Page 6 of Destined for the Devil
“Jesus!” The Roman guy startled the shit out of me! Why did he creep like that!
But he was kind of mesmerizing. He looked me over, clearly enjoying the sight of my naked legs, even if they were all scarred. I probably looked like one of his girls, wearing his shirt and making coffee in his kitchen.
Hah! He wishes.
Not in a million years would I go for a guy like him. He was the opposite of my type.
Dread and despair ran through me when he confirmed my worst fears; the whole apartment was destroyed. All my things, all my documents,clothes, books, all my meager possessions…were no more.
Fuck, what the fuck was I supposed to do now? I was literally homeless. He told me to stay, and even though I said I would leave, I had absolutely nowhere to go.
Yeah, I wasn't planning on crying in front of him, but I couldn't hold it back. The last few years had already been absolute shit for me, and now this? My parents and brother passing away, heartbreak, dropping out of university, moving across the country. And now I was in a complete stranger's home, a man who looked dangerous and violent, and I was essentially trapped with him.
"Look, um, don't cry, okay? I know it probably sucks losing your entire apartment, but you really can stay here for as long as you need. You can have your own room and bathroom, and I'm mostly not home anyway, so just don't worry about it," Roman said calmly, as if I were an old friend.
Why the hell was he so nice to me? He looked like he killed people with his bare hands. I wasn't sure what was more risky: staying here or living on the street.
He could clearly read my mind because he added in a most bored tone. "Don't worry, I won't touch you. You're not my type. Stay."
Oh good, asshole, that made me feel a million times better. Not having any idea how to respond to that, I focused on the marble countertop and breathed through the pain of my recent injuries.
I had no choice. Whether I wanted to stay here or not didn't matter, because I literally had nowhere to go.
"Okay. Thank you. I'll figure it out, ugh...as soon as I can." My voice was nonexistent, but his ocean blue eyes bore into me without shame, sending ice-cold shivers down my spine. I felt extremely vulnerable, clearly half naked in front of him. The ache was spreading through me, and I leaned back on the countertop, my dark thoughts overpoweringme just like my physical affliction.
“Come on. The guest bedroom is this way.” The Roman guy beckoned me with an easy nod, and I followed.
Luxury abounded in this entire place. The guest bedroom had a soft king-size bed, a majestic view, and a whole private ensuite bathroom complete with floor-to-ceiling windows. You know, so you could soak in the bathtub and take in the city views. Wow. This guy was obviously rich as hell to afford a place like this.
"You should probably wash the dry blood off your legs. I'll help you, if you want." His deep voice sounded behind me, ripping me out of my thoughts.
Roman was throwing curveballs left, right, and center. He didn't even know my name and wanted to help meshower? At the same time, I realized that he was right. I did need help. I couldn't really bend my legs and couldn’t fully turn my body around to wash off all the gore. I was too tired and hurt to say no and stand up for myself.
Roman turned the shower on and stepped back, waiting for me to go inside, but I was planted to the ground, just watching the water run down the drain.
"Well? Or do you need help stepping in?" His voice woke me up again. I did as I was told and stepped in, the warm water washing over my feet, reminding me that the world was filled with joyous things, just not for me.
This guy was just...so commanding. If he told me to jump off the balcony, I felt like I would have done it without question.
Doing my best not to tremble, I faced away from him while he took the shower-head and, starting at my calves, slowly moved it up so the warm water caressed the backs of my thighs. The excruciating pain mixed in with heavenly pleasure, and I winced, my body jolting forward.
"Sorry. It's going to hurt, but there’s a lot of caked-on blood on you."He spoke from behind me, now getting down on his knees. I peeked to see his eyebrows furrowed, intensely studying the horror that was now my legs. Trying to be gentle, he ran a soft washcloth down my thighs and scraped off the blood, his face screwed up in concentration.
It was almost comical. Roman was a big guy; tattoos covered his arms and hands and fingers, and his facial expression was cold and almost brutal. And yet…he was standing on his knees and carefully washing blood off a girl he didn't even know.
“Oh my God.” A pained whisper left my lips as I clutched at my t-shirt that was actually his, and he turned the water off, ending the torture. Breathing through the pain, I turned just as he rose up off his knees, his huge body immediately towering over me and caging me in.
In total silence, he wiped his hands on a fluffy gray towel and passed it to me, never looking away.
This wasn’t the time. This wassonot the time, but damn, was he hot. The tattoos that covered his fair skin extended to his neck. His large blue eyes and straight nose kind of made him look like he was from a painting or a movie. Not a regular dude walking down the street. For a man, he had such full, plump lips, and his jaw sported a small stubble, jet black, just like his hair, which was full and styled back. The all-encompassing gaze of his blue eyes slightly unnerved me.
"What's your name?" He broke the silence confidently, never looking away. Somehow, I didn't have the strength to look at him for long and focused on the towel in my hands.
"Isla."
"Isla...that's a nice name." His voice low, he stared down at me, not moving and blocking the shower exit. "Isla…like an island? In the middle of nowhere?" He questioned, and those words really pierced my heart. Yes. Like an island. Alone and in the middle of nowhere. With nothing but treacherous waters around.
Hot tears rolled down my cheeks again at his words. Fuck him. Was it that obvious that life was shit for me right now?
