Emmett released Haden’s arm. “Caylee, come here now!”
“No.” She stared at the door. “No, no, no, oh God no.”
“Get your fucking ass over here!”
Taking a deep breath, she held it as she slowly turned around. Releasing it, she glared at Haden. He appeared far too pleased for her liking. She was so incredibly furious. She actually considered marching right up to him and slapping the smug, satisfied grin off his exceptionally handsome face. He was far too appealing in all the right ways.
Smiling, he nodded. Not nearly as appealing as you, little love.
She shook her head. Why did he have to look so good? Glaring at him, she crossed her arms over her chest. He was definitely in serious trouble.
“I told you to get your fucking ass over here!”
Scowling, Haden glared at Emmett. It took every ounce of his strength to restrain the rage building in his soul. He hated hearing Emmett speak to her in such a disrespectful manner, but he decided to hold his tongue for the moment. Besides, he was amused. Even the atmosphere calmed. Besides being angry, she was actually shocked to see him. You underestimate my resolve to be with you. You’ve yet to learn your value to me. There is no chance I will ever lose interest in you.
You’re going to pay for putting me through this. She looked up at him from the corner of her eyes. I promise, Haden, you will be sorry.
If that was supposed to frighten me away, I should warn you I find the thought of being disciplined by you to be a thrilling adventure. He laughed aloud. He couldn’t help it. I promise you I’ll happily receive and cherish any retribution you deem necessary.
You won’t be laughing when I get my hands on you. Frowning, clenching her jaw, she shook her head.
I might not be laughing, little love, but I will be enjoying it.
Looking ferocious, she glared at him. Thoroughly aroused by her display of aggression, he fought to control his body’s reaction. But how could he? Waves of lust and desire washed over him, filling him. He tried, but was unable to stop himself from laughing aloud once again.
Why do you keep laughing? This isn’t funny. Unless you find torturing me amusing. You’re terrible, Haden. You’re completely impossible.
Grinning, Haden arched his brow at her. And I suppose you’re much easier to deal with.
“Tell this idiot you won’t go out with him. Do it now. The sooner he leaves the better.”
“A date?”
Trying to place her at ease, Haden took a few casual strides in her direction, completely closing the gap between them. “Yes.” With a breathtaking, hypnotic gaze he reached for her hand and brought it to his lips.
“Ouch!” She jerked her hand away from him and looked at the burn.
Taking her hand, Haden turned it to see what was wrong. Damn it, Caylee. I knew you injured it, but I didn’t know it was this bad. You’re too damn good at hiding things from me. Studying the burn, he imparted healing energy into it. It will feel better in few seconds.
“You son of a bitch!” Emmett shouted. “Get your hands off of her!”
“How did you burn it?” Haden asked, attempting to merge his mind with hers, but she was blocking him.
“On a skillet.” She paused. “It’s nothing.” She felt the warmth of his healing energy. The pain quickly started to subside and was replaced by a strange, tingling sensation until it felt as if a cool, damp cloth was wrapped around her hand.
“It’s a bad burn.” Ignoring Emmett, Haden continued to hold her injured hand and send healing energy to it as he reached for her other hand and gently kissed it. I do not like the way you block me from your mind. It’s unacceptable. It’s dangerous. I should’ve known before it happened. I could’ve prevented it.
For a moment, nothing else mattered to Caylee. They were alone, and the world ceased to exist. It was a moment of sweet madness. She was so powerfully seduced by the warm sensation of his lips on her hand. Her body tingled with unbelievably glorious sensations. Her eyes widened as she stared up at him. Her breasts felt so very achy as her nipples hardened and peaked. Her flesh was suddenly far too sensitive, her clothing uncomfortable, rubbing against it.
Spotting the bruise on her cheek, Haden frowned. What happened? From out of nowhere, an unnatural, icy breeze swept past her. Terrified, she started to tremble. Never breaking eye contact, Haden reached up and placed his fingertips on the bruise. “Who did this to you?” Unable to speak, think or move she stared up at him. “Who hit you?” The sky darkened, black clouds billowing. “Caylee, who hit you?”
