AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And I said Damon was an idiot with women…
I find myself heading to the fridge as she talks, grabbing a couple of bottles, popping the tops. She takes the beer without hesitation. Is she old enough to drink? Has to be, if memory serves me right.
She catches the question in my eyes and rolls hers. “I’m twenty-four.”
“Uh. Thanks. Sorry.” I can’t keep my eyes off her as she continues.
“Anyway, now this psycho wants double or he’s going to…” Her fists clench the top of her jeans. I wait, letting her fight through the fear and frustration. “It just… all blew up in my face.” She’s not wallowing in self-pity, just stating facts as she wraps up her story. “Now, I just want to make it through this alive, and more so, I have to make sure Rachelle gets her life back. No matter what.”
That determination sends a chill down my back, fueling that little spark into a flame. Fuck. I want to help her. I have to.
The second she stepped through that door, I felt the draw.
Of course, I can compartmentalize. Heading back into my room, I crank the water on as hot as it will go.
“What do you do for a living, Mister Rorshak?”
“Gavin. Call me Gavin. I’m not that old!” Well, much older than her, but not quite old enough to be her dad. She laughs, and my stomach clenches at the sound. This house hasn’t heard laughter in a long time. It’s musical.
“I’m a mechanic. More or less. I fix things, clean up messes.” And by fix, I mean I dispose of murdered corpses. Clean up evidence. Occasionally finish off a hit gone wrong.
“Like industrial waste kind of stuff?”
“Sure.” Wastes of human life, criminals, gang members, murderers.
I push the door closed, dragging my pants down as the water heats to a steaming blast. From this angle, I can still see her through the crack, out through my open bedroom door. Taking my eyes off her takes an effort of will, but I have to if I’m going to shower. There's nothing but silence for a while as I stand there under the water, scrubbing. Usually, I would take my time, scour myself several times, let the water ease the tension in my back and shoulders.
But my buzzing brain won’t let me relax, wondering what she’s doing out there. Other than sitting awkwardly on my couch with nothing to do.
Playing host is not in my skill set.
Stepping out, I whip a towel around me, swishing it a couple of times and tucking it around my waist. I’m halfway done drying my hair when I realize the door swung back open and she’s staring right at my back, her cheeks flushed a bright pink.
She looks away quickly when she sees me looking.
Another pointed reminder that she’s Damon’s. We used to call him Demon. Not just because of how viciously he fought, but for how red he would get when he got embarrassed, agitated, or flustered.
Only with her, it’s stunning. And I have to shove away the swell of male pride that surfaces at the idea that I might be making her flustered with my half-naked body.
Yeah, right. Get your head out of the clouds, Gavin.
She’s your best friend’s daughter.
Who needs protection from two guys I know I’ve run into before, members of the Holy Ghosts gang. Not the kind of people you cross or get away from easily. Which means I can’t let my guard down for a second if I do this. A moment of distraction could mean we’re both dead.
I definitely should not do this.
The problem is, the second I look out there and our eyes meet, it’s like she knows exactly what I’m thinking and exactly how to use it against me. And when she asks again, “Will you help me?” there’s an intensity in her gaze that has my heart skipping a beat.
Just like that, I’m done. She’s won.
I’m so fucking dead.
7
HELLENA
Gavin Rorshak.
