Hard to Fight

I laugh softly. “I can hardly blame you if I’m a chopped-up corpse.”

“Not funny.”

I bite back another laugh. “I’m going to bed, call me tomorrow.”

“I will, keep your windows locked.”

Rolling my eyes I hang up.

But deep down, I wonder if she’s right. How much danger am I in?

Chapter Twelve

I’m buzzed and desperately trying to find a quiet spot where I can make a call and track Kady down. It’s Friday night, and we’ve been out for three hours, hoping Raide would show at one of his favorite local clubs. No such luck. After giving up hope of finding him tonight, I nursed two martinis while Kady got her groove on on the dance floor. But it’s been an exhausting week, and like the granny I am, I have decided it’s time for home and bed.

But I can’t leave Kady here alone, so I need to find her first.

I didn’t plan on drinking much tonight since I needed to stay sharp, but the stress of my job lately and my disappointment at not finding Raide called for it. I manage to find a quiet spot and press my body against a brick wall and start scrolling through my phone to find Kady’s number.

“Well, hello there.”

I lift my head to see a young man standing, smoke hanging from his lips. He looks pervy, and quite frankly, I’ve had enough of them tonight. “Go away,” I mutter, focusing back on the phone.

“That ain’t no way to talk to a man,” he says, stepping closer. “I was just sayin’ hello.”

I shoot him an angry glare and push off the wall. “I’m not interested, perv. Now, move.”

I try to step past him but he lashes out, curling his arm around my waist and hauling me back against the wall. “What did you call me?”

“Let me go,” I growl.

“I said—” He lifts me off the wall and slams me back again. “—what did you call me?”

“You just made a mistake.” I lift my knee, hitting him in the balls.

He screams and drops to his knees.

I lift my leg, not very gracefully, and plant my heel in his chest, kicking him backwards.

Damned bastard is quick, or maybe I’m too slow, because he manages to wrap his fingers around my ankle. He takes me with him and my body flies down to the ground at rapid speed.

I land on the pavement with a thud and cry out as my ankle twists beneath me. “Jesus!” I cry.

“You stupid bitch!” he roars, trying to flip me over.

Suddenly his entire weight is gone and I’m left staring up at nothing. I blink and my eyes scan the lot, to see Raide, of all people, launching the man through the darkness until he slams into a nearby car. He cries out in pain, and Raide, in all his gorgeous glory, prowls over, lifting him by his shirt and launching him again. Damn.

“Get the fuck out of here!” he bellows. “You touch her again, I’ll kill you.”

I shudder and stare as the man scrambles away and Raide turns, pinning me with a glare. I flinch, and I would scurry backwards but my ankle is throbbing. I watch in fascination as Raide comes toward me, his strides determined, his body wound up tight.

I pull out my sass as he looms over me, looking pissed. “Anyone would think you’re following me,” I smirk.

“Lucky for you I was. Get up,” he orders.

Wait, what? He was following me? How the tables have been turned.

“You were following me?” I squeak.

“Yeah, went to your house to get that drink I earned and saw you leaving. Followed you. You owe me a drink.”

Oh. Wow. “That’s creepy and sexy all at the same time.”

He sighs. “Get up.”

“Can’t.”

“Why not?”

I lift my leg, shoving my ankle toward him. I cry out as I do and quickly let it fall back down. “My ankle is twisted.”

“Jesus,” he mutters, leaning down and scooping me up into his arms. “You always so much trouble?”

I laugh. “Yes, sir, I am.”

He mumbles something under his breath and carries me out of the parking lot.

“Hey, whoa, hold up,” I say, squirming in his arms. “My friend is back there.”

“You can call her when you’re home.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you. Let me go and I’ll find her.”

“Fine.”

He lets me go, and the moment I land on my ankle, I stumble forward. He catches me before I fall and then scoops me back up again. “Exactly,” he rasps. “You’ve been drinking, you’ve got a twisted ankle, and there ain’t no way you’re navigating through that club.”

I ponder the irony of my plan to play the helpless drunken female coming true for real.

“Fine, then I’ll call her and wait out here.”

“Takin’ you home.”

I don’t want him to take me home. I want him to take me where he lives so I can see, so I can bring him in when I’m in physical shape to do it.

“I don’t, ah, I can’t go home.”

He stares down at me with narrowed eyes. “Why not?”

“Because, ah, my parents were due to arrive tonight. I just wanted one night away from them before I had to endure their crap. I was staying with Kady but … well … she got distracted by a man with a mega—”

He growls. “I get the point. Fuck me, you need ice on that ankle.”

I smile slyly. “Then take me to your house.”

Cool, real cool.

He stares at me again, his jaw tight. It’s the moment of truth. If he suspects me at all, he won’t take me to his house. “Fine, I’ll take you there while you call your friend.”

“Fun times,” I say.

It doesn’t skip my notice that he drives the back roads home in a car that I’ve never seen him in before. He pulls up at a massive house that has me gasping. It’s huge. It’s a white three-story mansion. It’s beautiful, surrounded by pristine gardens and a gorgeous stone path leading right to the front patio. Rich people’s house. I didn’t pick Raide as a rich man.

“This is your house?” I cry.

“No, it’s my friend’s. He’s out of town, letting me stay.”

Damn.

“How long are you staying?”

“A few weeks.”

He gets out of the car and comes around to my door, opening it. He lifts me into his arms and I allow myself a moment to let myself drown in how amazing that feels. He’s muscled and strong, and he smells divine.

“You smell really good,” I murmur, pressing my nose to his chest.

“You’re drunk.”

“That doesn’t mean you don’t smell good.”

In truth, my buzz is fading, but he doesn’t need to know that yet.

I hiccup and giggle drunkenly as he carries me inside. I quickly stop laughing when I set my eyes on the inside of the immaculate home. It’s got the most striking furniture I’ve ever seen. It all looks antique, probably extremely expensive and rare.

“Wow,” I breathe. “This place is amazing.”

Raide puts me down on a golden couch that’s so soft and squishy, I want to melt into it. Then he strides into the kitchen, rifling about until he finds an ice pack. He brings it back and sits on the coffee table in front of me, taking my ankle in his hands and placing it on his knees. Then he presses the ice to it. I yelp, but he’s unrelenting.