It wasn’t a question asked to satisfy curiosity. It was a demand for knowledge that would lead to bloodshed. The ground rumbled. She felt unremitting violence and power coming from him in waves. She felt his dark, untamable rage and knew she was standing before the demon feared by so many. The dragon. And, he loved her. Only her. Fully. Completely. Forever. He loved her. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for her. He would, without hesitation or regret, shed the blood of any man for her. And what frightened her the most was that he was capable of it.
She jerked her hand away from him. “No one hit me.” She sent Haden a mental picture of Emmett without intending to do it. Realizing her mistake, she instinctively placed her hand over her cheek, as if to hide the evidence of abuse.
Haden turned away from her, prepared to rip Emmett apart. He took a step in Emmett’s direction. “You attacked her.” Struck by a powerful gust of wind, Emmett stumbled backward.
“No!” Caylee was so terrified her entire body trembled. Haden could very easily kill Emmett.
Struck by a wave of her fear, Haden glanced over his shoulder. She was deeply troubled; tears swimming in her eyes, her complexion was so pale it was completely void of color. Please stop. He’s my uncle. You can’t just kill him.
Nodding, he tried to hide his rage, hoping to place her at ease. Don’t be afraid. It was far from over. He would never allow Emmett to go unpunished for hitting her, but he would wait to deal with it at a more appropriate time. He would kill Emmett. But like when he’d killed her father, Caylee would never know about it.
“Damn it, Caylee, just tell the bastard you’re not going anywhere with him. The sooner he leaves the better.”
Haden took Caylee’s hands. Breathing heavily, she looked at Emmett. Haden reached out and turned her chin, forcing her to look up at him. His eyes were blue again, the amazing, effervescent bold blue she adored. He appeared normal, but she wasn’t fooled. She searched for and found the darkness of his soul, the dragon. Oh yes, it was hidden, but it was definitely present.
“What are you doing?” Outraged, Emmett watched the encounter. “Tell him you’re not interested in anything he has to offer.”
Caylee looked at Emmett. Then, involuntarily giggling, she looked up at Haden. He was so hot. “That would be a lie.”
Frustrated, Emmett raised his hand to strike her. “You stupid bitch, there’s nothing funny about this!”
“I’m sorry.” Stepping back so suddenly she nearly fell, she raised her hands over her face.
The ground rolled and heaved. Haden reached out and grabbed onto and crushed the bones in Emmett’s arm with crippling force. “That was a terrible idea.” Shaking his head, he glared into Emmett’s eyes. “Terrible.”
Hearing bones crack, failing to feel the impact, she lowered her hands and looked up, discovering Haden was holding Emmett’s arm. Haden, please stop! Don’t hurt him!
Arching his brow, Haden looked at her, shaking his head at her. The woman was impossible. She expected too much. A demon could only take so much.
With Haden distracted, Emmett yanked his arm free. “You bastard!”
Muscles taut, Haden took a step in Emmett’s direction. “You will not raise your hand against her again. If you do, I’ll kill you.” Of course he would anyway; it was just a matter of time. It was obvious he’d been abusing Caylee all along.
Horrified, she gasped. No, Haden! She knew with absolute certainty he wasn’t making an
empty threat. It was a promise. He planned to kill her uncle, and nothing would stop him. Not even her.
By his intimidating stature, Haden forced Emmett to take a step backward. Haden glared into his eyes, daring him to make a move or to respond, but Emmett remained still and silent. I’m done with you for now. Go inside the house and leave us alone. Turning, Emmett stormed off, mumbling unintelligibly, in the direction of the house. Haden turned to Caylee, stepped nearer, and gazed into her eyes. “This can’t continue. I can’t leave you here. You’re coming with me.”
“I can’t.”
Frustrated, Haden inhaled deeply, held it, and then released it with an exaggerated sigh. She closed her eyes, but rather than escape the power of his gaze she was more aware of it. She felt the warmth of his body and amazing sensation of his hands caressing her flesh.
