“Do you remember me?” the one holding Penny asked.
Damon kept his gaze on the man. If he thought about Penny she’d die.
“Yeah, a prick who can’t take no for an answer,” Damon said.
Like he expected, two of the guy’s friends came behind him. They gripped his arms. Damon resisted and tested their strength. They were not strong men. Unlike him they were not built to fight.
“You’re going to regret saying that.”
“What’s your name?” Damon asked. He acted bored even though his heart was racing inside his chest. His fear was for Penny. Damon wondered how Penny was dealing with being trapped by the man again.
****
Penny was angry. One of the men who’d held her down and waited for his turn was holding her. His disgusting hands were on her body. The anger suppressed all of her fear. She wanted to kill him. The desire to see his life end was strong inside her.
Damon looked bored. His hands were in his pockets even as the men held him tight. The blade hurt where it cut into her neck. They’d been waiting for them.
“How did you get into my apartment and lock the doors?” Damon asked.
“Your apartment had the master key hidden below in the old office. Next time I think you should check the whole building out before taking a room. The security isn’t that tight.” The man breathed down her neck. She winced from the scent of his bad breath. The world might be falling apart, but the least he could do was brush every once in a while.
She put her hand inside her pocket. In the jeep she’d found one of Pearce’s knives. He’d told her about his supply of weapons on the vehicle when she’d been waiting for Damon to return from the fields. During the drive she’d found the supplies and had taken a knife.
All she needed to do was get the weapon out of her pocket, which was proving easier said than done.
Damon kept the man talking. Each time he upset him, the knife dug a little deeper. She winced each time feeling the nick against her throat. If Damon wasn’t careful the blade would slit her throat. It was sharp enough.
“Do you seriously believe you have a chance against me?” Damon asked, laughing.
His reputation alone wouldn’t save him. Surely Damon saw he was outnumbered. These men had a score to settle.
“In case you haven’t noticed, you’re outnumbered.” The man behind her began to laugh. “Even the impressive Mad Dog couldn’t take this many men.”
Damon stopped laughing. “You really think so?”
The shutters were down. She witnessed the moment Damon changed. The challenge the guy set had brought about an instant change. Damon wasn’t going to be taken down. Her fist clutched the knife in her pocket. She eased the blade out and opened it up.
Penny sent a tiny prayer up above. The short prayer was all she had time for when Damon struck. The men released their hold on his arms as he pulled out of their hold.
He moved too fast. One of the men was slammed against the wall as Damon wrapped his hands around the other guy’s neck. Penny closed her eyes not wanting to see. She struck the man behind her before he got the chance to cut her throat.
His screams echoed against her ear. She plunged the knife in his leg twisting the metal. In the next moment she was flung to the floor.
When she opened her eyes Damon was standing, holding a bloody knife in his hand. His fingers were covered in red.
Damon stared at her. His face lost all trace of colour. Her eyes widened, and she glanced around the room. All three men were dead. There had been five who attacked her.
“They ran,” he said, kneeling before her.
She watched him wipe the blood of his hands and then tilt her head back.
“You saved me,” she said.
“Are you sure you can still love a killer like me?” he asked.
Penny gazed into his eyes. She saw the tears glistening in their depths. He didn’t know what she’d do. She did the only thing she could think of. Penny wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled her to him.
“I thought you were going to die,” she said.
“I gave you a promise, Penny. I’ll protect you always.”
She closed her eyes, relishing his kind words.
“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
“I love you, Penny.” He whispered the words against her hair.
She pulled back to look into his eyes. “I love you. I know you’d never hurt me.”
He kissed her lips and then helped her to her feet. She glanced down at the bodies on the floor. Damon picked up her bag and then his own. “I always have one packed in case of emergencies,” he said.
They made their way out of the apartment and to the jeep.
“Will you be coming back here?” she asked.