking toward his bike, but then he saw someone in the distance who looked just like the woman he had been trying to forget all night.
“Great, now I’m seeing things.”
He looked again and realized it actually was Angel.
“Well, shit.”
He started toward her. The bars were letting out, flooding the streets with people from all walks of life. She kept her head down, her shoulders raised around her ears. Everything about her posturing revealed her unease. Judging by her jeans and t-shirt, he guessed she had just finished work. But was she walking home? She lived in Dorchester. That was a crazy distance to walk, especially at this late hour.
In front of her, the crowd grew thick and a few guys started to shove each other.
“Where’s she going?” he muttered as she veered off down one of the side streets. If she was worried about the fight, she should have just crossed to the other side of Landon. Why the hell would she go down there at that time of the night?
She must have panicked.
He started forward at a quick pace, but when he saw three drunk guys stumbling down the same alley, he surged forward, heedless of passersby, shoving people from his path.
Angel was in danger, and his mind was suddenly blind to anything else.
He rounded the corner and headed down the alley. Through the darkness, he could see her.
“Get away from me,” she cried.
Three men surrounded her, taunting her, and pulling at her clothes. One of them backhanded her, the smacking sound went off in his head like thunder.
Ethan’s world turned red.
A growl escaped his lips as he sprinted down the alley, prepared to show no mercy.
∞∞∞
“Get your fucking hands—” Angel started to scream but her protest was smothered by a sweaty hand that reeked of cigarette smoke. She strained away from the pressure and managed to bite down.
The man cried out, snaking his hand away from her face. Then he turned hard, fierce eyes on her.
“Get away from me,” she cried.
“I’ll teach you to fuck with me, you fucking bitch,” he snarled and pulled his hand back. In a blur, she saw the back of his hand coming at her. It collided with her cheek, snapping her head back against the brick wall. White pain shot through her skull. Cruel, hungry hands pawed her breasts and tugged on her jeans, searching for a way in. Her vision blurred. She turned away, willing the wall she was crushed against to somehow open and swallow her whole, whisking her away to another dimension, one without men.
And then she heard a fierce growl filled with fury the instant before the leering face in front of her whirled away. Stunned, she watched his body fly against the opposite wall. A moment later another of her assailants slammed against the wall to her immediate right. Her lone defender moved with incredible speed. Amid a flash of fists and kicks, her heart soared when she saw who it was.
Ethan!
Ethan grabbed the man who had hit her and threw him to the ground and punched his face again and again. One of the other guys jumped Ethan from behind, but Ethan snapped him over his shoulders. The guy climbed back to his feet, but a swift kick sent him straight back to the ground.
