He hissed, “Shut up! I told you to shut up!”
She pushed his arm away from her and freed one hand. Grabbing anything else she could get a hold of, she tried to yank him off of her.
His jeans must have hung low on his hips, because she grabbed onto the waistband of his underwear.Riiiiiip.
The perp yelped. His eyes flashed in horror, and she realized she had just given him a world-class wedgie.
Dear God, I’m going to die. I’m going to be raped and killed in a back alley on my first night as an independent adult. I’m never going to fall in love, get married, hug my children, or live in a McMansion.
The knife pressed into her flesh, and the warm trickle down her neck meant he had pierced the skin. Should she scream again? Would he just kill her and leave her rather than rape her? Or would he,ewww,kill her first,thenrape her?Oh, my freakin’ God!
As she contemplated what would be the lesser of all possible evils, the man flew off of her and landed a few feet away. At first, she didn’t see anyone else.
When she blinked, two shadowy figures stood over the gasping pervert. One of them clamped his boot on the would-be rapist’s neck and pointed a gun at his face. The other one hurried over to Merry and helped her up.
“Thank you. Both of you. You saved my life!” The man holding her elbow seemed preoccupied with her neck. Awareness rolled over her. She recognized the dark-haired man who had been leaning against the wrought iron fence, watching her move in. Again, he wore all black, but the concern on his face completely changed his ominous air. His dark chocolate eyes were warm and almond shaped, much like her own.
“He missed your carotid artery. You’ll be okay.”
Merry touched her neck. Thankfully, his diagnosis seemed true. Blood simply trickled from the wound; it didn’t gush.
“I saw you yesterday,” she said. “Do you live in this building?”
“Nearby,” he said, then he turned his attention to the other man, a tall blond with broad shoulders—also dressed in black. “Konrad, here, is one of your neighbors. Hey,” he called to the tall blond with the massive shoulders, “leave him to me and take her inside.”
“Good idea, Sly,” the striking Viking said. His white teeth glistened as a grin spread across his face. His canines seemed larger and more pronounced than in most men. Light facial hair and a short goatee softened his jawline. He had heavy brows of the same color. His ears were slightly pointed and poked though his almost waist-length hair.
The dark-haired man called Sly moved with lightning speed, holding down the assailant.
The guy protested, vehemently. “No, please! I’ll do anything you ask. Just let me go.”
The blond Konrad changed places with Sly and escorted Merry to the back door. She glided along beside him, numb, as if in a dream.
As soon as she had ascended the concrete steps, before she stepped through the door that Konrad held open for her, she turned and caught only a glimpse of the scene she had left behind. Sly knelt beside the stranger and leaned over by his head. Konrad placed his hand on her lower back and hurried her in, closing the door on a male scream that emanated from the dark alley.
Merry left Konrad sitting at her kitchen table and strolled to the bathroom, saying, “The hydrogen peroxide is going to sting like crazy, but I know the importance of preventing infection.”
She dug through the box markedLinen closetuntil she found some bandaging supplies. As she swabbed the area, she gritted her teeth and hissed, inhaling a long breath until the worst of the sting abated. A thin bandage did its job staunching the blood.
When she returned, she offered Konrad something to drink.
“No, thanks. I’m fine but let me get you something while you sit and relax.”
Yeah, right. She sat shivering, her arms wrapped around herself while Konrad put the teakettle on and found a mug. Soon he handed her chamomile tea with a spoonful of honey, and she warmed her hands on the steaming mug.
“This is the same comfort drink my mother used to give me when I was hurt or upset as a child. How did you know?”And the same thing I made for my father when my mother was senselessly murdered during a robbery.
“Well, you had tea bags and honey in your cupboard.”
“Oh yeah.” Her thoughts returned to the incident. “Th-that man…” she began. “I…”
“It’s been handled by now. He didn’t get your clothes off, so I’d guess your virtue is intact. Right?”
She nodded.
A knock at the door of the apartment startled her and she jumped.
“I’ll get it,” he said.
