Page 27 of To Crave Darkly
“Jasper,” I called, eager to learn more about the fountain, but when I looked around, he’d vanished. He’d walked off without me and now I was alone in a town square surrounded by people I didn’t know. People that had now stopped and were openly staring at me. This quaint little town suddenly felt very hostile.
A man stepped forward from the crowd. He was big and all muscle. He kind of reminded me of the bouncers that worked atPoison, but they were soft on the inside, like teddy bears. This guy looked like he ate people for breakfast.
“What’s a pretty little thing like you doing all alone? Don’t you know there’s monsters around here?” His voice was gravelly and mean and I didn’t like the way he leered down at me.
“I’m just out enjoying an evening stroll with my assassin friend,” I replied in a slightly squeaky voice, I really wasn’t fine about facing off a crowd of supernatural creatures on my own. I glanced round the faces staring back at me. Come on, Jasper, where are you?
“Where’s your friend now?” He took another step toward me, sniffing the air as he went. “You don’t smell right. What are you?”
“Jasper…” I called again, praying to God his vampire hearing would pick up my desperate cry for help.
The big guy took another step towards me and sweat dripped down my back. Where was Jasper when I actually needed him? My heart was in my mouth and my stomach had plummeted to the floor. My eyes darted everywhere looking for an escape, but I was surrounded on all sides. I was going to need a miracle to -
“Back off, Flint.”
Thank fuck. Relief swam through me at the sound of that deep threatening voice.
Jasper sauntered through the crowd toward me, looking every bit the lethal killer I now knew him to be. He placed himself between me and the big guy, Flint, to shield me from the thug’s advance. Instinctively, I stepped closer to Jasper. He tensed momentarily as he felt my presence against his back, but he didn’t take his attention off Flint.
“Why should I?” Flint snarled.
“She’s under the protection of de Sanits so you need to back the fuck off. Now.” Jasper spoke with deadly intent. His tone brooked no argument and I knew if Flint didn’t back down Jasper was going to take him out right in front of me.
“She’s protected now, but you won’t always be around her. And when that day comes, that pretty little thing and I are going to become better acquainted.” He laughed and then blew me a kiss before turning his back and disappearing into the shadows. The rest of the crowd seemed to come to life again and carried on with whatever they were doing before Flint decided I was worth his attention.
Jasper turned to face me, and I was about to thank him, but he cut me off before I could make a sound.
“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Jasper hissed. His eyes screamed bloody murder at me and I flinched. Damn, he was scary up close. “What were you thinking wandering off on your own?”
“I wasn’t -”
“You’re damn right you weren’t thinking.” He roared at me now and the stragglers who were still in the square looked this way. Well, this was embarrassing. I had already had enough of feeling like I was being gawked at in a freak show.
“You were the one who left me behind,” I accused, pointing my finger directly in his face. “You were charged with protecting me and you were so wrapped up in all your grumpiness that you didn’t even bother to check if I was still there. Maybe de Santis was right. Maybe I should have someone else to protect me. You’re clearly not up to the task.”
Jasper breathed heavily through his nose like an angry bull. I could tell he was about to charge at me but I didn’t care. He’d left me, forgotten that I was supposed to be with him, and he had the audacity to be mad at me.
“Fine,” he snapped. “I will ask de Santis to assign someone else. It does me a favour anyway.”
“Oh, are you that eager to be rid of me?” I yelled. My temper was starting to get the better of me now. I knew that I was starting to sound petulant but once I started on a rampage, my temper was like a runaway train. I only stopped when I’d crashed and burned.
Jasper didn’t even bother to respond. Choosing to take the higher ground, he just walked off leaving me standing on my own in the square again. When he realised I wasn’t following him turned back to face me.
“Lori.”
My name was short and sharp coming from his lips, like he was calling a dog to heel. I levelled him with my best stare, trying to convey to him how much I disliked being ordered around. He clearly didn’t get the message.
“Get over here right now. We don’t have time to waste.”
I curled my fists and placed them on my hips.
“Or what?” I goaded, fully prepared to go into full brat mode if he pushed me. I wasn’t some mindless damsel he could order around, and he needed to know that.
Jasper strode across the square, bearing down on me with murderous intent. His eyes blazed with indignation. I really needed to stop poking the bear.
“I will throw you over my shoulder and carry you,” he said menacingly. “So, move. Now.”
The last word was a bark. My knees trembled, but I was standing my ground. “No. Not until you ask me nicely.”
