Page 105 of Power of Shadow

When I walk into the bedroom, she’s sitting on the bed with her back to me.

She has already taken off her hoodie, but nothing else. Her head is bowed, hands resting on her knees.

Slowly, I crouch in front of her.

“Who dared do this to my girl?” Ash shrugs, so I ask again, “Did he survive to tell the tale, or did you leave his corpse behind? Should I call the crew?”

Her green eyes rise. Only when she does that do I understand how much I need this. “He got stabbed in the side a few times, but he managed to get away. I was distracted and didn’t notice him until it was too late. Coming back from Alex’s when he jumped me. But—”

Ash bites her lip. I caress her bruised cheek. My fingers move automatically. “But?”

“But this isn’t a coincidence, Ryker. That son of a bitch had a message for me. He said I would ‘die because of him.’ ”

“What do you mean by ‘him’?”

Ash shakes her head, wincing. I check her head with my fingers, moving them from right to left. Sure enough, she has a bump on the back of her head. When I touch it, she winces again, but when I pull my fingers out of her hair, there’s no blood on them.

Thank God.

“I don’t know,” she whispers again. “That’s exactly what he said. I don’t know who he meant.”

A chill runs down my spine.

Ash doesn’t say it, but we both know. Those words could refer to me.

I’m no angel. I have more enemies than I have hairs on my head. My status, my money, my connections, and on top of that, a pile of victims, could be the reason. But in the back of my mind, I have a thought that I dare not put into words.

With a sigh, I get up and pull her too. While undressing her piece by piece, I ask her about double vision, headache, internal pain. The only serious injury seems to be a slight concussion.

The very thought makes me thirst for blood. No one. Absolutely no one will touch, let alone hurt, what is mine. And Ashley is mine. She is and will always be mine.

Once she’s standing completely naked, I lead us to the small bathroom. I open the shower door and turn on the water, setting the temperature.

When she’s safe inside, I let her know I’ll be back in a moment.

Zoe and Eli are still talking. I order him to quickly check the street cameras around the Black Thorns pub, and before I leave the room, he already has a phone in hand.

The worried look on Zoe’s face doesn’t escape my attention. Gently, I pat her on the shoulder, signaling that I’ll take care of her sister.

Ash is standing under the stream of water with her back to me when I enter the bathroom. Without a word, I start to undress.

“What are you doing?” she asks when she sees me. There’s an uncertainty in her eyes that I don’t understand.

Stopping now, down to my boxers and socks, I ask, “What does it look like? I’m not leaving you here alone in case you faint. Let me take care of you, baby.” Her consent is essential for me to continue. After a moment, she nods.

Showering with Ash influences me immediately. I get hard, even though that’s not the intention, but who could blame me? A single wink from her is enough to make my cock hard and ready for the first thrust.

She relaxes with every passing minute. Her tense muscles soften.

“What were you doing there anyway, Ash?”

“I already told you. I had to see Alex.”

“Did something happen? Is it about the job?”

Ash went quiet. Again, I ran into that damned wall that hadn’t been there before. We had a wild night, and when I woke up this morning, she was gone from my bed. I really don’t like it when she disappears. I don’t want to scare her off with my obsession, but that’s how it is. And this short time I have with her only makes my feelings stronger.

Next time, I’ll handcuff her to my bed. I’ll be ready for her anger. It’ll be worth it anyway.