Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 16796 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 84(@200wpm)___ 67(@250wpm)___ 56(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 16796 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 84(@200wpm)___ 67(@250wpm)___ 56(@300wpm)
“What’s your name, son?” I ask, grabbing the guy by the neck while I force him to look at Natalie.
“Rick,” he says.
“Well, Rick, it’s your lucky day. I’m feeling generous.”
I can’t tell if she’s impressed or terrified by me. Both have their place.
“What are you gonna do to me?” Rick asks, cowering away from my grip. I don’t let him get far.
“It’s not my decision,” I answer.
Many more of the onlookers have taken to standing so they can get a better view of what’s happening. Some watch with smiles of twisted satisfaction, and others clutch their pearls in sheer disgust at how I’m treating one of the locals.
“What would you like me to do, my angel?” It rolls off my tongue and brings a quaint smile to her face.
It’s the only thing that makes sense. Natalie Pryce is the closest thing to a holy being I’ve set my eyes on, and she deserves to know it. No more squabbles with a man when she should be ruling the empires of heaven themselves.
“I…” Her eyes are glued to mine. “Don’t know.”
“Do you want an apology?” I ask.
“I do,” she says.
Rick starts sputtering apologies in a thousand different ways while spit and snot dribble from his orifices.
“Not good enough.” I tighten my grip around his neck and sink to one knee while plunging his face to the ground. “You’re going to kiss her feet and beg her forgiveness.”
He does. His mouth meets the grimy black covering her otherwise pristine white shoes. “I’m so sorry. Please. I didn’t mean it.”
I look up at her. Behind a nervous gulp and those big puppy dog eyes staring down at us, her lips curve upward with satisfaction. How many of these derelict pricks would suffer the same fate if she had the strength to do it alone?
Now, she’ll never have to worry about it again. I can be her strength. Make anyone, everyone, who upsets her suffer in ways unimaginable. Have them beg, praise, and worship at her feet the same way I want to.
“I forgive you,” she says. And with it, I release his neck.
I stand and wrap a hand around Natalie’s waist before kissing her with furious passion. Our lips explode into an inferno of burning while our tongues run long, soothing laps across the heat. She gives into me without question, and I give myself to her fully.
A sign. A warning. To anyone else in this shit-hole town thinking they can try and take what’s mine.
6
NATALIE
That was insane. Bouncing off the walls bonkers.
Dante took a hit and beat the hell out of three guys for me. He let the world know I’m his without a second thought or any worry of what it might mean for him. And that kiss … An embrace so intense I can still feel the heat of his lips against mine. It leaves a burning in my chest that extends up to my rosy cheeks and straight down to my soaked panties.
“She’s taking the rest of the night off, understood?” Dante barks at Larry, but his eyes flick through the crowd to see if anyone else wants to challenge him.
Larry bobs his head with such intensity, I’m sure he’s gonna give himself whiplash. He stares dull-eyed and pouting while he acknowledges Dante, realizing that whatever chance he thought he had at taking me for himself is gone.
“Ready to get out of here?” Dante asks.
Before I can respond, he grabs my hand and leads me outside. The crowd parts, creating a large gap between them and us. By the time we reach the door, most of the patrons have returned to their tables, continuing their night out. A few of the staff, Larry included, help Rick and his buddies off the floor.
We don’t speak while we walk to his car. Dante opens the passenger side for me, and I get in. And as he walks back to the driver’s side, I can’t contain the high-pitched squeal of pure, ecstatic delight from what just transpired.
Does it mean I’m screwed up? Relishing the idea that three people are left bloody and bruised in a place I hate working at? I almost want to believe I’m a bad person for feeling this way, but I don’t. Guys like Rick and his friends are filth. They deserve what they got.
So, why not enjoy the fact that this Demon wants to protect me?
I compose myself before he opens the door and drops in his chair.
His eyes fall on mine, and he smirks, noticing my delight.
“You didn’t have to do that, you know? It’s just a shitty perk of the job. Happens all the time,” I say.
Working in a bar that insists on skimpy outfits, a few wandering hands are par for the course. It used to upset me, leave me a shaking mess, unable to control my emotions, but nowadays, it’s barely an inconvenience. You have to develop tough skin for this line of work, or you’ll never make it.