The sound of an approaching vehicle made her start. She thought it was J.D., but no, it was a different truck, a familiar dark blue one.
Damon.
But it couldn’t be! He was going to be gone until tomorrow, he said.
“Oh look, it’s your boyfriend.” His dark brows snapped together. “Now what is he doing here? I thought I saw him leave the restaurant.”
Her jaw dropped. “You saw—”
“Don’t look surprised, darling.” The way he said that term of endearment made her skin crawl. “I tracked you down a week ago, and I’ve had eyes on you since then. Why do you think I had your other friend’s tires slashed? I couldn’t risk him coming back here with you. We could have taken on your little mechanic friend, but he would have made things messy. Wouldn’t want to hurt the precious heir to the Russel fortune.” His eyes turned sharp as flint. “Are you screwing him, too? Maybe I should have had you when I had the chance. Here I was, being a gentleman, giving you space and letting you decide when to come to my bed. And then you go and fuck the first cock that comes your way.”
She drew in a sharp breath as the truck’s engine quieted and the headlights turned off. Do something, her brain screamed.
“I should kill him for touching you, but I don’t have time. Just get rid of him,” Jameson ordered. “You know what I’m capable of.” He nodded at his two bodyguards, who discreetly patted the guns she knew were holstered under those suits. “Tell him we’re going for a drive to talk things through.”
Terror gripped her chest, rendering her unable to make a sound. So, she just nodded.
The truck door opened, and Damon stepped out. As he walked up the driveway, her heart leapt at the sight of his familiar, strong frame. She allowed herself to drink it all in—his handsome face, that tiny dent in the middle of his chin. Those strong arms that held her and kept her safe. No, she couldn’t let him die. She loved him too much.
“Anna Victoria, I—” He stopped as he was halfway up the porch steps. That unnerving green gaze of his zeroed in on Jameson. “What’s going on here?”
Chapter Twelve
Damon had been halfway to HQ when he realized he was making a mistake. Each minute that passed that he wasn’t with Anna Victoria was one he regretted. Gabriel had been right—there was nothing extraordinary about the situation with the moose shifter. So, he called Daniel and told him to handle it, then turned his truck around to go back to Anna Victoria.
The snowfall had picked up considerably, so he had to be careful as he drove back to town. He was thinking of what to say to her, how to express what was happening inside of him. As he neared J.D.’s place, he felt more alive. And at the same time, more at peace.
Anna Victoria quieted that part of his soul that was restless, calmed The Demon, and made his life more vibrant. Though he’d never felt it before, he was pretty sure he was head over heels for her.
Which was why the moment he saw that other man with her on J.D.’s porch, his stomach sank, and his chest filled with hot, searing jealousy. The Demon rose again, its claw ready for action.
“What’s going on here?”
“Damon,” she began. “This is Edward Jameson.”
Two large men in expensive suits flanked another older, smaller man in an even more expensive suit. From the tips of his well-polished leather shoes to the top of his slicked-back hair, he oozed that rich, I-can-buy-you-ten-times-over presence. Hell, he even smelled expensive. “Who the hell are you?”
“I’m her fiancé,” the prick said smugly.
Blood roared in his ears as a growl rattled from deep within. The Demon was raking its mighty claws against its human prison, eager to get at this rival male. Damon, too, wanted to rip this fucking guy’s head off. He turned to Anna Victoria. “Is this true?”
Jameson cleared his throat. “I said—”
“I wasn’t talking to you, asshole.” His voice had turned inhuman, and he couldn’t help feeling satisfied to see the other man’s face flash briefly with fear and surprise before that smarmy mask slipped back on. “Anna Victoria? What is he doing here?”
“He came to see me,” she said. “He wants to talk.”
“About what?”
“I came to take her home,” Jameson said.
“Over my dead body!” Rage filled every corner of his body. He was sorely tempted to let The Demon out, but murder was still illegal, after all. Still, it took every ounce of control to leash back the creature that wanted to shred this man to pieces.
“Why don’t you ask her, then?” Jameson’s beady eyes zeroed in on Anna Victoria. “Darling?”
“I made a mistake leaving him at the altar.” Her eyes darted around. “Mr.—Edward and I are going to go for a drive to work things out. You should go.”
He couldn’t believe his ears. “Anna Victoria—”
“I said, go. Please.” Her face turned away from him, focusing on Jameson. “Just … leave, Damon.”
A knife-like pain sliced deep into his gut. “You can’t mean that.”
“I-I do.” She still wouldn’t look at him. “Leave, Damon. We can talk about this in the morning.”
“You leave with him now, and you won’t hear from me again.”
Her eyes closed. “Fine.”
A crushing sensation wrapped around his rib cage, making it difficult to breathe. He couldn’t move a muscle. Couldn’t make a sound. Couldn’t do anything, as if any attempt to stray from his current position would shatter him into a million pieces. It was unbelievable that he would know the feeling of both love and heartbreak in the span of five minutes.
“Perhaps we should just leave,” Edward said. “Darling?”
She nodded, and he draped an arm around her, leading her away from him. It was like a movie playing
