Ruined Vows Read Online Stasia Black

Categories Genre: Alpha Male, Dark, Suspense Tags Authors: Stasia Black Advertisement1

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"Sure," he says, but his eyes remain fixed on me.

"Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"Stop looking at me." I arrange my keys, wallet, and phone on the entry table, making sure they're perfectly parallel to the edge.

He smiles, just a little. "Pretty sure that's my job here."

"You're supposed to be watching the perimeter."

His eyes track slowly down my body, then back up. "Oh, I've got eyes on the perimeter."

Heat rushes through me, pooling low in my belly. I've never been looked at like that—like I'm something to be devoured. Drew certainly never looks at me that way.

I push past the kitchen into the small living room stuffed with books, Isaak following close behind. "This is intolerable. Domhn's got to find someone else."

He laughs, crossing those ridiculously huge, muscled arms over his chest. "He doesn't trust anybody but me. You heard him."

His voice booms, and Mrs. Samuelson's dog starts yapping upstairs.

"Have you ever heard of whispering?" I hiss, impulsively hitting his shoulder with my fist. It's like punching a wall. "I have an elderly neighbor upstairs."

"Good," he says, barely lowering his volume. "Did she hear anything the night of the break-in?"

I glare at him, frustration boiling over. "Weren't we just talking about finding a replacement for you? Domhn's got to know somebody else. Anybody else. I can't stand you, and you can't stand me. This is impossible. There's no way this is going to work."

A crash comes from somewhere in the apartment.

Before I can think, I all but leap into Isaak’s arms.

THREE

ISAAK

My arms are suddenly full of soft, warm woman. My senses are still alert to danger, though, so I immediately spin and set her back on her feet behind me.

Then I turn back toward the threat and spread my legs and arms wide to shield Kira.

“Stay here,” I whisper, barely audible as I put a hand back, my entire body tense and on alert. I lean over and yank my hunting knife out of the sheath in my boot. Ever since I saw how helpful Quinn’s knife came in earlier this year, I haven’t gone anywhere without it.

I hear Kira gasp and pull back from me, but that’s for the best.

We haven’t turned on any lights yet, so I get low and start to creep through the darkened house.

“What about horror movie rules?” she hisses from behind me. “No one left alone.”

“Just stay put.”

But when I start forward again, I hear footsteps behind me.

“I said to stay put.”

“I don’t want to be alone!” She sounds genuinely freaked out.

“Fine,” I breathe out. “But stay behind me. And do exactly as I say.”

“Yes. Exactly what you say.”

As if I’d believe that for a second. But I keep an arm out to make sure she doesn’t do something stupid, like dart out in front of me. You never know how civvies will react to stress. She seemed genuinely afraid, though.

“It sounded like it came from my bedroom,” she says under her breath. “Down the hall.”

I nod, but I’m not taking any chances.

I stop at the first doorway, grab the handle, and quickly open it, my cell phone on flashlight mode. Empty.

I keep my flashlight low as we continue down the hall. There’s only one more door, and it’s halfway open.

Right before we get to it, it slams shut.

Kira screams. I rush forward and shove it open, ready to engage whoever’s on the other side.

Only to find the room itself empty.

But there’s two other closed doors to check.

“Stay back,” I whisper over my shoulder to Kira as I sprint across the huge bedroom to yank open a door that turns out to be a walk-in closet. One shine of a flashlight shows it empty. I check the ensuite bathroom next.

Also clear.

It’s only when I get back into the bedroom that I feel the breeze from the open window.

Shit. The bastard already escaped. He most like likely wasn’t even in here when the door slammed shut. The air pressure from the open window probably did it.

I double-check the back of the closet to be sure, but yeah, it’s all empty.

I see the light flick on behind me and whip around when Kira screams again.

“What?” I run out of the closet to find her with her hand over her mouth, trembling. She points at the bed.

Well fuck.

The bastard’s officially upgraded from photographs. There’s blood all over the bed and some sort of ripped-apart furry mass. A gopher or one of those giant damn river rats they have around here, maybe. It doesn’t look like a pet, at least.

Kira immediately flies at me, and I barely get my arms open before her head’s buried against my chest. I swallow hard, uncertain of what to do with the flowery scent of her fluffy hair wafting in my nostrils.

“Pack a bag,” I finally manage. “I’m officially evicting you.”

This location is obviously not secure.


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