Dark (Beautiful Ashes #1)(3)

The demon wouldn’t hear of that. He blocked her searching, fading gaze by capturing her mouth to suck the rest of her life away.







Keeley was choking. At least he thought that was her restrained to the god-awful autopsy table. People had some twisted fantasies in this world. Tar moved with panther-like grace as he held her head up at an angle and used his own blade to free her. He’d seen a lot of wounded bodies before, held the hands of dying brothers on the line. But this—his woman giving a valiant attempt to remain alive—was something he’d not been prepared for. “I’m here, Keeley. I won’t let you go,” he vowed, lifting her.

Her garbled, “Tar,” tugged at his soul like nothing ever had before.

“Yes,” he answered her, forcing his mind on the problem at hand. Escape was priority number one. An edge of something caught his eye against the dimly lit wall. Carefully but expeditiously, his fingers ran along the protrusion recognizing it was a door. With the woman he loved tucked firmly in his arms, Tar exited the room of terror.







Keeley’s head lulled awkwardly to the side where the demon hit his knees in the chamber of death and roared, “She is mine!” Again, the light took what was his. “He will pay dearly,” the demon vowed, locking his eyes directly on hers as he stood.

Blessedly she was losing consciousness, but not before acknowledging what she’d done. All of Hell was coming for Tarius McNeal.







Tar ghosted from the club and toward a safe locale, already running through the data base in his mind on who was best suited to handle clean-up detail for the mess he’d just made. A hurricane in his need to protect the woman he loved, he’d left mass destruction in his wake. Something he knew would get his ass handed to him. He couldn’t bring himself to give a flying fuck. That was telling, right there. The precious cargo lying in the backseat was his only concern. His only focus. As he took the turn down a nondescript alley, he placed the call. “Yeah,” came a voice from his past, raising every hair on his body to high alert.

“Be there in two,” he answered, placing the SUV into park. With the gentlest of movements, he lifted the broken, lifeless body, not wanting to harm her anymore. There was no need to knock, the door was opened as he approached.

“The fuck?!” Tar’s brother-in-arms, Mitch, and the best medic he’d ever known, exclaimed.

He didn’t make eye contact, just continued down the dank hallway.

“Grab supplies,” Tar commanded, entering a room he thought he’d never lay eyes on again. Some things never left a man, no matter how hard he attempted to lock them up tight and throw away the key. Tar was in full combat mode dealing with an emergency. Instead of putting Keeley through unnecessary pain, he inserted the needle into her vein, providing some relief. He knew she’d be pissed about that later, even understood her reasoning. But damn it all, he was not capable of watching her suffer any more so than she already was.

“Wanna start explaining this shit to me.” Not a question, but a demand.

Tar’s eyes lit on the man who had once been his best friend. “I had nowhere else to go. You’re the best of the best.”

Gloves were already donned as the rough looking man leaned forward to get a better a look at the woman. “Who the fuck did this to her?”

“Handled,” Tar answered without remorse.

“Good.”

The men worked diligently cleaning, stitching, and bandaging the wounds they could see. They were about to wrap things up when blood began to seep from between her legs. “She on her period?”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

He reached to spread Keeley’s legs apart when waves of fluid gushed. “Holy fuck! She’s bleeding out!”

Everything became a blur of action as the men raced to save Keeley’s life. The night dragged on as one problem led to another. When all was said and done, she had over seventy-five stitches and no uterus. Though Mitch tried to save it, too much damage was done. Tar sat heavily next to her and held her tiny hand.

“I am sorry,” Mitch apologized as he clapped his old friend on the shoulder.

He shook his head and replied, “You saved her life. No need to apologize.”

Mitch took his leave knowing there was nothing more he could do at the moment. But he acknowledged Tar was in denial. What woman ever wanted to hear she’d never be a mother? Worse, he couldn’t miss the love in his friend’s eyes. If Tar stayed with that young woman, he’d never be a father. At least not biologically.

Talk about seriously fucked up.





Chapter Two





His scent awakened her. God, how she loved the way he smelled, all sandalwood and Tar mixed into something warm and welcoming. She knew that was dangerous but, for the life of her, couldn’t resist at the moment. After all, he’d saved her. Relishing in his presence seemed appropriate. Although the annoying little voice reminded her, You’re his death sentence. Her, “Shut the hell up,” was audible as Tar leaned forward.