“Stop!” Startled, her eyes flashed open. “Get out of my head!” Wide-eyed and breathless, she stared at him, silently begging him to leave and end her torment. “What are you doing here?”
He reached up and placed his hand on her cheek. “How long has he been abusing you?”
“No one hit me.”
He reached for her hand. “Let me see the burn again.” She reluctantly extended her arm. “I should’ve known it was this bad. Your ability to block me is extremely annoying.” Examining the burn, he imparted more healing energy into her flesh. “I can’t believe you’re denying it.”
“Why are you so upset?”
Groaning, he glanced at her. Clearly, the question didn’t deserve an answer.
“Why are you here? You agreed to stay away.”
“I never agreed to anything. You’re stuck with me forever. The sooner you realize you aren’t going to run me off the better.” He looked into her eyes and then down at her hand. “When did you do this?”
“Ouch!” She tried to pull her hand free, but he firmly held it. “Don’t touch it. You’re hurting me.”
“You’re lying. I’ve taken the pain from you, and it’s nearly healed now.”
She looked at her hand. “How?”
“I’ll explain later. Right now, I’m taking you home.”
“This is my home. You shouldn’t have come here.” She flinched. “Ouch! Do you really need to touch it? It really hurts. Please, stop touching me.”
“It doesn’t hurt. You’re just panicking because you like the way it feels when I touch you. Do you think I can’t feel the need your body has for mine?”
“You’re so … you’re a … you’re crazy, absolutely insane.” Her face turned bright red. “You need to leave.” She paused. “And I need to go inside.”
“No.” Smiling, he released her hand. “You are coming with me. Why didn’t you ever tell me your uncle abuses you?”
She looked down at her feet to avoid his gaze. “He doesn’t.” She paused for a moment, searching for the right words. “And he really wasn’t going to hit me.” She looked up at him. “Just go away and leave me alone.”
“You’re lying. He would’ve hit you if I hadn’t stopped him. You didn’t want me to stop him.” He framed her face between his hands. “How could you expect me to stand back and allow a man to hit you?”
“Stop!” She turned her back to him. “You’re all worked up over nothing. Sure, Emmett has a bad temper, but it’s not as bad as you seem to think.” She turned to face him but then looked down at the ground. She wasn’t completely lying. Her father had been worse in many ways. “He wasn’t going to hit me.” She looked up at him. “You’re the one who showed up here and provoked him. I want you to leave.”
“What other secrets are you keeping from me?”
“If you knew you would be disgusted.” Her demeanor visibly wilted before his eyes, and his heart broke for her. “I’ve done things that are more horrible than anything you could ever imagine.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong. You could never disgust me. We belong together.” He drew a deep breath and then released it with a loud sigh. “It’s time, little love. We need to talk about the night I found you,” ”
Taking a quick breath, she gasped. “He’s here.”
“Who?” He watched a black limo approach.
“Phillip.”
Truly pleased, he grinned, but there was no hint of humor in his gaze, only menace, dark, deadly menace. “Perfect.” Meeting the dead man was definitely a priority on his to do list.
“I need to go inside. He’ll be furious if he sees me out here with you.”
“It’s too late to hide it from him. If we’re able see to him, I’m certain he’s able to see us.”
“Don’t say anything to upset him.”
He looked down at her. She was extremely pale and trembling. Shaking his head, he groaned. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”
From the corner of her eyes, she glared at him. “Sure you will.”
“I promise.” He had no problem being good for now. Soon enough, he would immerse himself in the pleasure of killing Phillip.
“If not, I will punish you.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
Phillip walked toward Caylee and then gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Cringing, she glanced over at Haden. You promised.
Your lack of confidence in my integrity deeply wounds my heart. Immediately detecting Paul’s scent, Haden growled, his body going completely still as he pushed his way into Phillip’s mind.
She smirked. Whatever. Suspicious, she looked up at him. Did you just growl at him?
Phillip looked at Haden and then turned to Caylee. “I didn’t realize you were entertaining a guest this morning.”
