Page 3 of Seducing Hope (The Hope Legacy)

I tremble as silence surrounds me like a precursor to my death. Then I jump as a seemingly disembodied hand grazes my ankle. Swinging up, keeping my core tight, I manage to head-butt him in his crotch, providing me with a small window of time to steal the holster on his waist.

Gasping, I drop the gun as my foot swings down, striking his head. He stumbles away. He must have inadvertently released one of my feet, and I’m now in a vertical split pose. If I wasn’t a dancer who’d recently been in rehearsal, I would be in some serious pain.

“Fuck. You could be a little more grateful,” his deep voice grumbles.

I blink at the newcomer and grab the sleeve of his long brown leather coat, pivoting on my foot. Warm chocolate brown eyes partially hidden by unruly, dark, wavy hair meet mine. Despite being upright, this guy is staring down at me—he’s at least six-foot-three compared to my five-foot-six.

Stubble outlines his strong jaw. I’m not sure if it’s intentional, but it suits him.

Eve stands up, and relief floods through me. She wobbles but manages a small smile.

I grip his firm biceps. “Please tell me you don’t think I’m an alien.”

He grins. “Why? Has the mothership not come to rescue you yet?”

I slap his arm, laughing. “No way! I was thinkingyouwere the mothership! Wait. Is this really happening, or am I still dangling upside down with Beat-up Sneaks, Expensive Shoes, and Pink Stilettos having bizarre delusions of rescue?”

He chuckles, moving my hands to his chest, and stretches to release my other ankle. “No, you’re very much being rescued. As for the strange delusions, I’m not sure. I’m assuming you’re referring to the shoes as people?” He picks up one of the discarded sneakers, pauses, then gives me a closer look. I squirm; I feel like I’m in an X-Ray machine. “Huh. Aren’t you a little too calm for being kidnapped?”

Eve grasps one of my hands, moving it from his chest to her shoulder; her fingers remain threaded with mine. Her smile wobbles, and tears form in her eyes. As they fall, they mix with the blood dripping from her forehead. “She’s a bit odd. Doesn’t really seem to process danger like the mere mortals we are.”

The guy guides my foot to the floor as I huff, “I admit itisa weird personality trait. The more stressful the situation, the more sarcastic I get.”

The stranger opens his mouth to reply, but Expensive Shoes, who suddenly comes into view as the fog dissipates, speaks first.

“Duncan. It’s been…”

“Too long,” my rescuer—who I assume is Duncan—mumbles, spinning around toward the familiar voice. I take a step backward and brace myself, then my mouth drops open in shock. Gone is the handsome man with striking green eyes. In his place stands a leering beast of a man. Inky tattoos slither across his chest and down his arms, which end in long-fingered hands with dangerous hooked claws.

“Lawrence,” Duncan states, his tone bored and his posture relaxed. Lawrence grins, showing the same black fangs as his demon dogs.

“What the fuck?” I mutter, my mind reaching its quota for craziness this month. Eve clasps my hand and hides behind me, her entire body trembling.

Lawrence’s curious gaze flicks to me. He tilts his head to the side. “I can see you now, my little Iris. What are you?”

I point at him as he steps closer; Eve’s grip turns vise-like, so I can’t go far, even if I tried to run. “I think we’ve establishedyou’rethe ‘what’ here.”

Lawrence studies my finger for a second before dismissing me and addressing Duncan. “Can you see it?”

Duncan nods.

My gaze scans the room. “See what?”

“Is she yours?” Lawrence drawls.

“Yes,” Duncan replies stiffly, positioning himself closer to me.

My mouth drops open. “I’m most definitelynotyours.”

Duncan sighs and rubs a hand over his face.

Lawrence laughs. “Then you won’t mind me taking her.”

Lawrence shoots across the room in a blur; a sickening crunch of bones sounds in my ear, and strong arms wrap around me, forcing the air out of my lungs. Black, curved claws dig into my ribs as the world starts to spin, and darkness blots the edges of my sight. We stumble as blue stars erupt in my vision, and everything comes to a sudden halt. A blue net of electrical sparks surrounds me and Lawrence.

Duncan leans against the wall with his hands in his jeans pockets.

“Where are you going, Lawrence? I can’t let you take the girl.”

---