furrowed his eyebrows meaningfully and focused on the issue at hand, he’d always been better at reading humans. Lucian observed and nodded tightly after witnessing a few interactions between the waiter and Storm.
“How do we handle this one, brother?”
“I do not know. The Seraphs should know better. What do you think?”
“That kid is bad news. He is a hunter, not a flicker of supernat in him but more than a healthy dose of evil. He is a pure sociopath and seems to be gunning for your girl.” Lucian’s inner fire flickered briefly; he’d always had a thing for punishing those who liked to abuse women. This guy clearly set Lucian off. Yet another bad sign for the kid.
“She is not my girl.” Ryder worked to keep his tone level. Inside he seethed. This boy intended to harm Storm. Rage and frustration bubbled below the surface; he felt it rolling under his skin as the power amplified. Every talent Ryder possessed warred within him fighting for the same purpose – to protect Storm Sullivan. He paused for a moment to consider the complete over-reaction but he could not deny the impulses. Pollux nudged him hard in the ribs causing Ryder to realize he gripped the table so hard it had cracked.
“Whatever you say, brother. We have to act if you want to help her.” Lucian nodded toward the side of the restaurant where Storm slipped out, completely unescorted. Why would the seraphs leave her unprotected?
“Pollux, stay here and wait for Angeline, have her pay with the business card and stall her. Kell, Lucian, will you join me in the alley for a moment?”
Everybody nodded silently and moved to action. The three Immortals walked out the side exit moments after the waiter. Already he had Storm up against the wall of the building, a hunting knife to her throat.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, kid.” Lucian made a show of cracking his knuckles and simultaneously flexing his size. The kid stood half a foot taller than Storm but looked scrawny to Ryder. Storm turned to face them; her eyes fell on Ryder and flared briefly. She mouthed ‘no’ to them.
The kid hesitated. This had never happened to him so he could not register how to react. Ryder’s skin crawled, all of the fury rolling into his fists. Lucian and Kell clearly felt the heat and backed away accordingly. Ryder advanced on his prey, certain his visage frightened the freakish boy. The kid’s eyes flew wide as he questioned the intention to harm Storm. The knife clattered to the ground. Storm closed her eyes and tried to slip from the kid’s grasp but he held her tight, his left hand in a death grip on her shoulder and pinning her to the wall with his pelvis and knee. This kid most certainly wished for death. In that moment Ryder could read him like a book, his fear unlocked a door into the mind and Ryder saw how many times he’d victimized women. The fury ran over, he could not control it.
“Storm, push him off and slip away. You can do it.” Ryder’s voice came out steadier than he felt. He registered her nod before acting. Things happened quickly after that, Storm brought her free leg up and connected with the waiter’s groin. The kid released her and grasped at his genitals allowing her to slip away and out of Ryder’s line of vision. The waiter keeled over, tears pouring from his eyes as he clutched at the injury.
“You should have listened to my colleague, freak. She is far out of your league, you have no business looking at her let alone touching her. It may be different if you had not done this before, or if you had not chosen my woman. You have made a series of bad choices, freak.” Ryder bent down beside the waiter and leaned in close, “Every choice has consequences. What do you suppose yours should be?”
“What are you doing?” Ryder spun around, the intruding voice one he did not recognize. He looked beyond Lucian and Kell to see the seraphs fuming at the alley entrance.
“How do we handle this one, brother?”
“I do not know. The Seraphs should know better. What do you think?”
“That kid is bad news. He is a hunter, not a flicker of supernat in him but more than a healthy dose of evil. He is a pure sociopath and seems to be gunning for your girl.” Lucian’s inner fire flickered briefly; he’d always had a thing for punishing those who liked to abuse women. This guy clearly set Lucian off. Yet another bad sign for the kid.
“She is not my girl.” Ryder worked to keep his tone level. Inside he seethed. This boy intended to harm Storm. Rage and frustration bubbled below the surface; he felt it rolling under his skin as the power amplified. Every talent Ryder possessed warred within him fighting for the same purpose – to protect Storm Sullivan. He paused for a moment to consider the complete over-reaction but he could not deny the impulses. Pollux nudged him hard in the ribs causing Ryder to realize he gripped the table so hard it had cracked.
“Whatever you say, brother. We have to act if you want to help her.” Lucian nodded toward the side of the restaurant where Storm slipped out, completely unescorted. Why would the seraphs leave her unprotected?
“Pollux, stay here and wait for Angeline, have her pay with the business card and stall her. Kell, Lucian, will you join me in the alley for a moment?”
Everybody nodded silently and moved to action. The three Immortals walked out the side exit moments after the waiter. Already he had Storm up against the wall of the building, a hunting knife to her throat.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, kid.” Lucian made a show of cracking his knuckles and simultaneously flexing his size. The kid stood half a foot taller than Storm but looked scrawny to Ryder. Storm turned to face them; her eyes fell on Ryder and flared briefly. She mouthed ‘no’ to them.
The kid hesitated. This had never happened to him so he could not register how to react. Ryder’s skin crawled, all of the fury rolling into his fists. Lucian and Kell clearly felt the heat and backed away accordingly. Ryder advanced on his prey, certain his visage frightened the freakish boy. The kid’s eyes flew wide as he questioned the intention to harm Storm. The knife clattered to the ground. Storm closed her eyes and tried to slip from the kid’s grasp but he held her tight, his left hand in a death grip on her shoulder and pinning her to the wall with his pelvis and knee. This kid most certainly wished for death. In that moment Ryder could read him like a book, his fear unlocked a door into the mind and Ryder saw how many times he’d victimized women. The fury ran over, he could not control it.
“Storm, push him off and slip away. You can do it.” Ryder’s voice came out steadier than he felt. He registered her nod before acting. Things happened quickly after that, Storm brought her free leg up and connected with the waiter’s groin. The kid released her and grasped at his genitals allowing her to slip away and out of Ryder’s line of vision. The waiter keeled over, tears pouring from his eyes as he clutched at the injury.
“You should have listened to my colleague, freak. She is far out of your league, you have no business looking at her let alone touching her. It may be different if you had not done this before, or if you had not chosen my woman. You have made a series of bad choices, freak.” Ryder bent down beside the waiter and leaned in close, “Every choice has consequences. What do you suppose yours should be?”
“What are you doing?” Ryder spun around, the intruding voice one he did not recognize. He looked beyond Lucian and Kell to see the seraphs fuming at the alley entrance.
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