She failed to respond. She was close to panic, her stomach clenching, her mouth watering. She was going to be sick. It’s okay. You’re safe. Fear created so much chaos in her mind she couldn’t hear Haden’s voice in it.
Sorting through Phillip’s thoughts, Haden took control of the situation. “Actually, I stopped by to see Emmett.” Paul had placed his scent on Phillip. It was a game; Paul had simply wanted Haden to detect it.
Phillip turned to face Haden. “I’ve heard you spend a great deal of time at the juvenile detention center in Portland.”
“I do.”
“I can’t believe you spend your time with those wretched creatures to straighten out their legal troubles. It seems to be such a waste of time and energy for such a prominent lawyer. I’ve also heard they call you a healer. Is it true? Do you believe you can heal the kids? Most of those ingrates will end up being thieves and beggars on the streets.”
Deeply enraged, Caylee’s fear instantly vanished. She glared up at Phillip for a moment; he disgusted her more than anything could. Shaking her head in disbelief, she glanced over at Haden. Why are you just standing there? Why aren’t you saying anything to defend the children?
Keeping his temper in check, Haden took a deep breath and then released it with a groan. Being bad was much easier than being good. More fun too. But proud of his self-control, he looked down and grinned at Caylee. I promised to behave myself. I will always keep my word to you. Grinning, he tilted his head to the side. I am always under your command, little love.
She wanted to hit him, but she settled for rolling her eyes. You’re a liar. Looking as innocent as sin, he smiled at her.
A promise is a promise, Caylee—I’ve no other choice but to be nice. Besides, he has a right to his own opinion, regardless of how unpleasant it might be.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared at Haden. You can’t be serious!
“What self-respecting lawyer would raise a hand to help the vilest delinquents of society?” Phillip asked.
Haden felt Caylee’s anger hit him, as if she’d thrown a large rock at his head. Ditching his resolve to play nice, he took an aggressive step toward Phillip.
“Phillip,” Caylee said, “you should be ashamed of yourself. How could you say anything so terrible? They’re only children.”
Arching his brow, Haden turned to watch Caylee. It was a controlled si
tuation, so he was perfectly content with the idea of allowing her to vent.
“Never mind,” she said, glaring at Phillip. “The ass you’ve proven yourself to be has made a perfectly adequate excuse for your ignorance.”
Haden was pleased. He decided to stand back and observe, ready to intervene if his feisty lioness needed help.
“I wasn’t speaking to you.” Phillip pointed a finger in Caylee’s face. “In the future you’ll never take the liberty of sharing your opinion without my permission.”
Flinching, Caylee hesitated for a few seconds. “I’ll never apologize for speaking the truth to anyone. And in the future, you’ll never find me silently waiting for your permission to speak my mind.”
Phillip glared at her.
Amused, Haden continued to watch Phillip, prepared to intervene at the first hint of unbridled hostility.
Phillip turned to Haden. “Ignore her.” He turned to Caylee and waved his hand to dismiss her. “There’s a lot she still needs to be taught concerning her place as a woman.”
“Ignore her?” Haden openly allowed his lustful gaze to wander over every inch of her body. There was no mistaking Haden’s appreciation for her. “That would be entirely impossible.” He made sure his voice was a deep, sensuous purr. He turned to Phillip. “It appears she knows her opinion of you very well. Almost as well as you know the details of my affairs. But I must admit, concerning you, I’m completely in the dark. I’m at a terrible disadvantage. I haven’t had the pleasure of hearing any gossip concerning you.”
Laughing aloud, Caylee covered her mouth to muffle the sound, but it didn’t help.
Turning his head, Phillip stared at her for a moment, and then he turned to face Haden. “I suppose in the long run you do society a great service. The quicker they get out of their cells, the quicker they will kill each other in the streets. There’s no sense in forcing the state to pay for their care any longer than necessary.”
“I’ll sleep much better knowing I’ve gained your approval.”
“Where’s Emmett?” Phillip asked.
Eternal Breath of Darkness Page 13
