Sam wasn’t really sure what she was doing, but she wasn’t about to let him walk out that door again. She didn’t think her heart could take it. Whatever the connection between them was, she was pretty sure that it was something more than just physical. She wasn’t going to give it any name right now for fear of losing him again. But that didn’t mean she was going to sit here like some helpless female while he faced Thane and his family alone. She had her own weapons. Ones she’d worked long and hard to master. She was relatively sure she could hold her own against Thane. One on one that is. If the rest of the family decided to jump in, she’d be in trouble. Though in a fair fight, she might surprise them all. The thought didn’t give her near the confidence boost she’d hoped for.
She took her butterfly blade out of the bedside table drawer and slid it into her black riding boot. She turned around to find Riley looking at her like she was an unknown creature again. It was all she could do not to laugh at him. He was going to have to get over his image of her as some eighteen year old kid who was painfully shy and afraid of everything because that just wasn’t her anymore.
She’d spent the ten years between then and now training her mind and body. She was pretty good with a blade of any kind. And she was OK with a gun, though she really didn’t like to use them. They were too impersonal. But she’d also discovered that she had talents outside of the physical spectrum.
Besides her ability to effectively lock out everything and everyone from her conscious mind, she could also follow thoughts back to their original owners, which is why she could communicate with Riley’s cat she supposed. And why she spent an awful lot of time alone. She had enough problems with her own thoughts, let alone everybody else’s. She didn’t do well in crowds.
She stuck her tongue out at him. Catching him off guard. And was rewarded with one of those Han Solo smiles that made her insides melt. Did he really have to be that adorable?
“What do you think you’re doing?” She didn’t really plan on going with him did she? Regardless of the knife in her boot, and her obvious ability to use it, Riley had no intentions of letting her go back with him. She was the last person his mother would expect him to bring home. And given how she felt about Sam, it was for Sam’s own good that she stay as far away from the compound, and his immediate family as possible.
“What does it look like?” She was shaking at the thought of facing his mother again. But she wasn’t going to let him know that. She was terrified of the woman before she knew she could have torn her apart at any time and fed her to the other members of the clan. “I’m not going to let you walk out on me again.”
“Kitten,” he sighed. Here came that stubborn thing. “You can’t come with me and you know it as well as I do. My mother will have you for breakfast, literally. That’s if Thane doesn’t get his claws on you first.” He didn’t even want to think about that. He’d take a fight with his mother over what he knew Thane would do to her simply out of spite. His brother’s appetites had become more and more deviant over the years and he had developed a habit of what he called “playing with his food.” Riley found it disgusting and added it to the growing list of reasons that his brother was going to wake up one morning and find his Karma had bit him in the ass. The thought made him smile.
Sam wasn’t sure what had put that absolutely frightening smile on his face, but she really wished he would quit. She shivered at the cold light in his eyes and swore she could see the cat’s eyes behind them. Alert and ready for the hunt. It was enough to make her second guess her decision. If Riley was so close to wild sometimes, what was the rest of the clan like? Somehow she was sure that he was probably the most “civilized” of the family. That thought didn’t do anything to help steady her trembling hands.
The thought of facing his brother wasn’t what bothered her. Thane was a jerk, and probably more than a bit insane in a cruel kind of way. But Lydia was a whole other animal. Cold, calculating and down right mean on a good day. She could whip the wings off an Angel and do it with a smile. And Sam had never seen that smile reach her eyes. Unless it was when she was tormenting her younger sons.
Thane was perfect. The pureblood. Jaguar through and through. Mean, territorial and cunning. But Riley and Caleb were only half. Their father was human. Making them “weaker” in the clan’s eyes. Beneath them and only barely tolerated. On one hand it broke her heart to think of what these last ten years must have been like for Riley and Caleb. And on the other she realized that the girl she had been back then never could have stood up to Lydia and her family. Let alone been standing here with a single blade in her boot and a few “tricks” up her sleeve contemplating literally fighting for him.
Riley was trying to fight the compulsion to either shake her or lock her back in the bathroom. Did she really think her little blade could protect her if his mother decided to be the bitch they both knew she could be and ordered the clan to kill them both just for the hell of it? He had to admit that the fact that she was willing to take that step melted his heart. But he’d be damned if he’d let her get hurt out of some sense of wanting to protect him. It just wasn’t going to happen.
