They each sported handguns and badges. Their plan became clear but it did not ease Ryder’s hunger for vengeance. The freak would have harmed Storm if he’d not intervened. So much could have happened in the time between the waiter entering the alley and the seraphs arriving – too much. He seethed. The power inside him simmering. Ryder tried to remind himself that she was safe. Storm stood close to Lucian and Kell had taken a step in front of her.
“I saved her from this thing. Where were you two? You were sent to protect her yet you left her alone with this thing?” Ryder kicked the kid in the gut to drive his point home.
“We have been looking for this guy for months. We have more than a dozen murders to pin on him. We can put him away legally and give peace to the families of his mortal victims. What is your plan?” The seraphs lowered their guns and casually walked forward. Storm stood there between Kell and Lucian, looking from one man to the next, clearly trying to figure a way to diffuse the situation. He wanted to wrap her up in his arms and kiss her. Hell, Ryder wanted to whisk her away and undress her to check over every inch of her and – the freak moved to stand up virtually annihilating the fantasy building in Ryder’s mind. Ryder’s brought his foot up and smashed it down on the freak’s leg. The sound of shattering bone echoed through the alley.
“I would stay down if I were you, freak. We would not want any more broken limbs, would we?” Ryder looked down at the kid who started blubbering but had the good sense to avoid screaming.
“Immortal, you are out of your element here. We had her covered and –“
“Would you all stop acting like Neanderthals? I can absolutely take care of myself and I had the situation under control. Seriously, you all need to breathe for a moment and recognize that this lady can handle herself.” Everybody turned to look at Storm. She looked beautiful, her eyes flaring in fury and resentment. Ryder had thought her innocence beguiling, but this other side of her sent him over the edge. Lucian looked over and moved toward him.
“Brother, reign it in. Seriously, you can’t do this here.”
Ryder blinked and breathed deeply. He looked to Storm. She shrugged and turned toward the seraphs. “I don’t think this man is going to be rehabilitated. Dan, Shane, I think we let these guys handle him from here. Why don’t you two take me home and we can continue with our evening as planned. You don’t have to know what happens, it won’t be on your conscience if he, oh, I don’t know, disappears.” She turned to face Ryder, her eyes boring into him. He suppressed a shudder of pleasure.
“You, Immortal. I am not your woman and if I ever hear those words out of your mouth again I will see to it that they are your last.” She stepped closer to him. The electricity between them became palpable, even she noticed it, and they both took a step backward. “As I suggested, you three, take care of this thing. I don’t want him to hurt another woman – ever.” She turned on her heel, shoulders back and chin jutted out, and walked away. The seraphs followed her, perplexed expressions on their near identical faces.
Ryder turned to the waiter. “Freak, my friends and I are about to have some fun with you. You enjoy hurting women, right? Well, my friend here, he likes to hurt freaks like you.”
Lucian stood beside him. “Brother, you have created a serious shit storm here. What do you intend to do with this thing.” He kicked the kid too. The fire flickered in Lucian’s eyes.
“I thought maybe we could feed your flame with him. You know, appease the beast for a bit?”
“Ry, you know how I feel about freaks who abuse women, but I think the seraphs had the right of this one. If you breathe through this for a moment and let your feelings for the girl dissipate some, you will realize I am right.”
“Ry, I agree.
“I saved her from this thing. Where were you two? You were sent to protect her yet you left her alone with this thing?” Ryder kicked the kid in the gut to drive his point home.
“We have been looking for this guy for months. We have more than a dozen murders to pin on him. We can put him away legally and give peace to the families of his mortal victims. What is your plan?” The seraphs lowered their guns and casually walked forward. Storm stood there between Kell and Lucian, looking from one man to the next, clearly trying to figure a way to diffuse the situation. He wanted to wrap her up in his arms and kiss her. Hell, Ryder wanted to whisk her away and undress her to check over every inch of her and – the freak moved to stand up virtually annihilating the fantasy building in Ryder’s mind. Ryder’s brought his foot up and smashed it down on the freak’s leg. The sound of shattering bone echoed through the alley.
“I would stay down if I were you, freak. We would not want any more broken limbs, would we?” Ryder looked down at the kid who started blubbering but had the good sense to avoid screaming.
“Immortal, you are out of your element here. We had her covered and –“
“Would you all stop acting like Neanderthals? I can absolutely take care of myself and I had the situation under control. Seriously, you all need to breathe for a moment and recognize that this lady can handle herself.” Everybody turned to look at Storm. She looked beautiful, her eyes flaring in fury and resentment. Ryder had thought her innocence beguiling, but this other side of her sent him over the edge. Lucian looked over and moved toward him.
“Brother, reign it in. Seriously, you can’t do this here.”
Ryder blinked and breathed deeply. He looked to Storm. She shrugged and turned toward the seraphs. “I don’t think this man is going to be rehabilitated. Dan, Shane, I think we let these guys handle him from here. Why don’t you two take me home and we can continue with our evening as planned. You don’t have to know what happens, it won’t be on your conscience if he, oh, I don’t know, disappears.” She turned to face Ryder, her eyes boring into him. He suppressed a shudder of pleasure.
“You, Immortal. I am not your woman and if I ever hear those words out of your mouth again I will see to it that they are your last.” She stepped closer to him. The electricity between them became palpable, even she noticed it, and they both took a step backward. “As I suggested, you three, take care of this thing. I don’t want him to hurt another woman – ever.” She turned on her heel, shoulders back and chin jutted out, and walked away. The seraphs followed her, perplexed expressions on their near identical faces.
Ryder turned to the waiter. “Freak, my friends and I are about to have some fun with you. You enjoy hurting women, right? Well, my friend here, he likes to hurt freaks like you.”
Lucian stood beside him. “Brother, you have created a serious shit storm here. What do you intend to do with this thing.” He kicked the kid too. The fire flickered in Lucian’s eyes.
“I thought maybe we could feed your flame with him. You know, appease the beast for a bit?”
“Ry, you know how I feel about freaks who abuse women, but I think the seraphs had the right of this one. If you breathe through this for a moment and let your feelings for the girl dissipate some, you will realize I am right.”
“Ry, I agree.
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