Page 11 of Savage Possession
I drop my hands and take the keys to the bookstore out. I silently pick her up and carry Isa inside, setting her on the nearest counter top. “Wait here.”
“Ash. No, wait.” She grabs my cut, pulling me to a stop. I turn. I can’t help it. I don’t like hearing the fear in her voice.
She gasps as I take both sides of her face in my palms and press a kiss over the bruise. “Wait here. I’m going to get the first aid kit and then you are going to tell me the name of the man who did this to you.”
“I can’t,” she whispers.
“You can. And then I will take care of the rest. From here on out, you never have to worry again.” I’ll sign whatever blood contract with the devil himself if I have to in order to keep that promise.
Tender fingers wrap around my wrists. “I knew I shouldn't have come here. I’m so sorry to bring trouble to your door. I didn’t know where else to go and frankly it was like the bike pointed itself here.”
“Whose bike did you ride here?”
She shakes her head. “It doesn’t matter, but we need to get out of here and as far away from it as possible.” She releases her hold on me and goes to jump off the counter. My sweet angel gasps when I step between her legs and block her path.
“What are you not telling me?”
I take in her torn dress, smeared mascara and the fear in her eyes.
“Who do I need to kill?” I pull my weapons from their holsters and lay both Desert Eagles on either side of Isa’s thighs.
I pick up one first and check the magazine.
Full.
I do the same to the other one.
It’s full too.
Her eyes go round with fear and she does this cute little forehead scrunch that makes me want to kiss every little worry line that pops up.
Her hands come to my shoulders, and she gives a slight shake. “What are you doing? No. No, nope.”
If she shakes her head any harder, she’s going to get whiplash.
I sigh heavily, hating the fact I’ll need to show her my true colors sooner rather than later. “What did you think I was going to do when you showed up beaten, your dress torn, and shaking from fear? I hope you don’t expect me to let whoever did this to you get away with hurting my angel?”
She throws her hands out in this wide gesture of frustration that almost has me laughing.
“Seriously, I don’t know what I wasn’t thinking. All I know is I would like to get out of here before the men hunting me catch up with me. They call themselves this stupid name. The Vultures. But stupid or not, they are mean men who take joy in hurting people. I’m sure they have that metal monster in the back alley pinged with some kind of tracker so my life is on a countdown timer.”
She takes a shaky, deep breath and releases it.
“I’m sure they do. I’m familiar with the rat bastards. But how do you know them?”
Nothing but a few shards of light from the streetlights break up the darkness, but there’s no hiding how her face turns a deep red that stands out in the muted interior of the bookstore.
She lets out a long sigh. “A very long story short, my mom died, my father got greedy and instead of drinking himself into a gravelike most heartbroken men, he decided to make himself a crime boss of sorts. I don’t know whose bright idea it was to use me as leverage, but I came back from New York City with my father only to find out he made plans for today to be my wedding day to Grayson “Grudge” Caine. Surprise! But not really. I can not make this shit up.”
She brushes away tears streaming down her cheeks and I swear to God right then and there I will put bodies in the ground for this woman.
I step between her legs, and cradle her body and warmth to me, offering all I have in return. “Just breathe for a minute. We’ll figure it all out. This father of yours sounds like he could use a rude awakening.” With my gun shoved down his mouth, but I leave that out.
“Why did your father try to hitch you to a guy like him? It must have been one helluva deal to make giving up his only daughter worth it.”
“He’s not winning father of the year anytime soon, for sure. I have no idea what pots he has his fingers in anymore. But I do know nothing good will come of my father and that man working together.”
She looks ready to give in to the need to cry. But somehow she fights the tears back into submission as she peers up at me with the world of sorrow in her eyes.
