Damon (The Protectors Series) Book #1 (15 page)

“What the hell brought that on and why did she leave her stuff?” This from Jared. “It doesn't make

sense.”

“She told me to let her talk and if I interrupted or anyone else got on the phone she would hang up.”

Mitch frowned.

“That's it?” Damon was pissed, but more than that he was frantic with worry. She was out there

without protection.

“No.” He turned to look at Damon. “She told me to tell you that you needed to feed.”

Damon was a blur as he shot across the room grabbing Jared around the throat pinning him to the

wall. “You son of a bitch.” Damon's deadly hiss cut across the room. “What did you say to her?”

“I didn't say anything Damon.” Jared grabbed Damon's arm, but couldn't budge it from his throat. “I

would never say anything to hurt that girl and fuck you for thinking I would.”

For a second his hand tightened around his friend’s throat before he let go. “Then who did?”

Jared rubbed his throat as understanding flashed in his eyes. “I know who did.”

“Alice.” Both men growled.

After thanking Eddie for the ride she ran into her apartment grabbing things as she went stuffing them

into an overnight bag. She knew Damon would come here first and she had to get out before he

showed up. It was cowardly to run off, but she would not be his downfall. Her heart hurt just thinking

about it. She would even beg him to go to Alice before she would let him be humiliated before his

peers. And with that she knew Pam was right. She was in love with him. Her phone rang in the kitchen

spurring her to go faster. Yanking her workout clothes off she hopped around pulling on a pair of

jeans and grabbed a t-shirt throwing it on. The phone went silent for a second before it started to ring

again.

Grabbing her bag she ran to Ren and Stimpy. “Okay guys, watch the place for me.” She dribbled food

for them. “I'll get Mitch or Pam to feed you until I can get back.”

Again the phone went silent before starting up again driving her crazy, she hated a ringing phone.

Taking a quick look around she grabbed her keys off the counter and headed out the door toward her

car. Opening her trunk she threw in her bag before slamming it shut.

“Going somewhere?” Damon blocked her way to her car door.

Nicole jumped back screaming, tripping over her own feet. Damon reached out to steady her. Gaining

control she pulled away trying to rush past him. “Let me go Damon.”

“No.” Damon blocked her way again. “Hell no.” He grabbed her keys out of her hand.

“Hey, give those back.” Nicole grabbed for them but he was faster. Sighing she didn't attempt to take

them again. “Damon please give me my keys.”

“Not until you tell me what the hell is going on.” Damon leaned up against her car arms crossed,

making him seem so at ease. The anger in his eyes told a different story. “Do you know how

dangerous it was for you to leave like that without protection?”

“Eddie was with me.” Nicole grumbled. Why did he have to look so damn sexy?

Damon rolled his eyes with a snort. “Like I said, without protection.” Looking around he straightened.

“As a matter of fact we should go in. It's not smart standing out in the open like this.”

“I don't want to go inside, I want my keys.” Nicole was seriously getting pissed. “You are not my boss,

father or boyfriend Damon. I am a free woman able to make my own decisions. Nothing has happened

to even hint someone is after me. I want to be left alone and I know you and the others have better

things to do than watch after me.”

“Who says?” Damon ask, knowing exactly who that was. What he wanted to know is what Alice had

said to make her run like that.

“I said.” Nicole looked away nervously. She was a horrible liar.

“We are going to talk Nicole.” Damon glared at her. “Whether you like it or not, whether it’s out here

or inside, we are going to talk. So I will give you the option of where you are going to tell me what is

going on in the pretty little head of yours.”

Nicole felt a warm heat settle in her stomach at the word pretty, then mentally bitch smacked herself.

What the hell was wrong with her? She was mad, not all warm and gooey like a teenager with a crush.

She was a strong, independent, pissed off woman dammit. “Go to hell.” Ha, how about that option

vamp, her nose went into the air and she crossed her arms this time.

