by Juniper Hart
“Excuse me,” she muttered, aiming to move past him, but he remained in place.
“You look lost, chica,” the huge bear growled, baring his teeth for effect. “Need some help getting where you’re going?”
Liv sniffed and looked the beast up and down without bothering to hide her contempt.
“Do I look like I need your help?” she asked in English, tossing her head back defiantly. “Move…please.”
She added the word as an afterthought, her voice betraying none of the anxiety that was mounting inside her.
He’s only a bear. You’re a demon. You can take him, she reminded herself but the thought did little to alleviate her stress. Something wasn’t right. She could feel it, but she couldn’t pinpoint it.
“You’re in the wrong place, Americana,” he hissed, his leer fading at her nonresponse to his obvious threat. “Someone should have told you that it’s not safe for pretty, young girls to wander in these parts.”
Liv bared her own teeth, her fangs elongating as she did, but the bear didn’t flinch.
“Even for a demon,” he laughed, unperturbed. “You’re in over your head.”
Liv’s eyes darted around the darkness, sensing there were others nearby, but as she turned her head, she was knocked to the side with something heavy. Gasping, she doubled over, pain shooting through her shoulder, and in seconds, she was surrounded by a group of male bears.
“W-what are you doing?” she choked out, struggling to regain her composure, but the inkling of unrest in her gut was becoming full-fledged fear. She couldn’t remember another time in her life when she’d ever felt anything remotely like this.
Liv counted eight men, among them, Santiago Cruz.
He stepped forward to glower at her. His expression took her breath away.
He knows, she thought, her pulse roaring in her ears.
“You’ve been following me,” he hissed, confirming what she’d already suspected. “I saw you the other day and now here you are again.”
His English was surprisingly good for a known criminal, but up close, Liv saw that he was much more than that.
There’s some intelligence in those cold, dead eyes.
“I-I’m not!” Liv insisted, jumping to her feet. Her back was already healing from being struck down but she was no match for that many men. “I-I’m just exploring the area. I just took a wrong turn.”
The men turned to one another and laughed.
“You’re far off from the tourist areas, chica,” Santiago growled, stepping closer but still keeping enough distance between them, lest she go for an attack. “Demons aren’t welcome in these parts.”
“Fine,” Liv agreed quickly. “I see that now. I’ll just be on my way.”
She tried to shove her way out of the group but they stood firm, their intentions not entirely clear. Liv’s hand turned clammy and in her distress, she allowed her fangs to pop against her gumline.
“I wouldn’t do that,” Santiago told her, his hazel eyes icy. “You’re outnumbered.”
I could take out a couple of you before you take me down, Liv thought. That might be something.
“What do you want from me?” she asked, switching her tone to add a plaintive note to her words. She batted her eyes at him, remembering why she’d come in the first place.
“The truth,” Santiago replied easily. “Why are you following me?”
She started to shake her head again but before she could speak, she was flanked on either side, her arms clenched into vise-like grips as two of his crew overpowered her.
“Well, if you’re going to make this difficult…”
Liv gnashed at them, but they only laughed again, dragging her through the alleyway.
“Wait!” she tried to protest but she’d run out of chances with them and they weren’t stopping now. “WAIT!”
They ignored her and continued marching through the quiet laneway, Santiago in the lead. Abruptly, everyone froze, sensing the same thing at exactly the same moment.
“Someone else is here,” the bear on Liv’s right muttered and she instantly felt what he did. There was certainly another presence among them.
“Take her,” Santiago growled, nodding toward Liv. “I’ll deal with—”
“Hola?”
Again, everyone froze as a figure ambled out of the shadows and looked toward the group in surprise. The feel of a mass shift was apparent, the group ready to spring on the man who stared innocently at them. Liv’s heart fluttered slightly when her gaze rested on the dark-haired man. From where she stood, pressed between the two giants, she could see the soulfulness of his coffee-colored eyes. A peculiar sense of déjà vu struck her, the hairs on the back of her neck rising as they had when she’d been driving, a few minutes earlier.
His gaze fixed on hers and suddenly she understood that he wasn’t there by happy accident.
“What do you want, pendejo?” Santiago hissed at the newcomer, striding toward him defiantly. The man shrugged and looked about.
“I lost my perro. He’s black and his name is Gonzo. He’s about this high…” he held his hand to his knee. “Have you seen him?”
“No one has seen your dog, puto,” one of the other gang members barked. “Screw off.”
“Are you sure?” the man insisted, moving forward. “I’m sure he went this way and he needs medicine. I’m really worried—”
Without warning, he shifted, morphing into a massive black bear, his teeth already sinking into Santiago before anyone else had a second to react. Liv watched the scene in disbelief for a long, awe-filled moment. The black bear tore into two more men before the collective lot morphed into their own animal forms to retaliate.
They lunged for the stranger but he was shockingly agile as he dodged their attacks, their pounces landing them against walls. Blood sprayed the area and Liv backed away, unsure if she should get involved.
