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The words may have sounded corny, but he only spoke the truth. Ellie bore her big blue eyes in his dark ones, before cupping his cheeks and leaning in for the sweetest, most searing kiss he’d ever experienced.
Ellie McLaren was a dangerous woman as Sam had never felt more vulnerable than while towering over the pixie fairy. He didn’t ponder long on it as Ellie shivered. The spot they were in didn’t keep the cold out, and even if he hated the idea of breaking their connection, the situation couldn’t be helped.
Sam knew to store any fleeting moment of happiness and light, as darkness was his lot, only waiting to take over until it swallowed him whole, until nothing of himself remained. That was the lonely path in front of him, but when it became unbearable, he would now have that moment of paradise with Ellie to treasure in his broken soul.
Chapter Eight
“Nope.No way. It’s out of the question.” Ellie found it easier than she’d expected to face the towering men she barely knew, who obviously scared bad guys for a living, and who’d formed a united front against her. While she’d taken a nap, Lazarus and Sam had decided that sending her away to some sort of retreat nestled in the forest was her only option. Only it wasn’t really a choice, it was an order.
It was quite a rude awakening as she was still surfing the remnants of the quick but memorial mind-blowing sex.
Sam had shown another side of himself; tender, caring, worried as they both dressed in a rush before returning to the apartment. Too bad that tender side of him was quickly replaced by what she supposed was a common trait among the brothers—stern, overbearing, and stubborn. Well, a few weeks ago, she wouldn’t have dared to think of fighting them, but surprisingly, there was a bit of a flame still in her.
Sidestepping Sam, Ellie went to the fridge for a bottle of water.
“You realize we’re doing this for your protection? And where we’re sending you, you won’t lack anything. It’s a fully furnished mansion with the best security around. It’s a bit crowded with people at the moment, but I swear you’ll be safe.”
“Lazarus, thank you for the offer. It’s very generous but I have no intention of accepting it.”
While the tall Brit remained stoic, Sam was almost snarling at her. “Don’t you care about your safety? These aren’t ordinary thugs that are after me. They’ve probably discovered your identity by now, and Jamieson Finch never balks at attacking anyone connected to us.”
“I understand every word you’re saying.”
“So you’ll go tonight?”
Ellie almost smiled at his expression when she shook her head. “Nope. Even worse, I’m going back to my apartment.”
Lazarus walked away with heavy last words. “I’m most certain that’s not the worst that will happen if you do something that stupid.”
The air thickened as she faced Sam alone. While Lazarus had appeared more of a sensible sort, his brother turned feral, standing toe to toe with her, his eyes like hot, melted metal. “Why won’t you listen to the voice of reason?”
It was a good question, and one for which she tried to weave a coherent answer. Ellie must have taken more time than her interrogator liked, because she was pulled out of her thoughts by him putting his large hands on her shoulders. When she looked up, she could see the haunted expression that had been on his face when he’d first opened his door was back before he quickly hid it again.
His voice sounded soft, but his words were made of steel. “You know nothing of my world, or of me. There is no way in hell I’ll drag you into blood, gore, and death, so whatever chivalrous sentiment you’re harboring toward me, get rid of it.”
Ellie felt her breath catch in her chest as he stepped back, breaking their contact, shaken by what he’d said. It sounded so true to her, it made her stop and wonder.
“I also feel like I should apologize. I don’t know what came over me earlier. I shouldn’t have attacked you like that, not when you’re under my protection. In this situation, a quick fuck was the worst possible idea.”
It would’ve been a lie to say Ellie hadn’t had all those silly, girly ideas go through her mind that when he was deep inside her, that in the throes of passion their hearts would synch and suddenly there’d be a connection that ran deeper than those phone calls. Life had taught her otherwise. However, for her at least, what had happened wasn’t wrong, or dirty, and shouldn’t be sullied by such words, even if to the outside world, it would indeed appear as nothing more than a simple fuck.
“You don’t have to be insulting, Sam. I’m not trying to tie you down. We can forget what happened earlier like you said. I’m not talking about love, but thereisa connection between us. I don’t know how to describe it, but for lack of better words, we need each other.”
Even if it rang true, her statement appeared to push him even further into the darkness.
“Dialing a wrong number isn’t a true connection. It was an accident.”
His response was a clear sign that he was showing her the door. Every cell inside her was ready for battle, but what could she battle? Even if she couldn’t take his salvation into her hands, Ellie needed to do something, to act and reach out.
With that barely disguised order, her training and experience alerted her that it was time to step back before it got completely out of hand. “No need to make excuses, Sam. You want me to leave, I’ll leave.”
Ellie pushed away her unease and focused on making sure she got everything in her bag when Sam blocked her exit. “No way you’re going out there on your own. Lazarus will send you to...”
She stopped him right then and there. “You don’t want me by your side. So I release you from any responsibility you feel toward me. You think I’m a damsel in distress, but I can survive in this city. I know where to go to stay safe.”
Sam hesitated, but Ellie didn’t want to wait for more empty words. After all, she had indicated to Lazarus that she wouldn’t bear the responsibility of Sam upon her shoulders, even if it went against every fiber of her being, or the way she’d led her life up until then. As she walked away from the man, the fire inside that had kept her warm for the first time in a long time, started to fade.
As she searched for the door, Ellie heard Sam behind her, along with Lazarus’ voice, but she kept going and grabbed her coat. She remembered the way to the garage, and there had to be an exit there.
