His scream is so loud, there's no way anyone misses it. He releases my neck and I scramble away, knife still clenched in my grip hard as I fall into the snow and crab-walk backward.
"Get back here," he growls at me, stalking forward, but he's limping, and blood is running down his leg, trailing across the slushy powder otherwise darkened by car tires.
"Problem here?" I hear, and I turn to see a man I don’t recognize stalking forward. He's big too, full head of black hair and narrowed eyes, and I see a gun holstered on his belt at his back.
"Help," I squeak as I scramble to my feet, and the man stands between me and my attacker. Out of the corner of my eye, I see more movement—more men closing in.
"That little cunt stabbed me!" the man rasps, but I'm on my feet, already turning, when I see Dane's eyes in the crowd and a look of disapproval. Then I run.
The alley spits me out on a residential street two blocks from Ellie's house where I force myself to slow to a walk. I'm sweating and heaving for breath. I throw the hood back to cool myself as I realize I'm still holding the damn bloody knife.
I'm a fool—I'm such a fool, and goddammit if those men didn't step in just in time.
And Dane.
My God, he'll be so pissed when he gets here. God only knows what he's going to have to tell Varen to get me out of this.
Ellie's back door is unlocked. I slip inside, lock it behind me, and sink against the wall, shaking so hard my teeth chatter. The knife clatters to the ground and I finally feel safe enough to start crying.
My entire body shakes with sobs as I cover my face and realize I have blood on my hands too.
How does Dane do it? I just stabbed a man in his leg, and Dane spent years of his life taking the lives of other people. I can't… I'm so overwhelmed, I almost want to vomit.
Minutes crawl past as I soak the front of Ellie's coat in my tears and feel the panic worsen before it begins to slowly lift. The back door opens and I nearly scream before recognizing Dane, breathing hard. His jacket is torn and it looks like he got a few blows in, some to his face too. There's a cut above his eye bleeding lightly, but he's safe, and he doesn't look angry as he crouches next to me.
I throw myself at him and he catches me, arms wrapping tight. "You're okay. Thank God, you're okay." His voice is a rumblethat soothes me instantly, though not as much as the feel of his strong arms around me.
"I cut my hair and dyed it and I didn't think…" My words tumble out of my mouth in a nonsensical jumble. "Changed it so they wouldn't recognize me. But they still found me. That man, he grabbed me, and I?—"
"I know. I saw." Dane pulls back and grips my face in both hands. "Are you hurt?"
"No… Scared, but not hurt." I touch the cut on his forehead. "You're bleeding."
Dane pushes my hand away and helps me stand on unsteady legs. "It's nothing. Took a blow from his ring." He scowls and kisses my forehead and after a deep sigh, he asks, "What the fuck were you thinking?"
All I can do is lean into him and let him hold me against his chest. "I wanted to see where they were and what they were doing… And I wanted to get you a Christmas gift." The knife, now forgotten on the floor, seems less appealing now that it’s covered in blood. "It was stupid."
"It was brave, and reckless, and very much you." I hear him chuckle and his arms tighten. "What did you get me?"
"A knife. Good one, with a survival kit in the handle. I thought you'd like it." My head dips and I let my shoulder sag. "And it's already broken in…"
"Ah." He grunts. "So you're the reason that bastard was practically bleeding out."
I spy the knife on the floor at our feet and smile as I look up at him. "He touched me… And I don't like people touching me unless I invite it."
Dane smirks at me and says, "Remind me of that next time I want to touch you and you're in a bad mood."
The relief of being out of that situation and in his arms is too much. I swipe at my eyes and then rise up and press my lips to his. "I'm sorry," I whisper. "I didn't think anything would happen."
"It's okay, Sloane. You're not a prisoner. I asked you to stay here because I knew it would be safe, and maybe now, you'll trust me when I say it's safer to stay here."
I nod at him and step back, pulling the coat off, then nod at the floor. "Might want to remove that before Ellie comes home and sees it." Dane's eyes track down to the knife and he stoops to pick it up, then turns it over in his hands.
"Hey, this is a pretty cool knife…" He looks at me and grins. "But I prefer to break them in myself."
Dropping the coat onto the back of a chair, I turn my back on him as I grab a paper towel to wipe my face up. After all of that, I'm starting to realize that my life will never be the same again. Even long after this event has passed and Cal Maddox is out of our lives, I'm still going to reach for Dane in my heart and in my thoughts every time I feel scared or down. It's like my body is training itself to need him.
And each time it happens, I'm starting to hate that thought less and less.
