in all white hurrying after them. She gripped Myles’s hand and had to jog to keep up with his long strides. Not once did he stop or slow. Addison had no idea where they were going, and she didn’t care as long as she got away from the two men.
To her surprise, Myles pulled her beneath the iron arch of one of the city’s famous cemeteries. If she thought he would halt then, she was wrong.
They meandered through the tombs until he suddenly stopped and pushed her against a crypt. He put his fingers to his lips. Addison nodded, gulping in air as she wiped the sweat from her face.
Something felt odd at her feet. She looked down to see her sandal had broken. How it remained on her foot during their flight she had no idea. Her gaze lifted to discover Myles was gone. Addison rolled her eyes and sank down on the stones to try and see if she could repair the shoe enough to get her to a store before her shift.
The crunch of stone made her head jerk up, and she spotted one of the men who had been following her. Sweat ran down his black skin, a smile curving his lips when he saw her. He let out a whistle, and a moment later, the second man joined him.
Addison opened her mouth to scream. Before a sound could escape, Myles came out of nowhere, moving with lethal speed as he punched the men with his fists and elbows. In a matter of seconds, both men lay unconscious at her feet.
Myles held out his hand, barely breathing hard. “I’m thirsty. How about you?”
She blinked up at him. “How did you do that?”
“Years of training and living in the Quarter.”
Addison took his hand and let him pull her up. She hadn’t taken two steps before her sandal fell off. With a curse, she picked it up and began to walk with one foot bare.
One minute she was standing, and the next she was in Myles’s arms. She locked her arm around his neck, her broken shoe forgotten.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
He gave her a droll look. “What does it look like?”
“You can’t carry me all the way to the bar?”
“Wanna bet?”
She had seen his muscles through his clothing, but there was nothing like feeling the hard sinew under her hands. There was no doubt he could carry her. It wasn’t that she minded being there, quite the opposite in fact, but it was embarrassing. Or it should be.
Her body heated from more than just the August sun.
“See?” he asked with a wink. “It isn’t so bad.”
She licked her lips, pulling her mind away from his close proximity. “How did you know I was followed?”
His mood darkened as a frown formed. “I didn’t. At least not until I began to realize how easily they could snatch you off the street.”
“I’ve never felt unsafe before. I don’t like this.” When he didn’t respond, she asked, “How do you know about Delphine?”
“Everyone knows of her.”
“Including the vampires?”
His gaze jerked to hers, but there was no shock or surprise reflected at her words. “Everyone.”
“I didn’t.”
Myles looked away. “You do now.”
“What aren’t you telling me? Why didn’t you freak at my mention of vampires?”
A muscle in his jaw jumped. She was so close to his face that she wanted to touch his cheek and feel the scrape of his shadow beard beneath her fingers. Addison gave in to the urge to touch him and smoothed her fingers along the blond hair at his temples. The strands were warm from the sun, and soft.
“Riley knew of them, which means you do, too. You also know what happened to me last night. Were you looking for me today?”
He sighed loudly and stopped. “Yes, I was looking for you, but not only because of last night.” He released her legs and slowly lowered her until her feet touched concrete. “I know of the vampires. I know a lot of things you’re better off not knowing.”
She stared into his bright blue eyes. Despite everything he’d said, she focused on the one thing that made her heart pound. “Why else were you looking for
To her surprise, Myles pulled her beneath the iron arch of one of the city’s famous cemeteries. If she thought he would halt then, she was wrong.
They meandered through the tombs until he suddenly stopped and pushed her against a crypt. He put his fingers to his lips. Addison nodded, gulping in air as she wiped the sweat from her face.
Something felt odd at her feet. She looked down to see her sandal had broken. How it remained on her foot during their flight she had no idea. Her gaze lifted to discover Myles was gone. Addison rolled her eyes and sank down on the stones to try and see if she could repair the shoe enough to get her to a store before her shift.
The crunch of stone made her head jerk up, and she spotted one of the men who had been following her. Sweat ran down his black skin, a smile curving his lips when he saw her. He let out a whistle, and a moment later, the second man joined him.
Addison opened her mouth to scream. Before a sound could escape, Myles came out of nowhere, moving with lethal speed as he punched the men with his fists and elbows. In a matter of seconds, both men lay unconscious at her feet.
Myles held out his hand, barely breathing hard. “I’m thirsty. How about you?”
She blinked up at him. “How did you do that?”
“Years of training and living in the Quarter.”
Addison took his hand and let him pull her up. She hadn’t taken two steps before her sandal fell off. With a curse, she picked it up and began to walk with one foot bare.
One minute she was standing, and the next she was in Myles’s arms. She locked her arm around his neck, her broken shoe forgotten.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
He gave her a droll look. “What does it look like?”
“You can’t carry me all the way to the bar?”
“Wanna bet?”
She had seen his muscles through his clothing, but there was nothing like feeling the hard sinew under her hands. There was no doubt he could carry her. It wasn’t that she minded being there, quite the opposite in fact, but it was embarrassing. Or it should be.
Her body heated from more than just the August sun.
“See?” he asked with a wink. “It isn’t so bad.”
She licked her lips, pulling her mind away from his close proximity. “How did you know I was followed?”
His mood darkened as a frown formed. “I didn’t. At least not until I began to realize how easily they could snatch you off the street.”
“I’ve never felt unsafe before. I don’t like this.” When he didn’t respond, she asked, “How do you know about Delphine?”
“Everyone knows of her.”
“Including the vampires?”
His gaze jerked to hers, but there was no shock or surprise reflected at her words. “Everyone.”
“I didn’t.”
Myles looked away. “You do now.”
“What aren’t you telling me? Why didn’t you freak at my mention of vampires?”
A muscle in his jaw jumped. She was so close to his face that she wanted to touch his cheek and feel the scrape of his shadow beard beneath her fingers. Addison gave in to the urge to touch him and smoothed her fingers along the blond hair at his temples. The strands were warm from the sun, and soft.
“Riley knew of them, which means you do, too. You also know what happened to me last night. Were you looking for me today?”
He sighed loudly and stopped. “Yes, I was looking for you, but not only because of last night.” He released her legs and slowly lowered her until her feet touched concrete. “I know of the vampires. I know a lot of things you’re better off not knowing.”
She stared into his bright blue eyes. Despite everything he’d said, she focused on the one thing that made her heart pound. “Why else were you looking for
Similar Books
