Read Online Skin Deep by Megan D. Martin - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Megan D. Martin
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weave. If there was something Kiera knew, it was hair, and hair didn’t look that good unless it was bought at the store. She didn’t say it, though. She planned to go back in, but the waitress beat her to the punch by stomping on her cigarette with more force than necessary and slamming her way back into the building.
Kiera exhaled and leaned against the rough wall. Her eyes roamed over the emptied back parking lot as her mind reeled. Leaves of all colors covered the blacktop. The trees that towered at the edge of the parking lot were gorgeous, probably hundreds of years old. Kittery was really beautiful this time of year. Too bad she was presently feeling too rotten to enjoy it.
She stood there for a few more minutes before deciding she should walk around to the front and see if the man at the door would go get her friends. It may be weak, but she really didn’t want to run into the handsome, apparently taken, Cain.
She hadn’t moved ten feet when her neck prickled with a sense of warning. She ran her hand over her elbow and realized just how vulnerable she was out here by herself. She continued to walk at the same steady pace, but the feeling wouldn’t leave her. She looked around, though she saw nothing except the dark wooded area on the other side of the parking lot and the black wall of the club.
Her walk quickened as she chanced a look behind her. Nothing was there. Before she was able to gaze directly in front of her again, she found herself crashing into the body of another person. She jumped back in fear, just as a meaty hand closed around her arm.
“Oy there, pretty, pretty. Don’t struggle.” The man’s lilt was that of an Australian. He was several inches shorter than her, many years older, and wearing a black toboggan on his head.
“Let go of me!” Kiera tried to pull her arm free.
“Na, don’t be shy there, little sheila, I just want to play. You’re a real looker.” Kiera tried to pull her hand away again, but he refused to release her, holding tightly to her slim arm.
She made a fist and pulled her right arm back, ready to swing at him with everything she had. If there was one thing being with Roth had taught her, it was that she should never just lay there and take it. She would forever go down fighting for her life.
Her fist met only air. There was a blurring of white and black as the man’s hand was ripped from her arm. She had been in mid-swing and spun around from the force before collapsing on the ground in a messy heap. Her gaze found the man, and what she saw took the breath right out of her lungs.
He was sprawled on the concrete some thirty feet away, but he wasn’t alone. A huge white tiger was on top of him, and huge wasn’t exaggerating. This animal was far bigger than any cat she’d ever seen at the zoo. It had to be twice the size of a normal tiger.
“No!” the man cried out. The tiger swiped at his face with one gigantic furred paw. Blood splattered on the ground with a sickening slosh. Bile rose in Kiera’s throat. The last time she’d heard that sound, it had been her own blood splattering against the white paint of a clean wall.
Kiera scrambled backward. She had to get away. Away from the sound, away from the horrors of her past. Before she knew it, she was running. She slammed her way into the back of the bar, tripped, lost a heel in the process, and kicked off the other one, leaving them, forgotten.
Chapter 6
It was a beautiful Saturday as Cain walked through the crisp morning air. The sun shone, making it a relatively warm day for the time of year. In his left hand, he held a bouquet of red roses. Man, did he feel like a schmuck. Never in his thousand-some-odd years of life had he purchased flowers for a woman and yet here he was, nervous about delivering them.
He realized last night that he had to have Kiera, first and foremost, because when he wanted something, he got it and that was that. Though he couldn’t deny there was something more to
Kiera exhaled and leaned against the rough wall. Her eyes roamed over the emptied back parking lot as her mind reeled. Leaves of all colors covered the blacktop. The trees that towered at the edge of the parking lot were gorgeous, probably hundreds of years old. Kittery was really beautiful this time of year. Too bad she was presently feeling too rotten to enjoy it.
She stood there for a few more minutes before deciding she should walk around to the front and see if the man at the door would go get her friends. It may be weak, but she really didn’t want to run into the handsome, apparently taken, Cain.
She hadn’t moved ten feet when her neck prickled with a sense of warning. She ran her hand over her elbow and realized just how vulnerable she was out here by herself. She continued to walk at the same steady pace, but the feeling wouldn’t leave her. She looked around, though she saw nothing except the dark wooded area on the other side of the parking lot and the black wall of the club.
Her walk quickened as she chanced a look behind her. Nothing was there. Before she was able to gaze directly in front of her again, she found herself crashing into the body of another person. She jumped back in fear, just as a meaty hand closed around her arm.
“Oy there, pretty, pretty. Don’t struggle.” The man’s lilt was that of an Australian. He was several inches shorter than her, many years older, and wearing a black toboggan on his head.
“Let go of me!” Kiera tried to pull her arm free.
“Na, don’t be shy there, little sheila, I just want to play. You’re a real looker.” Kiera tried to pull her hand away again, but he refused to release her, holding tightly to her slim arm.
She made a fist and pulled her right arm back, ready to swing at him with everything she had. If there was one thing being with Roth had taught her, it was that she should never just lay there and take it. She would forever go down fighting for her life.
Her fist met only air. There was a blurring of white and black as the man’s hand was ripped from her arm. She had been in mid-swing and spun around from the force before collapsing on the ground in a messy heap. Her gaze found the man, and what she saw took the breath right out of her lungs.
He was sprawled on the concrete some thirty feet away, but he wasn’t alone. A huge white tiger was on top of him, and huge wasn’t exaggerating. This animal was far bigger than any cat she’d ever seen at the zoo. It had to be twice the size of a normal tiger.
“No!” the man cried out. The tiger swiped at his face with one gigantic furred paw. Blood splattered on the ground with a sickening slosh. Bile rose in Kiera’s throat. The last time she’d heard that sound, it had been her own blood splattering against the white paint of a clean wall.
Kiera scrambled backward. She had to get away. Away from the sound, away from the horrors of her past. Before she knew it, she was running. She slammed her way into the back of the bar, tripped, lost a heel in the process, and kicked off the other one, leaving them, forgotten.
Chapter 6
It was a beautiful Saturday as Cain walked through the crisp morning air. The sun shone, making it a relatively warm day for the time of year. In his left hand, he held a bouquet of red roses. Man, did he feel like a schmuck. Never in his thousand-some-odd years of life had he purchased flowers for a woman and yet here he was, nervous about delivering them.
He realized last night that he had to have Kiera, first and foremost, because when he wanted something, he got it and that was that. Though he couldn’t deny there was something more to
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