Page 73 of Wolf It Down, Knot Me Up

He slams two hands against his chest, sending him stumbling off the steps. He lands on the gravel, but the guy catches himself from falling over.

“Who are you, coward?” Grayson marches after him.

“Fuck you.” The man swings a punch. Grayson ducks and drives his fist back up, knocking into the jaw beneath the mask with a thud. The guy drops onto the ground, one hand clasping his face. “You ass.”

I’m rushing down the steps, dread curling in my chest.

Grayson goes to grab for the mask, but the man rolls out of reach. He shoves himself upright, one hand at his back, and when it reappears, there’s a blade in his grip.

Terror flashes through me. “Watch out!”

He launches between us, forcing me farther away. “Get inside. Now.”

I should listen, but my feet are frozen in place. My attention is stuck on that knife slicing through the air feet from Grayson’s body. My heart’s clawing into my throat.

“Afraid?” The masked man sidesteps. “She’s Jerry’s girl.”

Grayson closes the distance. “You’re already finished,” he states.

The man charges.

Grayson reaches for his wrist, but he jerks away and whips back around fast. Something silver glints through the air, and the blade cuts across Grayson’s forearm. Blood taints the fabric at once.

My heart stops as Grayson hisses, flinging his arm back. “Grayson, shit!”

But he ignores the cut and charges after the masked man, who’s slashing the blade through the air.

Grayson leaps back. And the masked man is now running toward his motorbike. In seconds, Grayson’s on his heels, reaching for him, but his fingers only grasp the mask. He rips it off just as the guy swings his blade once more.

Grayson rears backward to avoid being struck, and the guy bolts. He leaps onto his bike, motor roaring, and he’s off, gravel spraying everywhere. Then he takes one last glance our way without his mask.

The porch light illuminates his face.

My knees weaken under me. “Oh, fuck!” I recognize him instantly.

Then he’s gone, the taillight engulfed by the dark trees.

I stood across from him at Rusty’s Wolf Tavern the day I came home, when he took me into the woods and called himself Roman. My blood turns to ice.

“That’s the guy. Grayson. That’s the fake Roman from the tavern. It’s the same guy.”

Grayson’s in front of me, studying me, his forehead furrowing. He glances over his shoulder into the woods where the man vanished. “What the fuck does he want with you?”

I’m shaking my head, hugging myself, dozens of questions spinning through my mind. “Why the hell would he care who I’m with? Jerry’s been gone for five years.”

Grayson turns his attention my way again, and he’s leaning close, hands on my arms. “I don’t fucking know, but we’re going to find out. I’m not finished with that prick.” Then he drags me into his arms, embracing me tightly, and I melt against him. And for those few seconds, as I drown in his scent, snuggled up against his muscular chest, I float away from all the chaos. Until I remember that he’s bleeding and I quickly pull myself away.

“Your arm. Let’s get you inside and patched up.” I take hold of his wrist, even if every inch of me is trembling. Blood is welling across the cut, which is at least six inches long along the outside of his forearm. “We need something to stop the bleeding.” I’m staring at myself for clothing I can use, but unless I want to take off my dress, I’ve got nothing.

Suddenly, he’s tugging his shirt up and over his head, then scrunches it up and presses it to his wound. “This will do for now. And I’ll be fine,” he grumbles, but I’m already hauling him inside by his elbow. Indoors, there’s laughter in the dining area from our guests, so I drag him upstairs, my sights set on my private quarters.

We make it six steps up before a low whistle drifts across the main room behind us. “Where are you two rushing off to in such a hurry?”

I glance back to Roman standing at the bottom of the stairs.

“Just a small incident,” Grayson states. “I’ll survive.” He lifts his injured arm.

Roman’s grin drops. “Fuck. What happened?” He takes the stairs two at a time to reach us.