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McKell could have maimed or killed her, but had written on her instead McKell could have chosen elegant Noelle, but had chosen tiny Ava instead He could have left her naked and defenseless, but he’d let her keep her underwear, and part of her still suspected he had followed her home, despite what common sense told her Just to ensure she arrived safely And last night, he could have attacked her, but hadn’t
What had she done?
Breathe, you have to breathe
Even lost to her rage as she’d been, she hadCal He would be fine If the inside of his vampire body was humanoid Oh, God Bye-bye, caled him irreparably?
Perhaps she’d overreacted to his slur just a wee bit, she thought now
Maybe she’d check on hiht? Would McKell still be in that forest, though? Would he attack Ava this tiht to do so She’d have to find a way to protect herself without hurting him further
Damn him, why hadn’t he frozen her after she’d stabbed hiht? Except, maybe when injured, his ability to manipulate time--and people--failed hier He wouldn’t be able to protect hients after hi possibility
The new agents ht of soered her, she realized as her nails cut into her palht of hiree that Noelle-bashing did, but still Definite anger
How odd She’d never cared about anyone else’s well-being On the streets it was survival first, everything else second Although, when she thought about it, McKell was her target, so she had a right to be proprietary toward hiht If he was still in the forest, she would subdue him as needed, then protect him from any and all threats Human, animal, it didn’t matter And when he healed, she would take him into AIR as ordered That way, she could feel proud of a job well done Not euy eakened At least, that’s the rational she used
Except, when he healed, she would face the sa he didn’t want to do Daain His ability to manipulate time put a serious damper on her ability to force him to do what she wanted
A heavy, insistent knock sounded at her door
Ava pushed to still shaky legs and threw herin the sink Noelle was coded into the ID pad, and loved to enter at the most aard times, so Ava knew her friend wasn’t the intruder Mia, maybe? With new orders? Not McKell He would have kicked the door in
As another knock sounded, she trudged to her bedrooed on a loose pair of shorts She didn’t like the way her hands shook By the ti out, this one harder,And still shaking
She’d been wrong McKell’s (not so beautiful anymore) face consu civilized
He stood in her building’s hallway, fist lifting to once again bang at her door His other hand was curled into a fist, too--with a long, black whip dangling from both sides "I know you’re there, Ava I can sainst her ribs, she did just that She opened the door He towered over her, scowling, fangs bared, clutching his bleeding side Worse, his skin was red and blistered, and those blisters were oozing Obviously he’d battled the sun to get here Whichher? With that whip?
Probably He smiled slowly, but that smile promised she would like the way he ended her
She wasn’t scared, though She could take care of herself What she as shocked Big, strong, okay, fine, still gorgeous even with those blisters, McKell was actually, finally here Intense relief swept through her, followed on the heels of heat … need … Don’t go there
"Did you co to the whip At thebrain could for," he said The smile vanished, and he shook the whip at her "Why aren’t I healing, woman?" He didn’t wait for her reply, but stormed inside her apart between them, despite the situation and the consequences, despite the increase of heat, she shivered "Coet over that fact
He tossed a feral growl over his shoulder, gait never slowing "I asked you a question"
She shut and locked the door, then followed the path he had taken In her living room, she watched as he fell onto the couch He studied his surroundings with a single sweep--and she would bet he’dover at her What did he think of her home? Did he see how hard she’d worked for every piece of furniture, or did he merely view her as poor?
There was a flicker of adaze, she realized He kne hard she’d worked Now her heart skipped a beat He shouldn’t have been more beautiful just because he was surrounded by her stuff in her place, ad in disarray, his violet eyes glea His lips were parted, kissable
Don’t think like that Sing the lu in her throat, she rested her hands on her hips "You asked nored it Twice Take a hint and stop asking So how’d you knohere I lived, anyway?" Was that breathless tone hers?
"I have your ID," he gruht"
A shattering confirhted to her very soul
Now she experienced fear Fear that she was allowing attraction to overwhelht, and put a stop to the craziness
"Are you here for revenge?" she asked again, squaring her shoulders
He ran his tongue over his teeth Those sharp, deadly teeth "That will co revenge excited her, she realized, and the fear grew until she had to rub her chest to ward off the ache She could suddenly iroaning, begging All because of that butterscotch voice
Oh, yes Fear Her attraction was overwhelht it
"What comes now?" she asked "The whip?" His ansould deterar and spice, or absolutely nothing nice
He looked at the coiled length of leather as if he had no idea it was in his hand "Oh This It’sferiht trail off "I want to knohy I’"
How many feo there filled her head She studied hiuilt she’d experienced earlier roared back to life, draining the fear, defeating her before the battle could even begin He wore a new shirt--the tag still hung from the neck--but on his left side, the material was soaked with blood He was as injured as when she’d left him
After a second more of consideration, she knew that wasn’t true He’d worsened
Her own side twitched in sy should have stopped hours ago Was your blade tipped with poison?"