clients and underhanded business dealings,
and he had no compunctions about returning merchandise he'd already
used but suddenly no longer desired.
"My God," Helena said. "What did I ever see in you?
You're awful!"
He growled at her. Actually growled, like a dog.
Helena took another step back. Then she lifted her chin and
straightened her shoulders. Her sense of self-worth and ten years
of martial arts refused to allow him to intimidate her. She held
out her hand. The ring soon swam in the puddle of water in her open
palm.
"Take back your ring and get the hell out of here. I
never want to see you again." She looked him up and down. "If I
could tell which was your head and which was your ass, I'd kick
it."
That stunned him into open-mouthed silence. She had
to stifle a giggle, not wanting to make more mockery of him than
she already had. Howard snarled and showed the teeth on which he'd
spent more money than the ring in her hand.
"You are such a bitch!"
Helena didn't let the insult bother her. "Take the
ring."
"I told you, I don't want it back."
She shrugged and looked toward the storm-swept sea.
It had gone nearly the color of Johnny's eyes. "Fine. I'll toss it
in the ocean."
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Last chance," she said, and offered it again. "Take
it now, or it's going to the bottom of the sea."
"You are such a bitch!"
"Careful, Howard," she told him. "You're starting to
repeat yourself."
He made no move to take the ring from her, so she
closed her fingers around it and marched toward the surf. She heard
him calling from behind her, but found he was easy enough to ignore
with the sounds of the storm to block him. The rain plastered her
hair to her cheeks and she swiped at it, but the grin remained on
her face. She laughed aloud and shook her head.
"You can't have everything you want," she said aloud
and laughed again. "Idiot."
She'd reached the edge of the surf before he caught
up to her and yanked her backward by the hair.
Jeenai
watched from the window. His woman--Helena, he reminded himself.
Helena was showing something in her hand to the man called Howard.
Jeenai sneered. Howard was no warrior's name. He should have beaten
the man to a pulp, but had held back for fear of upsetting
Helena.
Carrageenai females had no trouble defending
themselves and rarely called on a mal to help them. Human women
seemed somewhat more defenseless. Helena called to a protective
side of his nature he'd never known before.
They seemed to be arguing about something. The man's
face contorted. Jeenai moved closer to the window, forgetting human
windows contained a clear, hard barrier. He bumped his head and
cursed. The guttural sound that issued from his throat sounded
harsh and strange, not forceful as it would have under the
water.
Now Helena seemed to be offering the man something
from her hand. Something shiny. Her ring? Jeenai moved his head,
but was unable to see more. He itched to go down to them, but she
had told him she'd be back. He paced in front of the small
window.
The pain in his legs and feet intensified with every
step, and he had to pause to catch a breath in lungs that suddenly
seemed too small. He forced himself to breathe deeply, then again.
A red haze swam in front of his vision.
When he was able to clear his eyes and look back
down at the scene below, Helena and Howard had disappeared. Jeenai
strained to see where they'd gone, but could see only slashing rain
and hear the sound of thunder. A flash of light lit the sky. He
caught a glimpse of bright, flowing hair.
He went to the porch and saw Helena running toward
the ocean. What was she doing? Was the man pursuing her? Jeenai
leaped from the porch rail to the rocky sand below. His knees
buckled from the impact and he sprawled onto his face. His skin
instantly stung from a myriad of scrapes and bruises, but he got to
his feet and ran through the rain. His body
and he had no compunctions about returning merchandise he'd already
used but suddenly no longer desired.
"My God," Helena said. "What did I ever see in you?
You're awful!"
He growled at her. Actually growled, like a dog.
Helena took another step back. Then she lifted her chin and
straightened her shoulders. Her sense of self-worth and ten years
of martial arts refused to allow him to intimidate her. She held
out her hand. The ring soon swam in the puddle of water in her open
palm.
"Take back your ring and get the hell out of here. I
never want to see you again." She looked him up and down. "If I
could tell which was your head and which was your ass, I'd kick
it."
That stunned him into open-mouthed silence. She had
to stifle a giggle, not wanting to make more mockery of him than
she already had. Howard snarled and showed the teeth on which he'd
spent more money than the ring in her hand.
"You are such a bitch!"
Helena didn't let the insult bother her. "Take the
ring."
"I told you, I don't want it back."
She shrugged and looked toward the storm-swept sea.
It had gone nearly the color of Johnny's eyes. "Fine. I'll toss it
in the ocean."
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Last chance," she said, and offered it again. "Take
it now, or it's going to the bottom of the sea."
"You are such a bitch!"
"Careful, Howard," she told him. "You're starting to
repeat yourself."
He made no move to take the ring from her, so she
closed her fingers around it and marched toward the surf. She heard
him calling from behind her, but found he was easy enough to ignore
with the sounds of the storm to block him. The rain plastered her
hair to her cheeks and she swiped at it, but the grin remained on
her face. She laughed aloud and shook her head.
"You can't have everything you want," she said aloud
and laughed again. "Idiot."
She'd reached the edge of the surf before he caught
up to her and yanked her backward by the hair.
Jeenai
watched from the window. His woman--Helena, he reminded himself.
Helena was showing something in her hand to the man called Howard.
Jeenai sneered. Howard was no warrior's name. He should have beaten
the man to a pulp, but had held back for fear of upsetting
Helena.
Carrageenai females had no trouble defending
themselves and rarely called on a mal to help them. Human women
seemed somewhat more defenseless. Helena called to a protective
side of his nature he'd never known before.
They seemed to be arguing about something. The man's
face contorted. Jeenai moved closer to the window, forgetting human
windows contained a clear, hard barrier. He bumped his head and
cursed. The guttural sound that issued from his throat sounded
harsh and strange, not forceful as it would have under the
water.
Now Helena seemed to be offering the man something
from her hand. Something shiny. Her ring? Jeenai moved his head,
but was unable to see more. He itched to go down to them, but she
had told him she'd be back. He paced in front of the small
window.
The pain in his legs and feet intensified with every
step, and he had to pause to catch a breath in lungs that suddenly
seemed too small. He forced himself to breathe deeply, then again.
A red haze swam in front of his vision.
When he was able to clear his eyes and look back
down at the scene below, Helena and Howard had disappeared. Jeenai
strained to see where they'd gone, but could see only slashing rain
and hear the sound of thunder. A flash of light lit the sky. He
caught a glimpse of bright, flowing hair.
He went to the porch and saw Helena running toward
the ocean. What was she doing? Was the man pursuing her? Jeenai
leaped from the porch rail to the rocky sand below. His knees
buckled from the impact and he sprawled onto his face. His skin
instantly stung from a myriad of scrapes and bruises, but he got to
his feet and ran through the rain. His body
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