Dead Ink(Karma Series Book 4)(28)

She shoved at the body holding her down while trying to hold back her breakfast.

When the body was suddenly flung off of her she jerked the gun, still clenched in her hand toward her second attacker.

"Do you not know how to work a horn?" Lars' voice was near a scream as he leaned over her.

"Where is he?" Her eyes went immediately past him, looking for the driver who got away.                       
       
           



       

"Who?" Lars said, grabbing Faith's hand and yanking her to her feet.

"The other guy."

"There was only one guy when I came out and he was lying on top of you. What happened?"

"I got out of the car and was attacked by two of Malokin's men here, trying to collect me for Keith."

He turned and looked around the area, without a person in sight, and let  out a string of curses. "Why did you get out of the car?"

"Why did you leave me sitting in it for an hour?"

"You're the one that wouldn't come in!"

She saw his eyes scan her body and she looked down. She was covered in bits of flesh and blood.

His eyes shot to the house he'd just left, the door closed.

"Absolutely not."

He let out a loud sigh but then motioned her to the side of the house.

"I'm not going in there where you just banged your girlfriend."

"The side! I want you to go to the fucking side of the house!"

She held her chin up but said, "Okay, I can do that." She walked over, not sure what the point was.

"And I didn't bang anyone. She didn't have as much ink as I needed  ready. I didn't want to leave you out here to begin with. Do you really  think I'd stay in there for an hour if I didn't have to?" With an  efficient yank, his shirt was over his head and he was holding it out to  her.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" she asked, a little calmer.

"You won't go in and borrow something of hers. Are you going to wear that the whole ride home?"

She looked down again and decided he had a point.

He walked a couple of feet away where he turned on a spigot for a hose. "Here."

He laid his shirt she hadn't taken on a bush nearby and walked a little  ways back to the car, giving her privacy to clean up. She washed up in  the freezing water while she had a strange feeling the girl inside was  watching her. She wanted to stop and give her the finger but refrained,  deciding getting out of here quicker was preferable to a catfight.

She turned off the water and threw his shirt on. She was surrounded by  his smell, felt the warmth of his body lingering on it when she'd put it  on, and it made her feel safer somehow.

The second she got close to him he started walking back to the car. He  stepped over the body that was in his way, as if it were a puddle he was  avoiding, opened the door and got behind the wheel.

She walked to the passenger side and opened the door but didn't get in.

"What about the body?"

"It'll disappear on its own," he said not looking at her and starting the car.

"Then why did I change?"

"Because it wasn't going to come off your clothes." He looked her way now. "Get in."

"Why are you so mad? I'm the one that just got attacked," she said, as  she got in the other side of the car. Fight or not, she wasn't being  left behind at this place. "Why is it every time something bad happens  to me, you're the one that gets all pissed off?"

"I don't know," he snapped.

"That's not an answer."

"It's all you're getting."

She looked at him, not knowing how to deal with him. He didn't trust  her, checked her phone and disregarded her countless times. But then  he'd given her a job, when she knew he'd never had a shop manager  before-ever. Made her breakfast in the morning and talked to her about  the trivial things and acted like they were important because she  thought they were.

And then there was the way he looked at her. She'd never had someone  look at her the way he did, and it made her feel like she was something  special. He looked at her like he thought she could do anything, and he  made her feel like maybe it was true.

He gave with one hand and took away with the other. He'd protect her  from others and yet insult her himself. Even when those guys had  attacked her by the car, she hadn't panicked because she'd known he was  close by.

He was a constant contradiction. And she wanted him. She was starting to believe that he might want her too.

"Why do they all run from you? Why were you the top threat?"

"Because of who I used to be."

"Which was?" He was looking straight ahead as they drove home and she  waited to hear the rest of it. She knew there was something he wasn't  telling her.

"A guide of sorts, but with only one destination. Death."

"So, you were like the grim reaper or something?"

"Exactly like the grim reaper. Does that freak you out?"

It should, shouldn't it? And yet, as she sat there beside him in the  small confines of the car, nothing in her feelings had changed. She felt  just as safe as she had a few minutes ago, before he'd said anything  about being the grim reaper.                       
       
           



       

It was crazy but the only time she really did feel safe was when she was  with him, and that was the most minor of the feelings he produced. For  someone who had died not long ago, she felt more alive with him than  ever. And when he looked at her, she wasn't her anymore. She was someone  infinitely better.

"No. It doesn't."

He didn't say anything else, and neither did she. But she felt it-the  thing that was growing between them had grown a little stronger.





Chapter 25





They walked up to his apartment, still silent after his admission and  her acceptance. She walked over to the kitchen and he followed slowly.  She grabbed a water out of the fridge and held it up to him, thinking  maybe he was looking for the same thing.

He shook his head and she cracked off the top, drinking that one instead  of reaching for another. He didn't budge, just stood staring at her.  She turned to toss the lid, but could still feel his eyes on her and  knew he'd moved in closer before she turned around.

She took a nervous gulp of water and then he took the bottle from her hands and placed it on the counter.

"So, maybe we should just squash this for once and all." His hand  reached out and his fingers hooked into the waist of her jeans. He  slowly towed her forward while she was still trying to digest what was  happening.

"What are you doing?" Faith asked, her breath hitching along with her  heartbeat. The closer she got to him, the quicker they both went.

"You need me to spell it out for you?" He didn't stop tugging her  forward until their thighs were touching. His other hand came to join  the first at the front of her jeans and she felt the button release.  When his fingers moved to the zipper, her hands flew to his, stalling  him.

"Is this a good idea?" She swallowed, wondering why she was having such a hard time keeping her breathing even.

"It's a great idea." His conviction was clear in his voice. His eyes  only broke contact with hers to look briefly at her lips. He didn't have  to even touch her; that look alone was enough to do her in.

His one hand lifted from where it was covered by hers to curve around  the back of her neck, the other one also came around her but moved  lower, cupping her ass and urging her up onto her tiptoes until his lips  were grazing hers.

Faith knew if she did this, there'd be no turning back. It was true that  sometimes she didn't always like him, but she found she always craved  him. She couldn't look at him without wondering what being with him  would feel like.

His lips feathered over hers with the slightest nip at her lower lip,  retreated, and then repeated the action, as if to draw her into the kiss  she was still trying to resist.

He leaned forward, his lips grazing her ear before he spoke. "I know you want this too. I've seen the way you look at me."

"And what about tomorrow?"

"Fuck tomorrow. We could all be dead. Lots of people count on a tomorrow  that never comes. If you want something, you need to take it today."

His mouth came back to hers and his tongue darted into her mouth again,  trying to cajole her own into joining. He felt so good against her and  she could feel his arousal as his arm snaked around her back, arching  her into him.

If she didn't pull away soon, there would be no choice left to make, as  she was slowly being overwhelmed by his scent, the feel of his hands on  her and the taste of him. His arms tightened around her until she felt  almost weightless on her toes. His lips moved along her neck and she  heard the soft sigh of pleasure escape her lips and realized there was  no choice for her to make. She'd already made it the day she'd met him.