She flung her lollipop away. “I don’t think so.”
Those ice-green eyes swept over her face and seemed to devour her…in the same way she’d licked her candy moments ago. Oh, man. Her tummy tangled into a rope of knots. No, no, no, this wasn’t good.
His stare shifted down the street. “That’s a beat cop coming our way. I’m sure he’ll be quite interested in what you have hidden in your pocket.”
Shadow quickly tracked his gaze. Ugh. He wasn’t lying. The jerk.
“What’s it to you what I do, huh? This street’s filled with hardened criminals, and you come and hassle me.” Panic cramped her stomach as the burly cop drew closer. She hissed, “Don’t make me do something you’ll regret.”
“Like knee me in the balls again?” The pain-in-her-ass cocked an eyebrow. “I believe I owe you for that.” Then he deliberately glanced back at the cop.
Shit. She needed an out option. Fast.
“Helllp!” she yelled. “He’s harassing m—” The last word stuck in her throat, hands seized her, and the world around her dissolved in a dizzying speed. She grabbed onto the nearest thing for safety, which unfortunately was him.
Seconds later, they reappeared in a gloomy alley. Shadow found herself plastered against him like a bear to honey, every hard inch of his tough body pressing against hers, making her breath catch. And that annoying awareness sneaked back to life. Furious at herself, she shoved at his chest and stumbled free. Damn caveman. “What the hell did you do to me?”
The unyielding cold stare he settled on her made her feel like she’d cracked through ice and fell into a freezing lake.
“Stopped you from going to prison. Believe me, I would have handed your delightful thieving ass over without hesitation.” Yeah, he would, the limp dick. “But, I need something from you.”
Of course, he did—whoa! Did he think her a whore?
Dark anger stole through her. So, she occasionally stole, but only to put food in her stomach and pay fucking Rough. She never sold herself. It took everything in her not to punch him and cause more problems.
“Yeah, you and every other dickhead who crosses my path. Sorry, you got the wrong girl, pal. Go find yourself someone else to fuck.”
He tossed something to her. In reflex, she grabbed it. Argh. The stolen wallet.
Ugh. He was even better at picking pockets than she was, but embarrassment scorched her face that he thought her a thief. Fine, she was, but working topside wasn’t in the cards for her, not when she had to remain under the radar if she wanted to continue breathing.
She tipped her chin. “A girl’s gotta eat.”
He crossed those heavily muscled, tattooed arms over his wide chest. More ink peeked from the crewneck of his black t-shirt, and a horrid looking snakehead smirked at her. He stood there, feet apart, eyes drilling her like lasers. “You kill demoniis like a hunter. Why don’t you join some organization and earn your money?”
“Like yours?” she taunted.
“You won’t make the cut.”
Oh, he thought himself so superior. “I know what you are.”
Not a muscle moved on his annoyingly handsome face. “Do you now?”
“If I know about demons, you honestly think I’m not gonna know about those assholes who hunt them, too.”
“Assholes?”
“Believe me, Guardian, I don’t want to be in any radius with a wet dick like you around. Now get outta my way.” She whirled away.
“Not so fast.” He grasped her wrist.
Damn irritating man. She was seconds from putting her blade between his ribs—shit. If he was immortal, they couldn’t die, could they? She’d have to ask Eddi about that one.
“Let’s get a few things straight. One, you can’t escape me. Two…” His stare lowered to her lips. “If my dick’s wet, then you’ll know why.”
Her jaw dropped, her traitorous body tightening at his words, despite the veiled threat.
Damn. She just had to spew out shit.
“Let me go, you weasel,” she snapped, more in anger at herself. It struck her then how ridiculous this was, fighting an immortal with a stolen wallet in her hand. She couldn’t win. She shoved the thing in her jacket pocket.
He arched that infuriating brow again. “My name’s Nik—”
“I don’t give a rat’s ass if you’re God himself, let me go!”
“—and I need your help.”
She froze.
Well. That blindsided her.
For a second.
“You?” she scoffed. “Who can just flash in front of hordes of humans, and no one’s the wiser, needs my help? Yeah, right.” Then to rattle him, “If you want something stolen, I’m your girl.” She smirked. “But I get eighty percent.”
“No.” His jaw hardened further, if that was possible. “I need to get close to the underground gang or their leaders, and I know you live in one of their territories. Hade’s Disciples or Tolvi’s Vipers. Which one?”
Nothing much shocked Shadow, but her jaw hit her chest. The two assholes she was actively avoiding. Rough and Tolvi. The latter had already sent his demon thugs after her a few times.
“Nuh-uh, no way. Do you want to draw attention to me, get me killed?”
“I’ll keep you safe.”
“Yeah, while you’re there. And when you’re gone, then what? Make me fair game as to which gang brutalizes me first before killing me?”
His expression grew colder. An icy blast of air hit her, as if she’d walked into an icebox.
Frowning, she shuddered and cast a quick look around, rubbing the goosebumps from her arms. The sensation suddenly disappeared. How odd.
“I’ll take you somewhere safe, where you can’t be found. Or…” His gaze drifted over her face, causing her heart to trip—stupid organ. “I can wipe out whoever’s memories you want gone. They won’t remember you. If you prefer, I could make them disappear, too. Permanently.”
She stared at him, sooo tempted to be free of the danger continually stalking her. But more of the jerks would simply replace the current ones. “No.”
He slipped his hands into his pants pockets—so that he wouldn’t shake her? Did he think she was being difficult? Too bad. This was her life he was putting on the line.
“Look, you don’t have to do anything, just point the leader or his thugs out to me.”
“Why?”
A shrug rolled off one thick shoulder. “Maybe I want a different life.”
Her laughter spilled free. “Yeah, right.”
His gaze lowered to her mouth, and that odd, trembly sensation twisted her tummy again.
Jeez, the guy was funny. With his hot body, buzzed hair, ice-green eyes, and perfectly chiseled features, he was the poster for prosperous living. Yeah, he couldn’t blow smoke up anyone’s ass. The people there were homeless, not blind.
Man, how did she end up with these weirdos?
“I can’t show you around the underground,” she snapped. “You’re a goddamn stranger. Rough’s thugs are suspicious of anyone new. Hell, you don’t have to look for them, they’ll sniff you out soon enough. And his demon thugs would probably know who you are straight off. There’ll be bloodshed. The innocent will pay.”