I need to get out of here, she thought, unsure if she was in the middle of a gang war or what this brazen and bizarre attack was about. She only knew she had a small window of escape before anyone saw that she was missing. Backing away slowly, she kept her eyes on the mystery bear who still fought off the others with seemingly little effort. A shock of pride and admiration shot through her before she finally whirled and sprinted out the way she’d come.
In seconds, she found herself back at her car and inside, fumbling for the keys with trembling hands. No sooner had she put it in the ignition than the passenger side opened and a figure slid inside. Liv yelped in surprise but her fear was short-lived this time when she saw who it was.
“Drive,” he ordered her, nodding toward the alleyway.
“W-who the hell are you?” she choked, unsure if she should oblige him.
“Just drive,” he growled, his eyes narrowing. For the first time in her very long life, Liv found herself obeying the command of a man without protest.
They were silent until the lights of the neighborhood were well behind them and Liv was certain that they weren’t being chased.
“You were watching me,” she finally said, breaking the silence between them.
“I wasn’t,” he denied and as Liv cast him a look through her peripheral vision, she could see he was telling the truth. “I was watching the same men you were.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Liv snapped with far more defensiveness than was credible. “I wasn’t watching anyone.”
“Sure,” he replied with mild sarcasm. “And neither was I.”
She shot him a scathing look, her earlier concerns slipping away. She didn’t think this man was a danger to her but even if he was, Liv was certain she could take him…
Or could I?
Still fresh in her mind was the way he had combatted eight incensed bear—gang members, no less—and how powerless she’d been to save herself in those minutes.
He saved me. I shouldn’t be such a bitch to him.
Still, she wasn’t prepared to lower her guard quite yet.
“You never answered my question,” Liv said flatly, not wanting him to sense how impressed she was by him. Or how exciting she found his nearness.
“Which question was that?”
“Who are you?”
“I’ll show you mine if you show me yours,” he said, his voice slightly taunting. She scoffed.
“I don’t owe you anything,” Liv growled. “You’re in my car!”
“And how do you suppose you made it to the safety of your car, hm?”
Liv opened her mouth to scoff again but the sound died there as she looked at him, her brow furrowing slightly. There was something familiar about him, now that he was so close and she was able to examine him with more concentration. Something…
“Do I know you?” she asked before she could stop herself.
Is he here checking up on me? Did Lucien send him?
The thought was appalling, even more so because he had rescued her from a certain problem. If he was one of Lucien’s men, she would never live it down.
No way. Lucien wouldn’t do that. He has faith in me… doesn’t he?
“I think I’d remember if I’d met you before,” he remarked.
Is that a compliment or an insult?
Liv didn’t bother to ask.
“Seriously, what were you doing there?” she insisted. “Are you part of a gang too?”
Through her peripheral vision, she saw his eyes widen.
“Hardly,” he chuckled. “Are you?”
Not yet, she thought grimly. Maybe not ever because of his interference.
“I’d say it’s a good thing I came along when I did,” the dark-eyed stranger continued, his gaze fixed steadfastly on her. As much as Liv didn’t want to admit it, his mere stare was making her warm from head to toe. And she wasn’t sure she liked it.
“You messed things up for me,” she heard herself say before she could stop herself.
“What?” The disbelief in his voice was palpable.
“I was in the middle of doing something and you screwed it up.”
His mouth parted but no words came out.
“I guess it doesn’t matter now,” she muttered, her mind whirling about how to reclaim her position with Los Asesinos.
I’ll just find another group to latch onto. I’ll touch base with the others and see how they’re getting along.
“Wow,” the bear snorted. “How’s that for gratitude?”
She turned her head and stared at him openly, her eyes narrowing as she suddenly realized that he was speaking to her in English—flawless English.
“A-are you American?” she asked. Even in the darkness, she saw him balk at the question. Instantly, his tone changed, laced with a thick Spanish accent.
“Do I look American?” he barked.
“You sound American,” Liv retorted. “Even now that you’ve caught yourself and are using that ridiculous accent.”
“You can drop me off there,” he said suddenly, his good humor vanishing. Liv blinked.
“What?”
“Drop me off at that corner.”
She started to protest but a quick glance at his face told her that arguing would be futile. Instead, she slowed the Kia to a stop and he climbed out without another word.
“WAIT!” she yelled out at him as he went to slam the door. To her relief, he paused and eyed her warily.
“What?”
“Aren’t you at least going to tell me your name?” she asked pleadingly. He seemed uncertain and for a moment, Liv was sure he was going to refuse.
“Please?” she added, smiling sweetly at him. He exhaled in a loud breath and shifted his eyes away.
“Damon,” he replied shortly. A prickle shot through Liv but it was gone before she could identify what it meant.
“Damon,” she echoed, her grin broadening slightly. “I’m Olivia.”
He raised his eyes and met her gaze, sending another thrill of pleasure through her.
Really, Liv. This is not the time for that.
Yet as they continued to stare at one another, the moment seeming to freeze, Liv couldn’t shake the creeping heat warming her body.
