PS02 - Without Regret (31 page)

a shower,” Chris said, sighing heavily as he tore back the curtain and earned another embarrassing squeal from her.

Pressing her hand to her chest as she willed her heart to stop trying to break free, she turned to glare at the big jerk.

“Here,” he said, gesturing for her to bring her hands closer to him, “let me make this easier for you.”

Her eyes narrowed on him before dropping to his hands and the small key that he held. She didn’t trust this sudden nice guy act,

but she honestly was too tired to fight him. Worrying her bottom lip, she held her hands out to him and was shocked when he

not only uncuffed her right hand, but also gently massaged her tender wrist.

“I’m going to run out and grab some food and some clothes. What are your sizes?” he asked, sounding almost pleasant.

She wasn’t sure if exhaustion was taking its toll on her, but when he gave her a reassuring smile she decided to trust him. He

probably felt bad about the way he’d been treating her, she mused. Besides if he was leaving then that meant she had a chance

to escape and she was damn well going to take it.

As she gave him her sizes she wondered if there was a bus station close by. She still had some cash and her credit cards so she

wouldn’t have to worry about money for a while. The only thing that worried her was getting to the bus station before he came

back. Then again she had her computer and could easily find the best route to a bus or maybe even a train station.

It really didn’t matter where she went as long as she got the hell away from him she really didn’t care. She’d have to buy

several tickets to confuse him just in case, she decided.

“Okay, I’ll be back in a little while,” he said, drawing her attention. “You’ll be okay while I’m gone?”

She had to stop herself from smiling. “Yes, I’m sure I’ll be-hey! What the hell are you doing?” she demanded as he brought her

hand up above her head and attached the cuff to the thick metal shower rod that was unfortunately screwed to the wall. It was

also up high, forcing her to stand on her tippy toes.

“I’ll be back soon,” Chris said, giving her ass a little smack before he headed for the door. “Try not to miss me.”

“Get back here!” she snapped.

“Sorry, can’t.”

“I’ll scream,” she threatened, knowing she damn well would even if it meant someone finding her naked, wet and cuffed to a

shower rod. All she cared about was getting the hell away from him and finding a nice warm bed where she could sleep and

forget any of this ever happened.

“Go ahead. I made sure we got a room far away from everyone else so knock yourself out,” he said from the other room.

“I. Hate. You!” she yelled, emphasizing each word as she stepped up onto the edge of the tub to take some pressure off her arm.

“Aw, that’s really sweet, Munchkin,” he said seconds before she heard the tell tale click of a door shutting and locking.

“Jerk!” she yelled, not because she thought he’d hear it and care, but because she needed something to do since she couldn’t

bitch slap the bastard.

Chapter 25

“I’m sure you hear this every day, but you’re a very beautiful woman,” the human male wearing far too much cologne said to

the beautiful small red head, making Logan snort in disgust.

For the past two hours he’d been forced to listen to this asshole deliver that same line to every woman who came within a ten

foot range of the bar. If he hadn’t been waiting for Kale he would have already dragged the bastard out back and drained him

for annoying the hell out of him.

Unfortunately for him and apparently every female in the bar he couldn’t kill the bastard, yet. He needed to speak with Kale

without giving the bastard a chance to blow him off and he knew that this was the only way.

Not many people knew this, actually if they did Kale would probably just kill them because he didn’t like anyone knowing

anything that could be used against him, but Kale preferred to eat his evening meal in a pub with a tall glass of mead.

Since this bar was the only one in town that also served food Logan knew that if Kale had the chance to eat tonight, he’d be

coming here and Logan would get his damn answers. If anyone else had refused to answer his questions not to mention hung up

on him, he would have enjoyed ripping the bastard’s spine out and making him eat it.

Unfortunately he couldn’t do that with this bastard and so it seemed he was stuck listening to this asshole sprout bullshit lines

until he found a woman desperate enough to spread for him. He really doubted this woman would be the one. She was too

beautiful and the way she held herself let everyone in the room know that she was well aware of that fact.

As he sipped his whiskey, a drink he couldn’t live without even though he knew he’d be pissing it out in its original form by the

end of the night, he allowed himself to look at the beautiful woman. She was beautiful, stunningly so with her dark red hair that

was closer to brown than red. Her beautiful bright blue eyes, small delicate face with a cute little button nose and little plump

lips had him cursing Kale to hell and back.

If the man didn’t move his ass and get here soon he was afraid this asshole was going to chase off the woman he’d decided was

going to be his meal tonight. His eyes darted to the asshole that was pissing him off and decided the man would be his meal and

the red headed beauty would be his snack, a little sweet treat for all the bullshit he’d gone through lately and an early

celebration treat

Once he had Isabella McGuire, he would finally have his empire. With her help there wouldn’t be anywhere on this earth that

his enemies could hide from him.

He’d take over the blood delivery system and weed through the fucking traitors. Thanks to today’s dependency on technology

and Isabella’s McGuire’s skills he’d have everything he ever wanted, including revenge.

He’d find the son of bitch that had taken his beautiful Elizabeth’s sweet soul and he would kill him right along with Kale.

Perhaps he’d hold off on killing Kale until he found the other bastard. Then he’d kill them together.

But before he could do anything he needed to get his hands on the damn woman and that meant finding out what Kale knew. The

bastard wouldn’t be happy that he was here, but Logan didn’t give a damn. There was too much riding on this to sit back and

wait. Kale was good, probably the best, but there was always a chance that someone out there might swoop in and grab Miss.

McGuire before he could and that wasn’t something Logan would allow.

