Read Online Heavy Metal (A Goddesses Rising Novel) (Entangled Select) by Natalie J. Damschroder - Free Book Online
Authors: Natalie J. Damschroder
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foundation for a new relationship. And what the hell did he know, maybe this growing attraction was just gratitude for giving him a purpose again, however much he tried to tell himself he didn’t want it.
Maybe he needed to accept that helping people might be his thing, and he was never going to get away from it. But it was something else to turn it into another sexual relationship. There’d been too much damage from the last one, and he wasn’t up for more. Not for him, and not for Riley. So he had to shut down this attraction.
What if you can’t? They would drive to Boston in separate cars. Not ideal, especially if someone was following them, but he didn’t want to strand her up there with no transportation. Once Marley took over education and John took over protection, Sam could remove himself from the picture.
He’d investigate this Millinger thing on his own. Something about it dug into him, hard. He was good at research and investigation, too. He rose and walked to his butt-ugly Saturn to toss the laptop case on the front seat, feeling lighter than when he’d come outside. Purpose didn’t have to mean taking care of people.
He looked around the parking lot out of renewed habit, not expecting to see anything, but his eyes locked onto a familiar orange sticker on the windshield of a red sedan. The car that had been following them.
Sam knew it was pointless, but he stalked across the curved lot toward the vehicle backed up to the wall. Sure enough, he was only halfway there when the engine started and the driver pulled away. Sam froze, so surprised at what he saw that he failed to get the license plate number before the car bounced into the street and sped off down the road.
No fucking way. Anson?
Sam hadn’t seen his old college roommate in three years, not since he’d been jailed for assault after leeching several goddesses of their powers—including Marley and almost Quinn, who’d taken it all away from him. Anson had been released a year ago, but they’d kept tabs on him during his probation, and he hadn’t made any moves toward anyone. He’d stayed in…Georgia. Where Millinger’s headquarters were.
Sam stood mired in worthless guilt as he stared after the car. Anson hadn’t just been his college roommate. Everything he knew about goddesses, he’d learned from Sam. Maybe no one would have been hurt if the two of them had never met.
He suddenly realized how long Riley had been in the bathroom. Had someone gotten inside through another entrance and cornered her again? He dashed for the building, but the glass door opened and Riley came out.
“You okay?” Sam gripped her shoulders and studied her face. “Did something happen?”
“What? No!” She pulled away, tilting her head so her hair hid her face, but not before he saw her bright eyes and pale skin. “No,” she said more calmly, walking toward her car. “No one came at me again. Sorry I took so long.” Without another word, she climbed into her car, started it, and waited for him to take the lead.
Baffled, Sam shrugged and got into his own car, paralyzed by opposing forces—the pull to go back and fix whatever was wrong, and the figurative knife at his back, urging him to get her out of there. He should have made her ride with him. They could get separated too easily on the highway like this.
But he knew she’d never go for leaving her car behind, not when it was her only symbol of freedom and control and she’d just gotten it back. He’d have to keep a careful eye on her and make sure nothing happened.
Maybe he was wrong about Anson. The bright sky and tops of the nearby trees had been reflected in the driver’s side window. Sam had only gotten a split-second glimpse of the guy behind the wheel, and people changed in three years.
But if he was right and that was who’d been following Riley?
Sam didn’t have any other choice. She was his responsibility now.
Chapter Four
Once a young goddess has determined the source
Maybe he needed to accept that helping people might be his thing, and he was never going to get away from it. But it was something else to turn it into another sexual relationship. There’d been too much damage from the last one, and he wasn’t up for more. Not for him, and not for Riley. So he had to shut down this attraction.
What if you can’t? They would drive to Boston in separate cars. Not ideal, especially if someone was following them, but he didn’t want to strand her up there with no transportation. Once Marley took over education and John took over protection, Sam could remove himself from the picture.
He’d investigate this Millinger thing on his own. Something about it dug into him, hard. He was good at research and investigation, too. He rose and walked to his butt-ugly Saturn to toss the laptop case on the front seat, feeling lighter than when he’d come outside. Purpose didn’t have to mean taking care of people.
He looked around the parking lot out of renewed habit, not expecting to see anything, but his eyes locked onto a familiar orange sticker on the windshield of a red sedan. The car that had been following them.
Sam knew it was pointless, but he stalked across the curved lot toward the vehicle backed up to the wall. Sure enough, he was only halfway there when the engine started and the driver pulled away. Sam froze, so surprised at what he saw that he failed to get the license plate number before the car bounced into the street and sped off down the road.
No fucking way. Anson?
Sam hadn’t seen his old college roommate in three years, not since he’d been jailed for assault after leeching several goddesses of their powers—including Marley and almost Quinn, who’d taken it all away from him. Anson had been released a year ago, but they’d kept tabs on him during his probation, and he hadn’t made any moves toward anyone. He’d stayed in…Georgia. Where Millinger’s headquarters were.
Sam stood mired in worthless guilt as he stared after the car. Anson hadn’t just been his college roommate. Everything he knew about goddesses, he’d learned from Sam. Maybe no one would have been hurt if the two of them had never met.
He suddenly realized how long Riley had been in the bathroom. Had someone gotten inside through another entrance and cornered her again? He dashed for the building, but the glass door opened and Riley came out.
“You okay?” Sam gripped her shoulders and studied her face. “Did something happen?”
“What? No!” She pulled away, tilting her head so her hair hid her face, but not before he saw her bright eyes and pale skin. “No,” she said more calmly, walking toward her car. “No one came at me again. Sorry I took so long.” Without another word, she climbed into her car, started it, and waited for him to take the lead.
Baffled, Sam shrugged and got into his own car, paralyzed by opposing forces—the pull to go back and fix whatever was wrong, and the figurative knife at his back, urging him to get her out of there. He should have made her ride with him. They could get separated too easily on the highway like this.
But he knew she’d never go for leaving her car behind, not when it was her only symbol of freedom and control and she’d just gotten it back. He’d have to keep a careful eye on her and make sure nothing happened.
Maybe he was wrong about Anson. The bright sky and tops of the nearby trees had been reflected in the driver’s side window. Sam had only gotten a split-second glimpse of the guy behind the wheel, and people changed in three years.
But if he was right and that was who’d been following Riley?
Sam didn’t have any other choice. She was his responsibility now.
Chapter Four
Once a young goddess has determined the source
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