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Forestleaves and twigs crunched under my tennis shoes before my foot landed on an uneven tree bark.Unbalanced, my body tipped to the right.
“Whoa!”Ishrieked, arms flailing to grab something that’d restore my stability.Iwas the clumsiest human on earth.
Mygaze drifted sideways, legs shaking from the effort to steady myself from the awkward angle.Rainhad turned the uneven grounds muddy and slippery, so there wasn’t much purchase.Unableto regain my balance,Ilanded on my ass.
“Shit!”Joe, another one ofMilan’sgroomsmen, outstretched his arms in a seeming effort to grab me, though he was much too late.
“Piya!”Milanexclaimed, coming over.
Astifled sob caught in my throat at the sight of blood.Sharprocks and twigs dug into the exposed skin on my legs and elbows, resulting in endless minor cuts and scrapes.Mybrother and his friends helped me stand and examine the injuries.Luckily, they were mostly superficial and could be easily taken care of with the help of anti-bacterial soap and bandages.Itcould’ve been a lot worse.
Thenasty fall and inspection of injuries lasted approximately sixty seconds.Despitethe short-lived commotion, my attention was suddenly laser focused.
Ifelt his eyes on me before noticing his shadow.Itfell onto the ground ominously with the afternoon sun shining bright.Onlyone glance at the shadow told me something monumental was about to happen;Ijust didn’t know what.Anoddest out-of-body experience awoke something inside thatInever knew had been sleeping.Itforced my eyes to travel from the ground to the owner of the shadow.
Regardlessof the day’s heat and elegant setting, the figure wore jeans and combat boots.Althoughhis clothes were all wrong for the chic atmosphere, the outfit looked right on his body.Hewas physically taller and more built than the guys out here.Veinsstood to attention around his arms, and even the modest clothes didn’t hide his raw masculinity, which he carried with an air of effortless confidence.Withtrepidation,Ilet my eyes travel north, moving languidly as if to savor each minute.
Thesun behind him created a corona around his head.Atfirst,Icouldn’t make out the face.Hewent in and out of focus as he strolled toward us while still maintaining distance.Thesun bounced with his leisurely pace, nearly blinding me at times depending on his newest position.Myfirst proper glance at the stranger happened during this dream-like sequence.Achill ran down my spine as our gazes finally met.Dark, unforgiving eyes stared back, dead set against giving away their secrets.Darkwas an understatement.Hiseyes were pitch black.Avision imprinted in my mind—as if asserting its right to remain there for the rest of my life—burning into my memory.
Myeyes squinted to make out the rest of his face, revealing a strong set jaw and plentiful lips pressed in unreadable lines.Heregarded me—more like disregarded me—with unapologetic indifference.Hisunhurried movements made me impatient for something more, andIstepped forward absentmindedly to study a flicker of somethingIhad noticed earlier.
Thisman was the only person unruffled by my fall and seemingly unaffected by the bloody outcome.
People’semotions shone through their eyes during pivotal moments, while his remained unconcerned.Theyperused me from top to bottom, assessing ifIwas worth the concern displayed by the group.Somethingtold me that no matter the grandiosity of the outcome—whetherIsurvived the fall without a hitch orIwas covered in blood—it would’ve had no impact on him.Therewas an absence of… everything inside him.
Uneasecrept up my spine.Callit intuition, but his uninterested eyes had me deciding something on the spot, somethingInever thought of another person so instinctively:Iwas staring into the eyes of someone without a soul.
Iwas unsure what made me draw the conclusion, only that it was true.
Dryair frizzled the hair covering my eyes, forcing me to run my fingers to tame them soIcould continue watching him with trepidation.Myhands were clammy, andIrubbed them against my knee-length plaid skirt.Onlywhen my brother spoke didIrealizeIhadn’t taken a breath and let out a ragged exhale.
“Areyou okay?”
“Whois he?”Iasked without answering, nodding at the man who was clearlySatan’soffspring.Coldeyes watched me remorselessly.Hewasn’t part of the group, a dead giveaway in the way he maintained distance.
Milanshot him a glance. “Whocares?” he snapped. “Whatthe hell are you doing here?Didn’tMomtell you not to piss me off today?”
“Ishe with your group?”Iinterrogated, disregarding my brother’s inquiries.Ihad met all my brother’s friends before.
“No,”Milansaid, thrumming with impatience. “Heis probably the venue’s audio or lighting tech.”
Milan’ssharp tone made me tear my eyes away from the stranger. “Thevenue has its own audio tech?”
“Piya, focus!”Milanchided, exasperated. “Whatthe hell are you doing here?”
“Um—”Disobedienteyes returned to the stranger, except he had retreated inside the large truck in the parking lot.Mybrother was right.Thedemon lover was either the audio or lighting tech.Aramp was propped up as he unloaded items from the back of the truck.
Ihad a feeling the mystery man’s sudden interest in work was unwarranted.Heseemed far more engaged when there was a threat of me dying and was utterly bored by the turn of events.Iwatched him disappear into the truck and wondered if he also used it to store the chopped-up body parts of his victims.
NickandJoeexchanged a look and snickered.Apparently,Iwas transparent.
“Goback to the house,”Milansaid icily, realizing his friends’ insinuations.Myhorrible taste in men pissed my brother off beyond measure. “AndIbetter not see you again until the wedding.”
Iopened my mouth but snapped it shut when the sound of a car approaching broke through the otherwise tranquil environment.Jay’sBeamercame down the winded driveway and onto the parking lot.Hepulled into the spot next to the oversized truck.Theheathen exited the truck simultaneously, carrying a large box.Tattoospeeked out of hisV-neck shirt, and his bad-ass energy vibrated with alpha male quality.Heresembled every man who’d broken my heart, andIknew he’d shatter me ifIlet him.Mybrother and his friends knew it, too.Thatwas why they were laughing—poor, predictablePiyawith her terrible taste in men.
Likea prayer answered,Jayopened his car door with ease, a blaring contradiction to the man beside him.Therewas an aura aboutJay, comforting and soothing with quiet confidence.Well-dressed in a custom suit and a crisp white shirt without a hair out of place, he molded into the role of a tycoon.Hewas domineering in a different way.
Jaybuttoned his suit jacket and slanted his head as if searching for something.Hestopped upon landing on our foursome.Iknew it wasn’t my imagination or wishful thinking when his gaze zeroed in on me, his intentions crystal clear.