A war had started and although he’d like nothing better than to see every last Sentinel wiped off the face of the earth he needed

them around, at least for now.

Once he gained control over enough territories he fully planned on taking care of the Sentinel problem, but for right now their

existence benefited him so he was going to step back and allow them to continue.

“Why don’t we go back to my place?” the man asked and Logan had to admit that took balls since the woman was clearly out of

his league.

“I think I’ll pass,” she said, giving the man a polite smile as she turned her attention back to the game playing on the flat screen

television above the bar and her dinner.

“Bitch,” the man muttered as he walked away.

Logan’s eyes narrowed on the man and watched as he approached a group of what could only be termed as “Bar Bunnies.”

Before he left town he was going to drain that man dry.

“Carl? Can I get the check? I think I’m going to call it a night,” the beautiful red head said, grabbing his attention once again.

“Sure, Jill,” the bartender said, sliding a handwritten tab in front of the woman apparently named Jill.

Jill……..

He realized that he actually liked her name, which was unusual for him, because he generally didn’t like anything about anyone.

As he watched her dig through her small pink purse he decided that he’d love more than just a meal from her. He wanted her in

his bed, beneath him, on top of him and anyway he could get her and tonight he would have her.

Then he would kill her.

Like everything else in his existence he liked to keep sex simple, basic. He didn’t do attachments, promises or relationships.

Sex was just a physical release.

Something he only gave into when he needed to otherwise he could care less. When he took a woman he fucked her until he

was done with her. He’d never made love to a woman and never would. The women he took to his bed understood that and if

they pushed for anything more he killed them.

Granted he usually dealt with vampires, demons and the occasional shifter for sex and they all knew what he was capable of so

there usually weren’t any problems.

He didn’t usually consort with humans for anything more than a meal. Other Masters might enjoy having a minion around to

fuck, but he didn’t.

Human females were weak, clingy and far too easy.

When he took a woman to bed he wanted them to make him work for it. He didn’t like to hold back when he fucked a woman

and with a human he’d have to do just that, but since he fully planned on draining this one dry he wouldn’t have to hold back, he

thought, fighting back the urge to take her right now.

It was actually a little shocking to find himself this attracted to a human. She was quickly turning into a bit of a distraction,

something that he couldn’t allow.

“Ah, Carl?” Jill said, chewing her bottom lip nervously as she shot the bartender a sheepish look.

He sighed heavily, but Logan noted the amusement in the man’s eyes and the twitch of his lips. “Again?”

“Maybe,” she mumbled, looking embarrassed.

Carl folded his arms over his lean chest and glared mockingly down at the small woman. “You know you’re far too trusting,

don’t you?”

She returned the glare, but on her it looked cute. “It’s my job to care. Now, do you want me to work off my meal by scrubbing

the floors or the dishes?”

“The toilets,” Carl said with a straight face.

Jill pursed her lips up in thought. “In that case I’d have to demand dessert.”

“You drive a hard bargain, Jill,” he said, smiling and causing Logan’s teeth to grind.

“Can we possibly put this on my tab and not tell my father or brother about this?” she asked, sounding very hopeful.

The smile dropped from Carl’s face as he held up his hands and backed a foot away from Jill. “There is no way in hell I’m

keeping this from them, Jill. They’d kick my ass up and down the street.”

“But I love you, doesn’t that mean anything?” she asked, pouting adorably.

Since when did he find anything human woman did adorable? Apparently since now, he mused.

Carl shook his head stubbornly. “Not a damn thing when it comes to your family, Jill. Sorry.”

“Rats,” she muttered.

“Don’t worry about paying me. Your brother came in last week after this happened on Tuesday and set you up with a five

hundred dollar credit,” Carl explained as he shot a look at his watch. “Speaking of which, do you want me to call Chris or your

dad to walk you home?”

“Neither. I’m more than capable of walking myself home,” she said, climbing off the stool and giving Logan a glimpse of

slender beautiful pale legs.

“Jill,-“

“Goodnight, Carl,” Jill said, giving the man a small wave as she headed for the door.

“They’re going to kill me,” Carl grumbled, but Logan couldn’t care less about the man’s problems. Not when his meal and

entertainment for the night was walking out the front door.

He threw a hundred dollar bill on the bar and made his way to the door. Anticipation of the hunt coursed through his veins,

hardening his body as his fangs tingled in his gums. Kale would have to wait for awhile and luckily for him the man was a slow

eater. Hopefully by the time he returned Kale would just be sitting down to his meal.

What he wouldn’t give for shifter senses at that moment, he thought as he stepped onto the sidewalk and looked around the

dimly lit area. When he didn’t find her among the few humans walking along the street he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.

When he scented blood that was sweet and slightly spicy he knew without a doubt that it was hers.

He followed the scent towards the area of shops that were already closed for the night and frowned. Why the hell was this

small woman headed towards an unsafe area? He shoved the concern aside since it worked in his favor.

“It took you long enough,” the soft voice said, surprising the hell out of him, but he didn’t show it as he turned to find the

beautiful red head leaning against the white brick wall in the wide alleyway.

“You knew I would follow?” he asked, taking a step towards her. When she didn’t immediately move away he couldn’t help

but smile.

“Yes,” she said, giving him what could only be described as a coy smile.

“Then you know what I’m after?” he asked, wondering if she truly did know. Even after all these years it still surprised him

that humans were oblivious to the world around them.

“Of course I do,” she said with absolutely no fear or hesitation.

He knew he should question this and worry that it might be some sort of trap, but at the moment nothing else mattered but this

woman. Without a second thought he walked into the alleyway and stepped in front of her until her chest almost touched his

stomach.