Page 46 of The Hellkeeper

And then she does something that destroys me.

She presses her lips to my scar. Kissing it.

My body locks up. My pulse stops. My whole world tilts sideways. The instinct to push her off, to turn away, is overwhelming. I’ve never been insecure about this scar, never gave a damn what anyone thought about it. But with her? With the most beautiful woman I’ve ever fucking seen?

I feel exposed. Raw. Like she deserves something better. Too bad for her. I’m the only man she’ll ever have.

I cradle her face in my hands. “You’re so sweet,” I whisper, breathing her in. “My little flower is so sweet.”

And she is. Too damn sweet for the likes of me. Too soft, too pure, and I should feel guilt for wanting to stain her with my touch; but I don’t.

I place her in the passenger seat, watching the way she pouts. “If you keep touching me like that, I won’t be able to control myself anymore,” I murmur. “And I’m not taking your virginity in a car.”

Her entire face turns scarlet, and I chuckle, gripping the wheel tight as I start the drive back to the restaurant. The sexual tension in the car is suffocating.

Not in a car,I remind myself.Not in that shitty storage room either.

She’s coming home with me. And when I finally take her, she’ll see fucking stars. And then, when I have her exactly where I want her, I’ll convince her to stay.

When we arrive at the restaurant, she fumbles with the keys, hands shaking slightly. I take them from her.

“Let me.” I unlock the door, and the moment it clicks shut behind us, I have her pinned against it.

My mouth crashes against hers, and she melts.

Soft. So fucking soft. She tastes like honey, warm and addicting, and just as I deepen the kiss, there’s a pounding on the door.

Fuck.

I already know who it is.

Linda.

I should’ve known she wouldn’t let this go. My fists tighten at my sides. If only my morals allowed me to kill her, this would be over. But I made a vow to myself the moment I escaped the man who pulled me into this world—a man so fucking insignificant now that I won’t even waste my breath saying his name.

After I ran, killing was all I knew. I tried to pull away. Took a shitty mechanic job. Barely scraped by. But then they found me; the people I used to do hits for. And they were convincing.

I gave in. But on my terms. No women. No innocents. No one forced into the life like I was.

Richard was one of the men who sought me out. Offered me six figures for a single hit. One of my oldest clients. But if his daughter keeps this shit up, I’ll throw him away without a second thought.

The pounding grows louder.

“Damien!” Linda screams, her voice laced with hysteria. “Open this damn door! I know you want me. She’s nothing compared to me. I have everything she doesn’t! What does she have that I don’t?!”

I don’t want to let her in. I don’t want Amelia anywhere near her. But I need to put a stop to this.

I rip open the door, and Linda nearly stumbles inside. She’s disheveled, her pupils blown wide with desperation.

“The only one I want is the woman standing right behind me.”

I don’t give her time to speak before I rip my car keys from my pocket and hurl them to the ground at her feet.

“Get in the car,” I command.

She smiles. A slow, sick, Cheshire grin. It’s like she didn’t hear anything I said beforeget in the car.

Sick, sick woman.

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