Tirade (Heven and Hell #3)(13)
Author: Cambria Hebert

He took a step forward.

I raised the dagger.

He laughed and the bottom of my stomach fell out. This was the first person (demon, creature, alien?) who had ever laughed when threatened with a sharp weapon.

“Why don’t you put that thing away before you hurt yourself?”

“You just want me to put it away so I don’t hurt you.” I said, not lowering the blade.

He flashed a grin again, still not appearing threatened. I thought about stabbing him just to wipe that smirk off his face. But then he said something that got my attention. “You’re more bold than I remembered.”

“You know me?” I asked, suspicious. He just wanted me to forget he was threatening me.

“You don’t know me?” As he spoke, he came forward and grabbed the dagger out of my hand. I made a motion to grab it back, but he clucked his tongue and slid it into the back pocket of his jeans.

Well, crap. It worked. Anger flared through me and I threw myself at him, trying to reach around and grab what was mine. He actually chuckled and grabbed my arms by each wrist.

I glared at him, my breathing heavy and annoyed. The front of me was wet from when I threw myself at him. The sea air was blowing and I felt the first hint of a chill. “Give it back.”

“You can have it back after we talk.”

I had an uneasy feeling, but it never even occurred to me to be afraid. I was alone, in the dark, and in the middle of the ocean with someone with no aura who just disarmed me and was clearly ten times stronger than I would ever be. Still, I wasn’t afraid. I squinted up at him through the night, trying to figure out why.

He laughed again and released my wrists. “That’s better.” He seemed satisfied somehow that I was done attacking him. I wasn’t yet sure if what he had decided was right. I was still pissed that he took my dagger, Sam’s dagger.

“I want that back.”

“You’ll get it back,” he responded mildly and moved away, actually putting his back to me before sitting where I had been moments before.

“I’ve killed demons, you know.” I felt the need to point out I wasn’t as harmless as he seemed to think.

Under the light of the nearby lamp, I could see much more of his face. When he looked up at me, I was taken aback by how beautiful he was. His olive-toned skin was flawless, his lips were full and dark, and those eyes… those dark, dark eyes were accentuated by a slash of thick, dark brows that knew no order. But there was something about him that wasn’t beautiful… He was… dangerous.

He was dangerously beautiful.

“You’re a tough girl, I know.”

“How do you know?” I was suspicious instantly. He implied he knew me, but I was certain I’d never laid eyes upon him before. I would never have forgotten such dark beauty. At least, I don’t think I would’ve forgotten.

He smiled, making his eyes crinkle at the corners. “I saw what you did to those fishermen back there.”

“You were watching?”

“I was on the boat.”

“You’re a fisherman?”

“I was.”

“But you’re not now?”

“I have a feeling tonight was my last night.” My stomach flipped at his lowered voice.

“Who are you?” I squinted through the dark and rubbed my arms against the cold air.

“You really don’t recognize me?”

I shook my head slowly.

“The power of that guy still amazes me,” he said almost to himself.

“Who?” I asked, suspicious.

“Sam.”

“You know Sam?” I took a step closer, almost desperate for another link that would bring me closer to the man I loved.

He shook his head like he was sad, then stood. I looked at him warily, all my muscles tensing. His mouth tilted upward, noticing my discomfort, but he didn’t back away.

He stepped closer.

Then he held out an enormous palm. “Name’s Riley Stone.”

“Riley,” I murmured and slid my hand into his. His skin was warm and sent chills up my arm. I snatched my hand back and folded my arms across my chest as his name clicked into place. “I know you.” I had come here for him.

He smirked. “That’s right, sweetheart. Me and your precious Sam used to be roommates.”

Chapter Four

Heven

“You’re a hellhound,” I said.

“Clever observation,” he said sarcastically and returned to the bench. He was casual and nonchalant, but I was shaking like a leaf. It was windy out here on the water, and I was cold. That’s all it was. Well, that and the fact some guy just swam out to the ferry, hoisted himself over the railing, and disarmed me while I stood there blithering like a total ass.

“You’re one of the guys who attacked me back home?”

“If I had attacked you, you’d be dead,” he said without any emotion in his tone.

Okay, maybe they didn’t, but they wanted to. And who knows what he would’ve done if Sam hadn’t intercepted them. I’d been walking toward a trashcan to discard our empty Bubble Maineia cups when two men grabbed me from the sides and began talking and jostling me. It didn’t go any further because Sam intervened and I got in the truck. I watched in horror as they exchanged heated words until Sam threw a punch.

“Sam decked you.”

He shook his head, bewildered. “No, that was Casey.”

“Oh.” I looked around, expecting this Casey to come out of the shadows.

“He isn’t here.”

“Where is he?”

“Gone.”

“Weren’t you friends?”

“I don’t have friends. But we knew each other.”

Ah, yes. I finally understood that note Sam found telling him where they would be. They were connected in a way that no one else would understand. They were hellhounds, part of an elite group.

“Why don’t you tell me why you came looking for me?”

“Who said I was looking for you?” I asked, rubbing my arms. Yes, I had been looking for him and I was slightly embarrassed that I didn’t even know it was him when I saw him. While I wasn’t really afraid of him—I just didn’t trust him, not yet, anyway.

Abruptly, he stood and my body went rigid, expecting an attack. He rolled his eyes. “I’m not going to hurt you.” He motioned to the bench. “Sit down.”

I don’t know why, but I listened. Once I was sitting, he moved directly in front of me. The bench seat was still warm from his body heat and I realized he was blocking the wind from reaching me. A little bit of fight went out of me. Okay, a lot of fight went out of me.