Page 3 of Watch Me Burn
“Speaking of complicated. Guess who decided to make an appearance last night?”
“Who?”
“Caleb.” My boot connects with a loose rock, sending it skittering ahead of us. “Showed up right before Damien arrived.”
Maren stumbles mid-step and grabs my arm to steady herself. “What the actual fuck? What did he want?”
“The usual.” We trudge across the low foothill that leads to the backyard. “Claimed he’s changed, been in therapy, wanted to apologize in person. He even brought flowers because apparently that’s what passes for accountability these days.”
“And you told him to fuck right the hell off, right?”
“I tried. I heard him out. Let him in the door like I shouldn’t have.”
“Are you fucking serious?”
“I know.”
“Restraining orders don’t work if you let the assholes in your house.”
“I said I know, Maren.” She opens her mouth, then closes it when I glare at her. “Anyway, after I shut him down, that angry, violent side reared its ugly head, and he got grabby.”
“Shit! Did he hurt you?”
“No, he didn’t get a chance. Shadow lunged at him, and then Damien showed up.” I can’t suppress the small smile that curves my lips at the memory, even though something about it still doesn’t feel quite right. “You should have seen it, Mar. He took one look at the situation and threw Caleb out. Grabbed him by the throat. I’ve never seen Caleb back down so fast.”
“Good. Fucker. I can’t believe he tried to put his hands on you again.”
“Yeah, but I’m not surprised. I never should’ve let him in the house.”
“Damn right, you shouldn’t have. But I’ve gotta say I’m liking Mr. Sexy Silver Fox Superhero even more now.”
A smile tugs at my mouth. Maren’s collection of absurd nicknames for Damien seems to multiply by the day, each one more elaborate than the last.
“The way Damien handled him was pretty impressive.”
But did I mean “impressive” in a positive or negative way? I shiver as I think about how he grabbed Caleb's neck and shoved him against the wall with little effort.
“Sexy and protective? Girl, you better lock that down before some other woman does. I still can’t believe he’s single. I wonder if he has a curved dick or something.”
If only it were that simple. But how can I even consider starting something with Damien when every night I’m claimed by someone else, a man I want more than my next breath? A man who kills without even the barest hint of remorse.
The moral conflict tears at me. My wolf hunts animal abusers, monsters who torture the innocent animals I heal. Part of me thinks they deserve what they get. The other part of me, the doctor who took an oath to do no harm, recoils from the violence. How can I crave his touch when I know what those hands have done?
Shadow and Ghost lope ahead across the open meadow, their pace easy and relaxed. A deer lifts its head from grazing about thirty yards out, ears swiveling toward us.
I stop, grabbing Maren’s arm. “Look.”
The deer watches us for a moment, then goes back to nibbling grass. Shadow and Ghost glance at it with zero interest and keep moving toward the slope that leads down to my backyard.
Maren starts walking again. “Your animals are so chill about everything.”
“They see wildlife every day. It’s background noise at this point.” I match her stride as we cross toward the low foothill. “Damien’s response kind of remindedme of Elk Fest. I think he might have some underlying anger issues. I don’t need another man like that in my life. Caleb was more than enough.”
“Yeah, you don’t need that shit, for sure. But it was kinda hot when he flattened Pearson without breaking a sweat. A woman should be able to protect herself, but having a man who turns into the Incredible Hulk when his woman is threatened gets my panties wet any day of the week.”
“Is there anything that doesn’t get your panties wet?”
Maren shields her eyes against the morning sun. “The thought of your ex showing up here unannounced last night dries me right the fuck up. I’m glad Damien showed up when he did, possible anger issues or not.”
