“Do you have condoms?”
“In the bathroom, but they’re like four years old.”
He liked hearing that by the cocky grin he threw me before he climbed from the bed. And that was when I saw his back. He had the most beautiful back, defined muscles that cut to his narrow waist and smack in the middle of all that beauty was a tattoo of the devil—a horned, winged beast of a man with red eyes. His tail curled between his legs at the small of Damian’s back.
“When did you have that done?”
He looked confused for a second and then something dark swept his face. “After I enlisted.”
“It’s beautiful.”
I had the sense it wasn’t intended to be beautiful and the idea that he marked himself with something that was like a brand, a reminder of something ugly, upset me.
But he turned my thoughts from that when he said, “We might as well shower first.” He didn’t wait for my reply when he grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder.
For two days we stayed in bed…the best two days ever. Damian had even blown off a few things, and knowing his need for me was stronger than his incredible discipline was very heady. I had invited him to join the girls and I for dinner, but responsibility reared its ugly head and he went off to do all the things he had let slide.
I had been devastated when Damian had left at eighteen, but he wouldn’t be the man he was now if he hadn’t gone. And I could say in all honesty that though I had loved the boy he had been, I was crazy out of my head for the man he was now. Everything happened for a reason.
The ladies were on the way. I had cooked dinner, chicken potpie and a big salad loaded with so much extra stuff it wasn’t at all healthy. I was just uncorking the bottle of wine when my house phone rang.
“Miss Ahern?”
“Yes.”
“You are listed as Ryder Chase’s emergency contact.”
My legs nearly crumbled out from under me. “What’s happened?”
“Time is critical. Can you get to Mount Sinai immediately and please bring identification.”
“Yes, of course.”
I hung up then checked the caller ID and it was in fact from Mount Sinai. Fear whipped through me as I grabbed my purse and flew out of my apartment. I was in so much of a hurry, I had only the sense to turn off the stove and lock the door. I reached for my phone when I stepped outside and called Kimber.
“Hey woman.”
“Something has happened to Ryder. Meet me at Mount Sinai.”
“Are you pulling my leg? Ryder is right here.”
My hand had been up hailing for a cab, it dropped. “What?”
“We’re on our way to you now.”
Something sharp dug into my back. “Hang up.”
“Who is that?” Kimber asked, but my mind was going numb with fear.
“Now,” he hissed.
He took my phone and hurled it across the street. My first thought was it was a mugging until he called someone and said, “I have her.”
Those three words resonated down to my bones.
Fear had my body feeling all funny. We had just reached the alley next to my building when fight or flight took over. I had to get away from him because this wasn’t a mugging. Thank God for the self-defense classes Cam and Dad had forced on me. I lifted my elbow right up into his nose causing him to stumble and lose his hold on me. I ran down the alley to the fire escape. If I could only get back inside, but I didn’t get far when he grabbed me by the hair and yanked me back to him. He jerked me around just as his fist connected with my jaw, my vision going black from the pain before I was jarred back into consciousness when my head slammed into the wall behind me. Lights flashed in my vision as my stomach pitched violently and my legs gave out as I crumbled to my knees. This man looked ready to carve me up as he held the knife so tightly in his hands his knuckles were turning white. At least the bastard was bleeding. I had made him bleed.
I was literally paralyzed with terror, but not my vocal chords as I screamed, loud and long hoping someone would hear. That earned me a kick in the gut. And as I doubled over in pain, coming to grips with the very real possibility that I was about to die, Damian appeared. I didn’t know how he was there or if I was wishing so hard for him to be there I was seeing things. But the sight of him, looking like an archangel, or maybe even the devil he had depicted on his back, had tears filling my eyes. He hauled my attacker off me and threw him against the wall. Damian’s eyes connected with me for an instant, making sure I was still breathing, before he moved soundlessly like a predator. The deadly energy coming off him was as mesmerizing as it was terrifying. The punch was so vicious that my attacker’s head jerked back hard from the blow and while he was disoriented Damian grabbed his head, and with a quick jerk he snapped the bone. The man dropped to the ground in a boneless heap. He didn’t move, didn’t make a sound. He was dead. Instead of fear of the situation, I feared for Damian because he had just killed someone.