page23 (1/2)

Chapter 23

"Don't," I said

I tried to get up, but Daer Besides, it was hard to fight soh my head said run, ain

"Let o"

"No" He continued to rub ainst my spine One movement relaxed me; the other made me want to jump out of my skin

"Why are you embarrassed by this?" he murmured

I didn't answer, couldn't speak My eyes burned and ht The scar would forever re disaster down on everyone I loved

It was fitting that Hector had ly outside as I was inside What kind of woed to another?

That was a rhetorical question I can spell slut as well as the next guy

When I got up, Daethiht on my scar

I spun around and slapped him The sound of the bloas crisp in the silence of the earlyA red slash rose on the pale skin of his cheek

"I'm sorry," I whispered, horrified that I'd struck him

He ignored nored what I'd done, what I'd said, to take ain

"Do you think this ly?"

"I don't need a scar for that"

His eyebrows lifted and he tilted his head

I pulled out of his eet out of here before I blabbed every secret in my head

I put on ers circled h, talk to me I'd like to understand"

His gentle voice did , bad olf hunters did not cry Petite, blond girlie-girls did They also got their familiesabout it I was no longer that girl; I was the hunter

I tore away from his touch, threw on my shirt, and ran out of the bar, then up the stairs

Once in my room I shut and locked the door I was alone I should be happy Instead, the sadness, the loneliness, pressed at me

I needed to see Jimmy To remember what it had felt like to love and then lose him

"I can't live through that again," I whispered

I was tearing throughclothes onto the floor, desperate to find the only snapshot I'd kept of him, when the door behind me clicked open

I spun around Damien stood in the doorway There was a key in the lock

"You can't just come in here"

My brave words would have sounded better without the tears on my face and the wobble in my voice

He removed the key, tucked it into his pocket, and closed the door

"Talk to me," he repeated

"I can't"

He was half-naked again - loose black pants, no shirt, no shoes He'd get very little service here

"You think you're ugly because of a scar You don't knohat ugly is"

Actually, I did I'd been killing it for two years now But I couldn't share that with hi else

"There's such ugliness in this world, Leigh So much sadness, soaround like I do Met soly people"

He thought I was upset because I was maimed I was, but not because of theback for me It was only a matter of time And if Damien was in his way, he'd end up just like Jimmy

"This can't happen again," I blurted

Only a foot away, he reached out and yanked ainst him Shocked, I let him

He kissed

Lifting his head, he murmured, "You mean that?"

"Y-y-yes"

"Maybe it can't, but it will You know it, and I know it I can't stop touching you You can't stop wanting me to"

I'd have accused hiht Which only made me more panicked

More frightened More desperate

"No" I shoved him aith both hands to his chest He barely moved

Grabbing ed round andbut stare at him

"Yes," he insisted, and his eyes deepened from hazel to brown "You want this to be just sex? Fine It's just sex If that's all you can give me, then that's what I'll take"

He licked a tear from my cheek I shuddered as my body cried out for his "Damien - "

He kissed ht I wanted him beyond all reason, and that terrified me

The door crashed open Suddenly Daone I stumbled and nearly fell Then I could only watch as Will socked Damien in the jaw

I opened my mouth to shout, "No," but Damien's fist shot out almost too fast to see It was certainly too fast to avoid Will's chin snapped back

The two shook their heads like dogs who'd been doused in water, then circled each other

I took a step forward just as Will did soht before it connected with his nose I blinked, impressed Then Damien shoved and Will tumbled to the floor

I grabbed Damien's arm He shook ood

Will flipped froym-nastic s out from under him

Damien went down hard Will advanced, lip raised in a seuys?

They were no better than animals I jumped on Will's back

"Stop," I panted

Will kept going, and I cocked htened just a little He choked and froze, giving Daet to his feet He appeared extremely pissed

Jessie chose that moment to walk in my door "What the - ?"

She yankedthe length of it

I'd knoe'd go round and round; I just hadn't expected it to be like this We were adults, law enforce and scratching and fighting like girls

But ere

I was angry - at uess I couldn't blame her

She'd seen me jump on her boyfriend and try to choke him What did I expect? A present?

What I got was a scratched cheek, a bruised wrist, and a kick in the shin The last really hurt

"Bitch!" I snarled, and I went for her eyes with my thumbs Someone hauled me back

Jessie caht her around the waist The two of them crashed to the floor and rolled around

I was having enough trouble of lanced down and recognized Da him in the knee

"Relax, Leigh Calm down"

"Easy for you to say," I wheezed

He kissed ly, I wanted to

I went limp in his arms and he set my feet back on the floor

"Let o," I demanded

"I don't think so"