Night's Promise (25 page)

“I’m not leaving.” There was a small scuffle behind him and he heard Jake groan.

He had to fight back a chuckle. Returning his concentration to the man still trying to slither away, Duncan decided to outline his plan. With any luck, Melissa would faint or leave without seeing him put it into action.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out one of the needles he’d taken from Jake’s bag.

“Is that supposed to scare me?” Travis laughed.

“Oh, it will. Using only this, I plan to peel the skin from your body. Don’t worry, I won’t work in one area too long. You see,” he said, tilting the needle, “the trick is, if you use something too sharp, the body goes into shock much too fast. It has to be just dull enough to keep you feeling pain, but not enough to let you become unconscious.

“After I finish that, well, then the real fun will begin. But first, I plan on breaking half the bones in your body.”

“Only half?” Travis sneered.

“Of course. The fun of torture depends on your victim being awake to feel it.”

The color drained from Travis’s face.

“What the fuck did I ever do to you?”

“I suppose you deserve to know. You see that beautiful woman, standing beside my friend? You hurt her.” Moving lightning fast again, he grabbed Travis’s shirt. “You dared to put your hands on her.” Duncan punched him in the stomach. “You stole her childhood.” His fist connected with the man’s nose and the bone shattered. “You tried to steal her innocence. You tried to steal everything from her, and I will see that you pay for that with blood.” He knocked the man to the floor and stomped on his leg with so much force he heard a pop. “Unfortunately, I’m not sure you have enough blood in your body. So we’ll have to find a way to make up the difference.”

“Duncan, stop,” Melissa pleaded. He felt her behind him as he picked Travis up from the ground. “He isn’t worth it.”

“As long as he’s alive he’s going to try to hurt you. Go to the truck with Jake, Angel. I promise I’ll be out there in a couple of minutes. You shouldn’t have to see this.”

“This isn’t who you are.” Her hand rested on his biceps. “Don’t.”

“This is exactly who I am. This is the real me, Angel. Nobody fucks with the people I love and walks away.”

“You love me?”

Darting his eyes to her, he responded, his voice filled with the depth of his feelings for her. “More than I’ve ever loved anyone in my life.”

“Then don’t become a monster. He isn’t worth it. Leave here with me. Take me back to your room and make me forget he ever existed.”

Looking at her had been a mistake. He couldn’t deny her anything, especially when she looked at him that way. As much as he wanted to snap the little man bleeding on him in half, he couldn’t refuse anything Melissa asked of him. Pushing Travis back with as much force as he could, he growled, “You owe her your life.”

“Take me home, Duncan. Take me home and help me forget.”

He pulled her into his arms and nodded against her hair. “Only for you Angel. I’ll let him live for
you
.”

Turning Duncan put his arm around her and walked toward Jake.

“Duncan,” Jake called, but it was a second too late. Beside him, Melissa stiffened, her eyes wide with shock, filled with pain. Jake rushed toward them. Looking down, Duncan saw a butterfly knife sticking out of her back. Duncan cradled her to his body.

“I love you, Duncan,” she whispered, before she lost consciousness in his arms.

“It doesn’t look like anything major was hit,” Jake said. “If we can close the wound, she should survive.”

Jake held her as Duncan pulled the knife from her body, quickly placing his tongue over the wound. Closing his eyes, Duncan prayed to all of the gods he’d ever heard of that she survived. After several swipes, he was about to give up hope when the wound began to slowly close. He continued to concentrate on healing her.

He didn’t stop until it was completely closed. The only proof she’d ever been injured was in the blood still on her flesh. Much to his relief, he watched her chest rise and fall, though the action was much slower than he’d like.

“Get her to her brother, he’ll be at Club Strigoi.”

“Shouldn’t I take her to a hospital?”

Duncan shook his head. “Take her to Gareth. He’ll know if she needs to go to the hospital. Tell him her bastard of a stepfather will never bother her again.” Jake gathered Melissa closer to him. “This wipes the slate for us,” Duncan told him seriously. “If anything, I’m in debt to you.”

“Duncan…”

“Get her to safety. Get her to her brother.”

Without saying a word, Jake gently picked up Melissa. Before he stepped away, Duncan placed a tender kiss on her lips. “I love you, Angel.”

He waited until Jake left the room. If anyone asked, he would be able to respond with complete honesty that Travis was still alive when he last saw him.

All games were over. Duncan picked up the butterfly knife he’d removed from Melissa’s back and stalked his prey.

“She saved your life. She spared you and you repay her kindness by trying to kill her.” Duncan gave one quick jab, smiling when Travis looked down at the blade sticking out of the center of his chest. “I hope you rot in hell.”

“I’ll take comfort in the fact that you’ll be joining me.” Travis coughed, blood leaking from his mouth.

“Maybe. The gods know I deserve to go there. But every time I see your face, I’ll know that at least I protected an angel from you.” Deciding that the other man wasn’t dying quickly enough, Duncan grasped the knife and twisted it sharply. He watched with pride as the other man’s lifeless body fell to the floor.

* * *

He didn’t bother to change his clothes. He walked straight to Gareth’s house from the warehouse. There wasn’t much time before dawn, but he had to know if she was all right. He had to know if she would survive, or if he’d be beating the shit out of her stepfather in hell that day.

Lalita opened the door and ushered him inside the house before running to get Gareth.

When he appeared, he held his hand out to Duncan. When he reached for it, Gareth pulled him into a hug.

“You saved her life.” His voice was thick with emotion. “She’ll be weak for a few days, but she’ll survive. If you hadn’t been there…”

Duncan shook his head. He refused to think about what would have happened if he hadn’t shown up. If he did, he’d only beat the shit out of himself for letting that bastard stepfather of hers die so quickly.

