Tales of Darkness & Sin - Pepper Winters Page 0,95

ME.

She seemed to understand my unsaid words. Talia squinted at me, nudged her chin high and stalked away.

I hadn’t expected her to be so… stubborn.

She was firm on her principles and beliefs. After all, I was forbidden to her. Talia was disgusted, frightened, overwhelmed… but there was a hint of something else. Surprise and curiosity. She could be as rigid as she wanted, but I had caught her reaction in the staff room three days ago. It was slight and if I hadn’t been paying careful attention, I wouldn’t have noticed it. It wasn’t exactly lust… but she didn’t hate my touch as much as she wanted to.

Candy came on my hand, her choked moan bringing my attention back to her. She looked back at me; her eyes hazy. “Let’s go to my room.”

“I have unfinished business.” I nodded toward the man staring at us with avid hunger. “You can satisfy Pike’s needs tonight. He won last night’s fight.”

Candy glanced at Pike and grinned, her smile seductive and inviting. “Of course. He deserves some extra love.”

She got off my lap and Pike lunged forward, curling his arm around her hips in a possessive manner and practically lifting Candy off her feet as he stalked away.

I downed the rest of my whiskey and in the same moment, Talia walked out of the staff room, dressed in her coat. Her night shift had ended. I chuckled as she kept her head down and practically sprinted toward the exit.

I pushed away from the table and followed her.

Talia didn’t notice me. I kept a distance between us, blending into the night as we made our way to her apartment. She didn’t know that I knew where she lived. She didn’t know that I had been inside her apartment.

Talia didn’t know a lot of things.

The walk was about twenty minutes to her apartment. We were halfway when something else caught my attention. Talia and I weren’t alone. Someone else was following… her.

I paused. I crouched low, hiding in the darkness. I waited.

My instincts kicked in as he grew closer to her, but I… waited.

He grabbed her. She screamed. My blood roared between my ears. Fury pumped through my veins. I. Waited.

She struggled, her tiny fists beating at the man who dared grab her. Talia screamed again, his hand muffling the sound as he dragged her into a dark alley.

Tick. Tock.

I counted the seconds in my head.

One. I moved away from the shadows.

Two. I stalked forward.

Three. Four. Five.

I stood at the entrance of the alley.

Six. I found the man on top of Talia. He had ripped away her coat and her shirt was in shreds.

Seven. She was crying, struggling, fighting.

Eight. A growl rumbled from my chest.

Nine. His head snapped up and he finally noticed me.

Ten. Talia’s tearful, frightened gaze met mine. There was instant relief in her brown eyes at the sight of me.

I lunged forward and grabbed the man by his throat, throwing him off her. Talia let out a small frightened sound and curled into herself.

My fist made contact with his face, without any mercy. Bones crunched. He screamed and clawed at the filthy ground, trying to get away from me. I punched him again. And again and again. The sound of mangled bones and wet flesh filled my ears until he was unrecognizable. He was barely breathing, his face bleeding, swollen and broken.

My hand wrapped around his fragile neck. My fingers dug deep until I broke through his skin and practically ripped open his throat with my bare hands.

He bled and bled until his chest stopped moving and my job was done.

Turning around, I faced Talia. Her eyes were wide, her cheeks tearstained and she swallowed back a cry.

I took a step toward her and she flinched. “I’m not going to hurt you,” I spoke gently, to soothe her.

She was completely shaken. Talia looked so vulnerable in that moment. My chest… tightened. A fathom of an ache.

“Are you hurt?” I asked, crouching in front of her. I wrapped her coat around her shoulders, protecting her modesty and I knew she needed to feel… safe right now.

Her chin wobbled, but she didn’t answer. “Little One, I need to know if you’re injured.”

She gave me a small shake of her head. Bullshit, I didn’t believe her. Her cheek was red and swollen and I knew he must have struck her. Talia was clutching her ribs and her face twisted with pain.

I reached for her, but she flinched away again. I pulled my hand back, clenching