Page 9 of Ravaged By a Devil

Oh my God. Oh my God. What have I gotten myself into?

My back is pressed hard against the damp brick wall, my chest heaving as I stare at the massive, dark figure looming in the middle of the alley. The air smells sickeningly of copper and raw violence.

My brain is screaming at me to turn and run, to sprint until my lungs burst, but my legs feel completely frozen to the pavement. I’ve just stepped directly into something dangerous, and completely out of my depth.

He’s the same devil from the bar. The same handsome, towering bastard who sat in the shadows of my section and dropped five words into my lap that I haven't been able to shake all night: I want to fuck you.

That line had been running on a loop in my head the entire walk home. It’s the exact reason I was so distracted, why I was so consumed that I didn't even notice the homeless man until he was a hair's breadth away.

Working at a high-end den like The Blackwood, I see powerful, dangerous men every single night. I know a monster when I see one. But this man standing in front of me right now? He looks like the absolute worst of them all.

Dark blood drips from his raw, split knuckles, staining the concrete. I catch a slick wetness soaking through the side of his jacket. He’s been cut—the homeless guy’s blade must have grazed him when he tackled him—but he isn't even flinching. He doesn't even seem to notice. His entire existence is locked onto me, those dark eyes burning straight through the shadows with a terrifying, smothering intensity.

I’m terrified. Every survival instinct I possess is telling me to flee. But he just saved my life. And, well... he did say he wanted to fuck me, not kill me.

I force a deep, shaky breath into my lungs. I set my shoulders, push myself off the brick wall, stand up straight, and look the monster dead in the eye.

"Have you been following me?" Before he answers, my voice regaining a fraction of its sharp edge, I add, "I've been hearing footsteps for the last six blocks. Every time I turned around, there was nobody there. You made me think I was losing my mind."

He tilts his head, a dangerous, dark glitter flashing in his hazel eyes.

"You’re welcome," he rumbles, his voice entirely devoid of remorse.

I blink. "You're not even going to deny it?"

He doesn't answer, just stands there like a wall of shadow and muscle.

"That's stalking," I say flatly. "You're stalking me."

"I don't give a fuck what you call it," he replies, taking a slow step toward me.

"Why?" I demand, resting a hand on my hip. "Why the hell are you following me?"

Nothing. He just stares at me, his jaw set, keeping his mouth shut.

"Fine," I snap, turning on my heel to walk away.

The second I move, the massive thud of his steps falls right into step behind me. I stop instantly and spin back around, frustration bubbling up in my chest.

"I don't want you following me!"

"I have to," he says plainly, stepping up until he's towering over me again. "So you've got two choices, sweet face. Either you let me walk behind you where you can see me, or I go right back to stalking you from the dark."

I stare at him, completely dumbfounded.

Normal, sane people would be running for the nearest police station. Stalking isn't something anyone in their right mind takes lightly, especially from a giant who just crushed a man's hand with his bare foot. I should be screaming for help.

Instead, I take a deep breath, my eyes dropping to the dark, wet stain spreading across his dark shirt.

"You're bleeding," I point out, gesturing to his waist.

He looks down, casually yanking up the hem of his shirt to inspect his torso. A jagged red line slices across his ribs, blood oozing steadily down his muscled stomach and into the waistband of his trousers. I can't tell how deep it goes in the dim light, and a sudden spike of panic hits my chest.

He rolls his eyes and pulls his shirt back down. "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing!" I say, stepping closer. "You need to fix that. It could get infected."

"I said it's nothing," he insists, his tone hard as iron.