Now that he had his answer about Melissa’s condition, he turned toward the door.

“What are you doing?”

“You were right. I don’t deserve her. I never deserved her. But I will thank the gods every day that she allowed me to be a part of her life, even if only for a short time.” Reaching into his pocket he handed Gareth the velvet box.

“Thanks but I’m already spoken for. And you’re not really my type.”

“Give this to Mel for me.”

“Give it to her yourself.” He pressed the box back into Duncan’s hand.

Duncan shook his head and placed it on the counter. “I’m a monster. Tonight proves that beyond any shadow of doubt. I’m a villain, and we all know the villains don’t get the girl in the end.” Turning, he walked out of the house.

Chapter Sixteen

“Duncan,” Melissa called as she woke up.

“He’s not here,” Gareth answered.

“Why? He told me he’d stay with me. You two didn’t fight did you?” Melissa propped herself up on the bed. “What happened?” she asked when she saw the bags under his eyes.

“You almost died, Mel.”

“No. Duncan saved me. Travis only slapped me a few times. You’d have been proud of him. I think he really would have killed that bastard. He loves me Gareth. Please don’t be mad I didn’t call you. You haven’t had any of my blood in the last few weeks so you wouldn’t have heard me.”

“I know, baby, I know.” He pulled her into a hug.

“Why aren’t you mad? What aren’t you telling me?” She pushed against him, forcing him away from her so she could see his face. “Tell me what happened,” she demanded.

“Travis stabbed you. He threw a knife and it hit you. Duncan saved your life. If he hadn’t closed your wound…”

“Where is he?” She looked around her bedroom as though expecting him to pop up and yell surprise.

“He wanted me to give you this. He’s gone Mel.” Gareth handed her a small black velvet box.

“Is he… Is he…” Tears rolled down her cheeks and she couldn’t finish the question.

“No, baby, he’s fine. He said he didn’t deserve you.”

“I’m gonna kick his ass.” She began to struggle to get out of bed.

“Easy, take it easy, sis.”

“He thinks he can save me one night then the next night he can just walk away without even letting me know he wasn’t hurt. Why the hell can’t I get out of bed?”

“You’re still weak. You’ve been asleep for almost two days.”

“Then help me out of this bed. I’ve got an ass to go kick.”

“It’s good to see that she’s feeling better,” Lalita chuckled.

“Gareth, get out. La can help me. Then we are going to the club and that man is going to be sorry he got out of bed tonight.”

She tossed the box on the nightstand beside her lamp.

“Aren’t you even going to open it?”

“Nope. He can give it to me, or he can shove it up his ass.”

“Yup, she’s feeling better.” Gareth gave her a hug, holding her so tight she thought he was going to break her ribs.

“Give him hell, Mel.”

Once Gareth was out of the room, she attempted to climb out of the bed again.

“So, what do you want to wear?”

“I don’t care, anything. I just want to give that bastard a piece of my mind.”

* * *

Duncan was watching the screens. He kept glancing at a couple near the center of the dance floor who looked like they were either in the middle of a fight or about to fuck on the floor. Concentrating on them, he hadn’t been able to figure out which mode they were in, yet.

Behind him the door opened.

“For the last time, I don’t need to be relieved. I’m quite happy with control room duty, so leave me the fuck alone.” He winced as something hit the back of his head, hard. “What the fu—”

Turning, he saw the small box on the floor. Looking up slowly he devoured the sight of Melissa standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips, only slightly stunned that she’d gotten past him on the monitors. Then again, considering the way that one couple had been acting, maybe it wasn’t such a surprise.

“Shove that up your ass.”

“I thought you’d like it. I thought it’d look perfect on you.”

“Fuck you. You want to give me something then you give it to me. Don’t ask my brother to do it for you.”

“Mel, I—you deserve to be with someone that’s much better than I’ll ever be.”

“Fuck you. Don’t boss me around. I’m so glad to know I meant so goddamn much to you.” From the fury in her eyes, he was glad she didn’t have anything else to throw at him. “You’ve had your fun, the least you could do is be a man and break up with me in person. I want to hear you say it. I want to hear you say you were just playing me, just like my brother knew you were.”

“I wasn’t playing with you.”

“No, you had to be playing with me. Because if you weren’t…if you weren’t…”

At that moment nothing could have stopped him from holding her in his arms. Approaching her, his arms open, he was surprised when she slapped him instead of stepping into his embrace.

“What was that for?” he growled.

“You are an asshole.”

He stepped closer, wrapping his arms around her.

“Don’t touch me. Don’t you ever touch me again! You’re a liar. You’re nothing but a filthy liar and I’m through with you. Get away from me.” She struggled weakly in his arms, kicking and twisting, fighting his embrace.

“Gods, Angel,” he whispered in her ear before her foot came down on top of his. He had missed her so much.

Tears shined in her eyes as she slapped him across the face again. “Don’t call me that. You lied to me. You lied.”

Guilt flooded him. He had promised her that he wouldn’t let Travis touch her, but the bastard had managed to not only slap her, but to stab her. He couldn’t blame her for being mad.

“You swore you’d always be there for me. You swore you wouldn’t leave me.” She slapped him a third time. “You promised I wouldn’t be alone and then you left me.”

“Angel, I’m so sorry.” He let her beat her fists against his chest. “If I’d known—if I’d even thought that bastard would be waiting for you, I would have been right there beside you.”

“No, not then. I woke up and you were gone. I tried to find you, but you were gone. You blocked me from your mind, and had my brother give me something you bought for me. You used me. You lied to me.”

Her legs began to shake beneath her and he scooped her up, enjoying how she felt so close to him.