There was iron in his voice when he came around the end of the bed and stood in front of her.
“I will not let you risk your life to protect me. I’m quite capable of dealing with my brother, and my mother for that matter. You on the other hand wouldn’t last ten minutes in a room with them if they decided to get ‘mean’ “.
Seriously?! He had to be kidding. “What? You can risk your life, getting injured in the process, for me,” she waved a hand at his bandaged arm, “but I can’t do the same for you? Get out of the last century darling.” She drew the word out, mocking his earlier use of it. She was not some helpless little female that needed his protection dammit!
This time he did grab her by both arms. He was just short of shaking some sense into her. He felt the Cat tense. It was anxious. Not knowing what was going on. Riley wasn’t too sure himself. He’d never intentionally hurt her. But his nerves were shot. Too much had happened tonight. He needed time to process it all. And that meant he needed to know she was safe. Or at least as far away from his family as she could be. Not jumping straight into the middle of hell.
Sam gasped and tried to back away. But his hands were iron bands on her upper arms. She could see the violence swirling in his aura. Deep black bands that shifted across his skin, half showing black on black spots. While his eyes turned a deep burnt gold. The cat was so close to the surface. Riley growled low. Barely above a whisper, it was enough to scare the hell out of her. She knew he would never intentionally hurt her, but if he could barely control the big cat with her, she was starting to rethink her ideas of thinking she was strong enough to face Lydia. Yet.
“Riley please. You’re hurting me.” She took a deep breath and let it out in a long defeated sigh. “Alright. You win. I’ll stay here.” She hung her head. She would not cry dammit. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to cry at the thought of him leaving, or the humiliation of giving in and admitting she was scared. Either way, she really didn’t want him to see her cry again.
Riley let up on his grip and pulled her into his arms. He rested his head on hers and held her tight. He knew she was trying not to cry. And he had to give her respect for even trying to protect him. It made him love her even more. Nobody had ever tried to protect him. He’d spent all these years protecting Caleb, and her. But he had to keep her safe. There was no other option. His heart wouldn't allow it.
He released her and stepped back. Looking down into her shining blue green eyes broke his heart. The raw pain he saw there was just too much. He’d give anything to make her smile like she had been only a little while ago. But it wasn’t possible right now. He had to leave. Now. Before he changed his mind again.
“Promise me you will stay here Kitten. I need to know you are at least this far away from my family.” He sighed. “I will be back. As soon as I can. You just have to trust me.” He reached out and tugged on her hair and tried a halfhearted smile. It didn’t quite reach his eyes.
Sam saw his attempt at a smile and somehow it made her feel even worse. She knew he was trying to make her feel better, but the fact that he felt the need to only proved to her how much of a baby she was being. What choice did she have?
She gave him a shove and headed for the door before she changed her mind and acted like one of those idiotic women she detested so much.
Riley followed her to the door. Definitely not liking leaving her alone. But she was a whole lot safer here than with him right now. She turned to face him and he pulled her against him again. His mouth came down hard on hers as he kissed her. The pure emotion branding them both.
Sam leaned into him and kissed him back for all she was worth. Neither one of them had any way of knowing what the daylight might bring, but she was determined to make damn sure there was no doubt in his mind how she felt this time.
Riley broke the kiss and stepped back. Dazed by the force of the emotions between them. Sam looked up at him wide eyed. He realized she’d been completely aware of what she was doing. She smiled one of her dazzling smiles and opened the door. “Out Mister Kacey. Before I cause a scene and beg you to stay. I hate to beg so go.” She smiled again. Hoping it looked more convincing than she felt. “Out. I’ll be here when you get back.” He tugged her hair again as she pushed him toward the open door. He half turned in the doorway, as if to say something else, then turned and walked away. Letting him go was the hardest thing Sam had ever done in her life. She closed the door and slid down it to sit on the hardwood floor. She curled her arms around her legs and hung her head.
She couldn’t hold the tears back anymore. She cried until she couldn’t cry anymore. She got up, dusted the debris off of her dark blue jeans and walked over to lay back down in the bed that was still warm. She pulled her pillow close that still had Riley’s scent all over it and slept.
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