Page 39 of My Masked Savior
Panic claws up my throat. I can’t breathe. I can’t?—
And then he’s gone.
Dragged backward with such force, he loses his grip on me entirely. I stumble, gasping, as Marco hits the pavement with a choked grunt.
Damien looms over him.
His face is blank, eyes glacial, one hand wrapped around Marco’s throat.
“You won’t ever touch her again,” he growls.
Marco chokes, clawing at Damien’s arm. “You—don’t scare me?—”
Damien’s hand pulls back to unleash a punch that shatters Marco’s cheekbone. The crack of knuckles meeting bone echoes off the alley walls, and my breath catches—part terror, part relief. It’s horrifying how good it feels to watch him fall. But then Damien’s knee slams into his ribs.
Oh my god, he’s going to kill him.
“Damien, stop!” I gasp, my voice trembling. “Please, don’t?—”
Damien looks at me then, and I see the switch flip. The soldier receding, the man I know re-emerging.
“I don’t want you to get in trouble,” I murmur, my hands clutched at my chest. “He’s not worth it.”
“Don’t worry, princess.” He turns back to a groaning Marco. “I’m not getting caught.”
I blink at his words. What does he mean? He said it so confidently, like there are plans and contingencies in place. What is he going to do with Marco? Before I can ask these questions out loud, Damien punches Marco again, this time in the temple, knocking him out. Two seconds later, his hands are on my arms, and I can’t keep my eyes off his bloody knuckles.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” His voice is rough now, threaded with something almost like fear.
I shake my head, though I can’t stop trembling. He steps closer, looking hesitant.
“You’re safe now,” he says in his deep voice, and the tears I’ve been holding back spill over my cold cheeks. Damien pulls me into his arms and holds me tight.
“W—what are we going to do with Marco?” I ask, though a part of me isn’t sure I want to know the answer.
Damien pulls back and levels those serious blue eyes on me.
“Do you trust me, princess?”
Do I trust him?ShouldI trust him? Basia’s words come back to me. I should be careful—I’ve proven my taste in men is more than just questionable. It’s hazardous.
“I trust you,” I reply, realizing I mean it in some deep, primal way. I trust him to give me breath when I lose it. I trust him with my life.
His eyes assess me before he nods decisively. “My car’s on the other end of the alley.”
“Why?” I breathe. “I thought you were working tonight.”
“I had an earlier shift,” he murmurs. He pauses for a second, then seems to come to a decision. “I was following you and Basia to make sure you’re safe.”
He was following us? But… “How did you know I was going to be here?Ididn’t know I was going to be here until Basia showed up when I finished work.”
“I was waiting outside the building to make sure you got home alright,” he admits.
I shake my head, confused. “Why didn’t you just offer to walk me home?”
He groans and pulls back, running a hand through his short blonde hair. I can’t help but glance down at Marco, worrying he’s going to wake up and charge at me again.
“I didn’t want to scare you,” Damien finally says. There’s a vulnerability in his eyes that takes my breath away. “I want to be with you all the time, Morgan. Want to know you’re always safe. We just started dating. I didn’t want to make you run from me.”
