Traitor by Julia Sykes Page A

thought of seeing a man’s eyes, bloodied and gouged by my own hand… I wrapped my arms around my middle, hugging myself.
    Sean’s expression softened, and he enfolded me in his arms, running a reassuring hand up and down my back. “I hate that I’m putting you in this position, Claudia,” he admitted, his voice strained with suppressed emotion. “But the fact is that it’s too late to turn back now, and you have to be able to defend yourself if I’m not around.” He pulled back and cupped my cheek in one of his large hands. “I’m so sorry,” he said softly. His eyes were filled with shame and regret.
    “It’s not your fault,” I said gently. “Bradley is the one who brought me into this world. All you’ve done is protect me from it. I would be dead by now if it weren’t for you.”
    His expression tightened at the mention of Bradley. “I hate him for that.” He couldn’t keep the rage from his voice.
    I reached up and traced my finger along his jawline. The feeling of his stubble against my fingertips sent heat shooting through me. I looked up into his eyes, which were burning with a furious light. “Please don’t say that,” I said softly. “I know that you can mend what is broken between you. Just give him time. I can understand why he thinks I’m a threat, and while I’m not thrilled with the fact that he attacked me, I know he’ll come to realize that I’m not trying to hurt you.”
    Bullshit, I said harshly to myself. Well, a part of it was true: I didn’t want to hurt Sean. But that didn’t change the fact that I was inevitably going to.
    He grasped my hand gently and turned his face into my wrist, breathing in my scent deeply. “You’re so good, Claudia,” he said, a hint of wonder lacing his tone. “And so innocent. Some might even go so far as to say naïve.”
    I opened my mouth to retort that I was not naïve, but he pressed his fingers against my lips, silencing me.
    “I’m not trying to offend you, Claudia,” he insisted softly. “I’ve never met anyone as brave and as goodhearted as you. Despite everything you’ve been through, you still care deeply for humanity. You are so remarkable, and I can’t believe that you can’t seem to see that.”
    I was stunned into shocked silence. How could he think so highly of me? He didn’t think me cold; he saw right through my walls, peering into my soul. How was it that he could see goodness there when I felt like such a traitor? The knowledge of my deceit and his ignorance of it made my heart twinge painfully.
    “Thank you,” I whispered, my lips brushing against his calloused fingertips. The roughness of them against my soft skin made my flesh tingle.
    He took a deep, shaky breath and reluctantly pulled away from me. He gave me a small smile. “Come on,” he said. “I need to teach you how to throw a punch.” His fingers curled around mine, forcing me to make a fist. “You’ll want to hit him in the nose or the mouth; that’s where the most nerve endings are. If you can follow it up with a blow to the solar plexus, it should put him down.” He gave me a lopsided smile and ran his free hand up my arm, lightly squeezing my bicep. “You’re so small in my grip,” he said, his voice husky. “I like that, Claudia, but you’re going to need to practice this so that you can get stronger.”
    I swallowed hard. “I doubt I could ever take you on,” I admitted, a bit breathlessly.
    His smile took on a slightly cruel edge, and his fingers moved upward to caress my throat, tracing the line of my carotid artery, threatening. My eyes widened and my breathing hitched. “No,” he said silkily. “I don’t think you could.” He cocked his head at me. “But I don’t think you would dare try.” His eyes were dancing, and I knew that he was challenging me to rise to his bait. And damn it if I wasn’t tempted to. I longed for his raw power to wash over me, for him to force my body to submit to his far greater