“We have to get out of here,” Shayne said abruptly, changing the subject. “They didn’t get what they wanted, and they will be coming back.”
She crossed her arms and gave him a droll look. “And what exactly are they after?”
“You,” he said, as he turned away from her. He needed to put out the fire in the fireplace before they left. “They are after you, and they won’t stop until they get what they came for.”
“What makes you any safer? I don’t know you from Adam, yet here you are in my house, telling me I need to leave with you.”
Anna stoop up and walked over to pick up a picture frame from the floor. Flipping it over, she looked like she would cry. Even to him, it was clear she was in shock.
Shayne marched over to take it from her. Flipping it over, he saw Anna with another woman, one who resembled her strongly. “I don’t have time for this, and neither do you. Get what you need. We have to go.” He tried to propel her down the hallway, but she dug her feet in.
Yanking her around, Shayne bent down to her level and grabbed her shoulders. “I think we both know that those creatures are not of this world. You saw them as clearly as I did. They are demons sent here straight from Hell.” He gave her shoulders a light shake. “Don’t you see what I’m saying? They will be back at any time, and they won’t be coming alone. Do you really want to be sitting here waiting for them?”
It could have been horror on her face, but Shayne chose to believe it was disdain. Or skepticism. She'd certainly given him enough of both, in their brief time together.
“Shit!” he burst out, releasing his hold on her shoulders and running his fingers through his hair. “Don’t you have any care for your own life?”
He started to pace. “These demons murdered your mother. If you don’t want to be next, you will come with me now.” Grabbing her hand, he dragged her to the bedroom. He dug through her closet until he found a bag. “Start packing, and make it quick. Only take what you need. I’m going to patrol around the area, just in case they come back.” Shayne started to walk out of the door.
“Wait,” she cried out, holding the bag in her hands. “Who are you? What do I call you?”
He stopped and turned, staring at her hard. “Who am I?” he said incredulously. He couldn’t believe she found that important when her life could be ended at any moment. She glared back at him, unrelenting. He wanted to roll his eyes. As stubborn as the woman was being, if he didn't answer, he suspected they'd be there all night.
Resigned, he growled, “You can call me Shayne. As for who I am, let's just say I’m the man who is going to save your life. Now, enough with the chit chat. We have work to do.” With that, he turned and walked straight out of the door, without a backwards glance.
THE LATE-MODEL SUV ate up the miles, taking Anna away from the only real home she’d ever known. Clouds had moved in, completely blocking the light from the moon. It was a lonely and isolated stretch of road, matching Anna’s thoughts exactly. It would be easy for her to imagine that they were the only people on Earth. She only hoped the man beside her was batting for the right team.
A large shiny cross hung from a gold chain on the rear-view mirror, reminding her of her mother's funeral. Anna believed that death was just another chapter of the book but not the end. Sadness engulfed her as she thought about Iris and where she had gone since her death. She imagined her happy and at peace behind those pearly gates.
Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the man behind the wheel. The muted lights from the dashboard reflected on the contours of his face. In the darkness, he looked formidable, dangerous, mysterious, and even sexy. A woman would have to be blind to not be aware of him.
She felt the heat on her cheeks, and knew she was blushing. Her thoughts were taking her down a dangerous path. His attractiveness didn't matter. Her survival did.
Anna knew he was the only one who could help her. She'd seen the way he fought demons. She had to get him talking, but she wasn't sure how. She felt like they'd gotten off on the wrong foot. He hadn’t said a word since leaving her home.
She cleared her throat and decided to grab the bull by its horns. “What did you mean about Iris?” There were a million questions she could ask, but this seemed to be the most important. Grief sat heavily on her shoulders as she considered the probability that she was responsible for her mother's death. Anna turned and looked out the window, struggling to hold onto her control.
She felt his eyes on her, watching her, perhaps trying to decide if he should even answer her. Apparently he decided she could handle the truth, as he replied, “Iris was the victim of a deliberate attack by demons. Unfortunately, we didn’t find out about it until it had already happened, or we would have done everything possible to stop it.” He said it unemotionally, without a hint of pity in his tone. It was the only thing that kept her from crying.
Anna felt chilled as she realized the demons must have been watching them, waiting for the perfect opportunity. Why had they picked Iris instead of her? There could only be one reason. Killing her mom would add to Anna's fear, which was exactly what they wanted.
Her eyes filled with tears. Anna blinked them back. Looking out of the passenger window blindly, she pushed a hand against her mouth to hold
