“You know my name and you’ve been basically stalking me for the past few weeks. Tell me why I shouldn’t kick your balls through your throat and then stick my knife into your gut right now.”
Her hair was askew, her lips parted as she breathed through her mouth, brows arched over eyes that were heated with anger and fear. The latter was what burned Steele the most. There’d never been an occasion where he’d given a damn about a woman fearing him before and he didn’t want that to be the case now.
“I know your name the same way I know that you’re in danger. I’ve been following you so that I can keep something horrible from happening to you.”
“More horrible than being stalked and now attacked and held against my will by a stranger.”
“You’re welcome to leave at any time, but I’ll just keep watching you. Now that you’ve got that dagger, I think it’s better that I stick a little closer.”
Her hands were at her sides but now one moved back to instinctively press against her backpack as she assured herself that the dagger was still there. Everything about her stance said she didn’t trust a word he was saying. She wasn’t scared enough to run away from him again, nor was she completely buying the bits and pieces of information he was giving her. The contradiction frustrated him to no end because he shouldn’t give a damn how she felt. Caring had never been a part of his job before, not at the Legion or in dreams. So why this woman and why now? With every decision he made to handle this situation, a new question or problem arose, and it was maddening.
“The antiques dealer wouldn’t take it either, would she?” he asked. His only choice was to go with the flow.
She gave a little huff and shook her head, dismissing his question. “Doesn’t matter. It’s mine and it’s not cursed. And I’m definitely not giving it to you or sharing the money I’ll eventually get for it.”
She was lying to herself. He knew it and so did she.
“Two people have expressed fear of that dagger and they’ve told you it’s cursed. I’ve consulted a few books of my own and I’m pretty sure there’s some measure of truth to their story. Not to mention the time clock that’s attached to the curse. By my check, the next full moon is twenty-nine days away.”
“Well, I don’t believe in curses and spells and all that mumbo jumbo. All I know is that money rules around here and if I don’t have enough money to take care of me and mines, then we’re done. And I’m not about to let that happen.”
Me and mines. What exactly did that mean? See, more questions. Steele was ready to punch a hole in something or free his beast to have what it’d been craving. He was so sick of waffling back and forth between how much he should or shouldn’t care about this woman.
“Look, I don’t want your money, Ravyn. I just want to keep you safe. And I believe that the sooner you get rid of that dagger the better. So, I’m going to make you an offer.”
One brow lifted. “What type of offer?”
“Give me the dagger and live.” He was deadly serious, his tone somber, cool and honest. It was the best persuasive tool he possessed.
She threw her head back and laughed. “Nice try, big guy, but no go. I’m not giving you what I worked so hard to get.”
“You stole it. You’ve been stealing everything for weeks now and going to that pawn shop to sell it. Give up this one thing and I’ll continue to not turn you in for stealing in the future.” He was never going to turn her in. That battle between right and wrong had been fought—and won—in his mind the first few times he’d watched her do it.
“I take what’s needed and that’s all. We... I need this and I’m not going to let you or the nonsense you’re spewing stop me. If you want to lock me up, then go ahead and do it. If this is going to be a shakedown, know that I’m going to fight you ’til death this time.”
The way in which she’d squared her shoulders and stood just a little bit straighter, one hand going to the waist of her pants where she kept her knife, told him she was serious. But none of what she was doing or saying was necessary.
“I don’t want anything from you,” he said and took a step closer to her because the beast inside couldn’t stay away a second longer, especially as Steele lied to her and himself. He did want something else from Ravyn, something he shouldn’t want, but was beginning to realize he desperately needed.
“Then get away from me. I’ll forget you dared to put your hands on me if you’ll just go and not bother me again.”
He was still moving toward her and she wasn’t moving away. She should probably back up. To do something to protect herself, even though pain or trauma were the last things on his mind at the moment.
“I can’t do that.” His voice was softer and that irritated the hell out of him.
“You can and if you don’t—”
Her words trailed off as he came to a stop inches away from her. She licked her lips and took a deep breath.
“If you don’t, I’ll call your job and report you,” she said in a huff. He suspected she was feeling a little off, just like he was. That would explain why she hadn’t run again when they both knew damn well she could have.
“I’m sure this Legion Company’s not paying you to act like some creep following women around the city.”
“No, they don’t,” he replied but didn’t back away from her. He couldn’t and that probably was creepy but not as creepy as waking up in