“I should go,” he muttered breaking the spell between them. He again moved to close the door but Liv stopped him once more.
“Thank you,” she said, the words surprising her as much as they did him. A half-smiled formed on his lips and he nodded.
“Sure,” he replied. “Be safe.”
This time the door closed with finality and as he ambled off in the opposite direction, Liv felt an inordinate sense of loss.
You have a job to do, she reminded herself, but even as she pulled away from the curb, Liv knew she wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about Damon and how eerily familiar he was to her.
5
I shouldn’t have let her go by herself. I should have seen her back to wherever it was she was going.
Over and over, the same thought played in Damon’s mind like an annoying song he couldn’t forget. It wasn’t just that thought. There were dozens of others.
Who was she really? Why was she following Los Asesinos? I should have asked her more about herself instead of getting defensive when she asked me if I was American.
Yet simultaneously, he knew he’d done the right thing by letting things lie as they were. Whoever Olivia was, he couldn’t afford to get mixed up in her tangled life. Finding her with the gang had affected him in the strangest way. Anger had consumed him like never before when he saw her sandwiched and defenseless between the two bears.
I’m just glad I went after them after all or who knows what might have happened to her?
All Damon knew was that he desperately wanted to see her again.
“Are you still angry about what happened on Saturday?” Miguel asked. Damon whipped his head around to stare at his friend. He’d almost forgotten that Miguel was there and the query took him aback.
“What do you know about what happened on Saturday?” he demanded. Miguel gaped at him.
“I was there, remember?” he replied slowly. “It was my house?”
Damon instantly realized what the shorter man was talking about and exhaled.
He means what happened with Ana’s cousins.
“I was never mad,” he said honestly. “I just needed to get home.”
“Uh huh. Well, Mari says next time, you and she will have to go somewhere private so as not to be interrupted. They were all mad at me for letting you go.”
Damon gave his friend a quick grin.
“I’ll see them again. You told Ana thank you for me, right?”
“Si, claro,” Miguel said. “She’s still mad at me too. I might never get out of the doghouse until you return.”
Damon chuckled.
“You’ll find a way to make it up to her,” he teased, his mind only half on the conversation. His eyes traveled toward the street where his car had been stolen the previous week. If he had been on alert about the gangs before, he was hypervigilant now.
Or am I looking for the gangs at all?
A part of him was hoping to see the little black Kia, hiding in one of the alleyways as it had been before.
“Amigo, what is going on with you? Is the sun frying your brain?”
Miguel’s question shot Damon’s attention back to the job site and he shook his head.
“Honestly, I’m thinking about my car,” he replied.
That’s partially true, he reasoned.
“Oh, Damon, Damon,” Miguel chuckled. “The car is gone. Accept that.”
Damon nodded and turned back to work, noting that Jamie had just exited the work trailer.
“Oye!” the foreman yelled over to them and Damon grimaced, exchanging a quick look with Miguel.
“Mierda,” Miguel cursed before forcing a grin on his face. “What did we do now?”
Damon had no answer but he turned to the foreman and forced a quick smile on his face.
“Que paso, Jamie?” he asked pleasantly.
“S
tarting tomorrow, you two are going to be on another job,” Jamie explained.
“Where?” Miguel groaned and Damon was sure he was already calculating travel costs and time.
“Cerro de Monserrate,” Jamie replied. “The team there needs more men. Our tools keep getting stolen. We need more eyes in that area—and more hands.”
Miguel and Damon looked at each other again and shrugged, suddenly unworried.
“Sure,” they chorused, happy to be closer to home and out from under the foreman’s ever-stern gaze. Jamie nodded, eyeing them speculatively.
“Don’t you two ever do any work?” he growled. He spun away, ignoring whatever response they could muster, leaving the two to snicker behind his back.
“It’ll be nice to be the hell away from him for a while,” Miguel said in his ever-optimistic way but Damon was happy for another reason.
Los Asesinos hang out in Cerro de Monserrate in droves, he thought, excitement pumping through his veins. He had just doubled his chances of seeing Olivia again.
Days passed and the construction crew worked on the building away from Jamie’s deadpan stare. To Damon’s disappointment, he saw very little of the gangs during daylight hours. They were lying low, biding their time to steal when the men had left for the day.
As the sun began to set on the third day at their new placement, Miguel clapped Damon on the back.
“Vamos a tomar,” he said cheerfully. “I’m buying tonight.”
Damon gave him a brief smile and shook his head.
“I think I’m going to stay and finish up this frame,” he replied. Miguel’s smile faded.
“It’s getting dark, amigo. You know it’s not a good idea to hang around after the sun sets.”
“I won’t be long,” Damon assured him, waving him away. “Tomorrow I’ll take you for a drink, okay?”
Miguel eyed him reluctantly and Damon could tell he was debating whether to stay himself but that was the last thing he wanted.
“Go!” he insisted before Miguel could speak. “I’ve got this.”
“If you’re sure…”
