“What the hell were you thinking? I told you to stay in the damn car!”
Clutching her can of pepper spray like a protective shield, Eve stood face-to-face with a man who’d single-handedly taken down a small army of those creatures. They didn’t scare her as much as he did right then, with the cold fury emitting off him.
Slowly, she backed away.
“Nowyou’re afraid of me?” Like a whiplash, his voice stung her.
She stiffened her spine. “No, I wanted to help. It seemed unfair so many were attacking you—”
He growled, his glare morphing into disbelief. Then in a move that made her head spin, he hauled her to him just as a blinding red flash came hurtling toward them. The blast sent him forward, and he fell against her. Her breath exploded out of her lungs. Eve struggled to hold onto him, his powerful body a sensual blow to her senses. She fought to keep him on his feet and not topple them both to the ground.
With a snarl, he pushed off her, his enormous sword still in his hand. Eyes blazing, he scanned the alley. She hurried to him. “Reynner—”
Cursing, he grabbed her wrist and hurried her toward the car. “I have to get you out of here.”
“What were those men—things?”
“Hell on Earth—dammit!” He stumbled and let her go, bracing a hand against the grimy, graffitied wall.
“Let me help you.” She tried to prop him up.
“No.” He flung out a hand, stopping her. Then dug into his coat pocket, his movements jerky as he searched.
“But you’re hurt.”
“No.”
What the hell was the matter with him? She wanted to help, not cop a feel. Teeth snapping together, Eve waited for Mr. He-Man’s orders.
Leaning against the filthy wall, Reynner brought out his cell phone and attempted to make a call. The device fell from his unsteady hand and landed on the ground with a dull thud. Curses in English, mixed with some strange language she’d never heard before flooded her ears.
Eve picked up the fallen phone and held it out. His fingers clenched. She waited, didn’t say a word. His pained, furious gaze pinned hers, almost like he hated asking for help.
“Star one. Michael. Call him.” The words were wrenched from him as he slid to the dirt-encrusted asphalt. Worried now, Eve pushed aside her hurt feelings and pressed star one. A man answered. His voice was low. Compelling. “Reynner?”
And scary.
She cleared her throat. The chilling air from the man had her speaking quickly. “Reynner’s hurt. He asked me to call you, I’m not sure where we are…” she glanced around the creepy place with its dingy buildings.
“I’ll find you.” He rang off.
Reynner rested his head against the wall, eyes closed, his hand still gripping his sword. The reek of decaying garbage from Dumpsters nearby blindsided her. Breathing through her mouth, Eve crouched beside him and pushed his cell phone into his pocket.
She hoped this Michael would come quickly. Her skin itched, she rubbed her arm. Something wet and sticky clung to her fingers. A coppery smell wafted to her.Blood?
Eve remembered that red bolt hitting him. Quickly, she pushed her hand behind his back, but he was too heavy to move. When he didn’t protest, her anxiety grew. She tried again, harder this time. Her knuckles scraped against the walls. Ignoring the burn, she ran her fingers over his body. There. Across the solid width of his back, she found the gashes in his coat and the wetness surrounding them. She pulled her hand away and stared at the bloody mess on her fingers.
“You’re hurt.”
“I know...”
Her heart slamming against her sternum, she jerked to her feet.
“No, don’t…leave…”
“I’m not.” Eve sprinted to the car and snatched the cell she’d dropped to the floorboard then hurried back to him. About to call 911 again, she saw a dark figure striding up the alley.
Please…please don’t let it be one of those things.Her can of pepper spray wouldn’t help them because there was no way she could haul Reynner to safety. Eve pushed her cell into the seam pocket of her dress, rushed to his side and picked up his sword now lying on the ground, and grunted.
