again. Clothes I could do without. The anguished thud as the fucker tripped was satisfying, but the action had barely slowed him down. My God, he was gaining on me.
I heard the sound of another vehicle coming from the opposite direction. Then it slowed down, the headlights flashing in my direction. No. No!
This had been a setup. Oh, God. Oh, fuck!
As fast as I could run, the asshole was gaining on me. The sound of screeching tires matching my high-pitched scream as my feet pounded on the pavement. I jerked toward the street, weaving past a parked car in my effort to get to the other side. There was the sound of a car door, another pair of feet. My life flashed in front of my eyes.
Whoosh!
“Argh!” This time, the guttural scream hadn’t erupted from my throat, the deep bass echoing in my ears. Another hard thud was followed by an angry shout in Spanish. Suddenly, everything seemed to be in slow motion, the sounds exploding behind me vicious and brutal. When I no longer heard the sound of anyone following me, I turned, gasping for air, headlights from the same vehicle illuminating the street.
The light from the building washed over a small area, accentuating a man dressed in a white dinner jacket, his long raven hair pulled into a ponytail. There was no mistaking the shimmer of the knife in his hand, the reflection of the blade unmistakable. He snarled, kicking the man several times before standing to his full height, removing some kind of cloth from his pocket and wiping the blade.
Blood. He had to be wiping away blood from stabbing the asshole who’d been following me.
Ready to kill me.
By all rights, I should be paralyzed with fear, but another instinctual realization settled in. Whoever the stranger was, he had no intention of harming me.
From where I stood, I could clearly see the outline of the man who’d been following me, his body slumped onto the sidewalk. I suddenly realized I was walking closer, my body reacting while my mind attempted to process anything about the stranger who’d saved my life.
He tipped his head very slowly in my direction, his gaze locked onto mine and while there was no way I could see his eyes, I could swear they were boring into mine. Everything about him reeked of danger and possession, as if he owned the streets, and people were prepared to bow down to him.
After sliding the weapon into one pocket, he eased his phone from another. The husky sound of his voice floated in my direction, every word spoken in Spanish. I was still petrified, unable to process what had just occurred.
The roar of an engine caught my attention, the same vehicle moving closer to the stranger, a door opening. The headlights were suddenly blinding, forcing me to shield my eyes. Without any hurry in his step, the man walked toward the car. Before he climbed in, he took another look in my direction.
Acknowledging me.
Protecting me.
Wanting me.
Then the sleek vehicle drove past, the dark windows hiding those inside, but I could still feel his heated gaze.
As well as his burning desire.
Chapter Two
Rafael
I am the danger. I am the darkness. I am the hunter.
The statements were all true. There was great power in being labeled a dangerous man, the term instilling terror into the hearts and minds of my enemies.
I’d been born into a ruthless family, my father notorious for his brutality. I’d inherited his business savvy as well as his lack of mercy for fools and traitors. I’d also been given a gift by my mother—her love of music. I chuckled at the dichotomy of the two. I’d never known how two such different people could have fallen in love, but their passion continued to this day, providing their three sons with an unbridled respect of family.
I rubbed my eyes then donned my sunglasses as I stepped out of my Maserati, eyeing the beautiful landscaping surrounding the gothic building. I’d always been a sucker for architecture, my love of old ruins as a child providing extensive fantasies of Spanish conquistadors. The ornate detailing was exquisite, the stonework precise, all carved by hand. I couldn’t imagine how much time it had taken in order to design and build such a thing of beauty.
However, I wasn’t here to admire the structure or the pristine landscaping provided by dozens of daily workers. I had family business to attend to.
I glanced toward the two men I’d brought as protection as