Read Online Night's Promise by Amanda Ashley - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Amanda Ashley
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shut if you know what’s good for you,” Scarface warned, crowding her up against the side of her car.
“Please, let me go!” Sheree implored. “I don’t know anything!”
Scarface opened the rear door and pushed her inside.
With a cry, Sheree lashed out at him, raking her nails across his cheek, kicking out at him as hard as she could.
But Scarface was bigger, stronger.
He hit her once and she fell back on the seat, certain her life was over.
Derek had been sitting in his car across from the Den, debating whether he should go inside or head back home, when he saw Sheree exit the club, a man on either side of her. Her face was pale, her eyes wide and filled with fear. Her heart was pounding so loudly he was sure he would have heard it even without his preternatural senses.
The men had turned left, herding Sheree toward her car, which was parked at the end of the block.
Derek muttered, “What the hell?” when the scar-faced man started to shove her into the backseat, grinned when she fought back, even though it was a losing fight.
When the scarred man struck her, Derek went into action. Faster than the eye could follow, he raced down the street, grabbed the man by the hair, and slammed his forehead against the car. The man dropped like a stone.
The second man whirled around, his hand reaching inside his coat.
With a low growl, Derek broke both of the man’s arms and shoved him out of the way. Whimpering, the guy fell to the pavement, all the fight gone out of him.
“Sheree?” Derek touched her shoulder lightly. “Sheree, are you all right?”
She stared up at him, her mouth agape.
“Come on.” Taking her by the hand, Derek settled her into the passenger seat. “We need to get out of here.”
She didn’t argue.
He picked up her fallen handbag, dropped it in her lap, then fastened her seat belt.
Moments later, he pulled away from the curb.
“Who were those men?” Sheree asked, unable to keep the quiver out of her voice.
“Beats the hell out of me.”
“They said they knew you.”
Derek shook his head. “I never saw either one of them before.” He slid a glance in her direction. Her pulse was still a little rapid, but the color had returned to her cheeks. “Did they say why they were looking for me?”
“No.” She glanced out the window. “Where are you taking me?”
“To your place.”
“What about your car?”
“I’ll pick it up later.”
“I could have driven myself home.”
“It’s okay. I don’t mind.”
She turned her head away from him, her hands clasped in her lap, obviously nervous in his presence. He supposed he couldn’t blame her. He’d seen her a few times and then left her with no explanation, but hell, what was he supposed to say? I’d love to pursue a relationship with you and get to know you better, but I’m a vampire and you’re prey and I really don’t see this ending well for you. Yeah, right.
“How’ve you been, Sheree?”
“Fine. I’m going back home to my family.”
“Because of what happened tonight?” The thought of her leaving filled him with a sudden sense of loss.
“No. Because . . . just because it’s time.”
His hand tightened on the steering wheel. “Where’s home?”
“Philadelphia.”
Pulling into her driveway, he put the car in park, then cut the engine.
“Thank you for driving me home,” Sheree said.
Before she could open the door, his hand closed over her arm. “Don’t go.”
“It’s late. I’m tired.”
“I mean, don’t go home. Stay here.” The words with me hung unspoken in the air.
Sheree took a deep breath, then turned to face him, her gaze probing his. “Why?”
Releasing her, Derek raked a hand through his hair. “I know I behaved badly. Treated you badly. I’m sorry. There are things you don’t know about me, things I can’t tell you. . . .”
“Like why those men were looking for you?”
“Yeah, like that.”
“Were those men cops? Are you in trouble with the
“Please, let me go!” Sheree implored. “I don’t know anything!”
Scarface opened the rear door and pushed her inside.
With a cry, Sheree lashed out at him, raking her nails across his cheek, kicking out at him as hard as she could.
But Scarface was bigger, stronger.
He hit her once and she fell back on the seat, certain her life was over.
Derek had been sitting in his car across from the Den, debating whether he should go inside or head back home, when he saw Sheree exit the club, a man on either side of her. Her face was pale, her eyes wide and filled with fear. Her heart was pounding so loudly he was sure he would have heard it even without his preternatural senses.
The men had turned left, herding Sheree toward her car, which was parked at the end of the block.
Derek muttered, “What the hell?” when the scar-faced man started to shove her into the backseat, grinned when she fought back, even though it was a losing fight.
When the scarred man struck her, Derek went into action. Faster than the eye could follow, he raced down the street, grabbed the man by the hair, and slammed his forehead against the car. The man dropped like a stone.
The second man whirled around, his hand reaching inside his coat.
With a low growl, Derek broke both of the man’s arms and shoved him out of the way. Whimpering, the guy fell to the pavement, all the fight gone out of him.
“Sheree?” Derek touched her shoulder lightly. “Sheree, are you all right?”
She stared up at him, her mouth agape.
“Come on.” Taking her by the hand, Derek settled her into the passenger seat. “We need to get out of here.”
She didn’t argue.
He picked up her fallen handbag, dropped it in her lap, then fastened her seat belt.
Moments later, he pulled away from the curb.
“Who were those men?” Sheree asked, unable to keep the quiver out of her voice.
“Beats the hell out of me.”
“They said they knew you.”
Derek shook his head. “I never saw either one of them before.” He slid a glance in her direction. Her pulse was still a little rapid, but the color had returned to her cheeks. “Did they say why they were looking for me?”
“No.” She glanced out the window. “Where are you taking me?”
“To your place.”
“What about your car?”
“I’ll pick it up later.”
“I could have driven myself home.”
“It’s okay. I don’t mind.”
She turned her head away from him, her hands clasped in her lap, obviously nervous in his presence. He supposed he couldn’t blame her. He’d seen her a few times and then left her with no explanation, but hell, what was he supposed to say? I’d love to pursue a relationship with you and get to know you better, but I’m a vampire and you’re prey and I really don’t see this ending well for you. Yeah, right.
“How’ve you been, Sheree?”
“Fine. I’m going back home to my family.”
“Because of what happened tonight?” The thought of her leaving filled him with a sudden sense of loss.
“No. Because . . . just because it’s time.”
His hand tightened on the steering wheel. “Where’s home?”
“Philadelphia.”
Pulling into her driveway, he put the car in park, then cut the engine.
“Thank you for driving me home,” Sheree said.
Before she could open the door, his hand closed over her arm. “Don’t go.”
“It’s late. I’m tired.”
“I mean, don’t go home. Stay here.” The words with me hung unspoken in the air.
Sheree took a deep breath, then turned to face him, her gaze probing his. “Why?”
Releasing her, Derek raked a hand through his hair. “I know I behaved badly. Treated you badly. I’m sorry. There are things you don’t know about me, things I can’t tell you. . . .”
“Like why those men were looking for you?”
“Yeah, like that.”
“Were those men cops? Are you in trouble with the
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