“That is not an option.” Bending over he tossed her over his shoulder giving her a head rush of deja

vu. He carried her inside, fumbled with the keys trying to find the right one when a door behind them

opened. Damon turned so fast Nicole thought she was going to be sick. Seeing an elderly woman

peeking out he relaxed.

“Nicole honey, are you okay?” The woman opened the door wider her wrinkled face scrunched in

concern. “Do you need me to call the police?”

With her butt facing the old woman Nicole pushed off Damon's leg to look around his shapely butt.

Seeing the concern on her elderly neighbor's face made Nicole feel terrible. “No Ms. Webster, I'm

fine.” Wow, if she kept lying she might actually get good at it. “He's just helping me inside.”

Ms. Webster nodded as if that explained everything when in truth it explained nothing at all, but the

old woman just smiled. “Well, you two youngsters have a good night.” She winked at Damon who

winked back making the old woman blush to the roots of her white curly hair.

“Lock your door ma'am.” Damon reminded her and didn't turn back around until the click of the lock

echoed in the hallway.

Ahhh....how sweet. Nicole got that warm gooey feeling again, then frowned and pinched him on the

butt, hard. She kept forgetting she was trying to get rid of him. She squealed when he spanked her

hard, then rubbed it to ease the sting. “Hey, that hurt!”

“So did that pinch you little hellcat.” Damon finally found the right key and shoved the door open

slamming it shut with his shitkickers then set her down.

Blood rushed to her head making her sway. “You really need to stop doing that to me. I think you're

giving me brain damage.” She watched as he stuck her keys in his pocket and decided to let it go...for

now. Glancing at his face she noticed he had dark circles under his eyes and her heart sunk to her

stomach. “You look tired.”

Damon ignored her observation. “Why did you run Nicole?”

“Why didn't you feed tonight?” She answered his question with one of her own.

“That's really not your concern.” His eyes shifted away from hers.

“It is my concern if I'm being blamed.” Nicole sat down heavily on a kitchen stool and sighed. “I won't

be your downfall Damon.”

Anger blazed across his face. “Listen to me and listen good.” Damon stepped toward her leaning down

to her face level. “My decision to feed or not feed is my decision.”

Nicole jumped up. “Okay, this isn't working.” She paced nervously to the kitchen and pulled out a

beer wishing it was something stronger. Twisting the cap off she drank down half the bottle then

wiped the back of her hand across her lips. “Maybe I was wrong to leave like I did. I don't want to

cause you any problems. I admit that I was just a little jealous of Alice and didn't want to see you

around her.” She looked away from him ashamed of herself. She felt like a jealous nag, she hated

jealous nags.

“You have no reason to be jealous of her Nicole.” Damon shook his head, his sigh echoing in the

silence.

God she was making a mess of this. With one last long swig she set the beer down. “Listen Damon, I

am going to take a leave of absence from my job. I will leave town until you all get this under control.

I should have done that in the first place.”

“Is that really want you want?” Damon asked, his eyes glaring into hers so hard she knew he was

trying to read her.

“Yes.” Nicole replied in a strong voice. Yep, she was getting this lying thing down.

“Bullshit.” Damon growled. “You love this job and nothing will stop you from doing it. You said so

yourself.”

Don't cry she told herself. Do. Not. Cry. “Just please leave Damon.” Nicole couldn't look at him. “Take

care of yourself. I'll be fine.”

“I'll call Jared and have him come stay with you.” He pulled out his phone.

Nicole jumped grabbing his hand. “I don't want him here. I don't want any of them here.”

What the hell did Alice say to her? If he got his hands on her he'd wring her no good neck. “Did one

of them say something to you?”

“No.” She replied quickly. God this was going nowhere. “I just don't want to be a bother to you all

anymore.”

“You are not a bother to us.” Damon touched her cheek and frowned when she jerked away.

“Don't. I can't think when you touch me.” Nicole walked backwards running into the stool she jumped

up from. Reaching behind her she steadied the stool wishing she could steady herself as easily.

A sexy grin curved his lips for a slight second pleased that his touch affected her as much as her touch

sent him reeling. He wanted to kiss that unhappy frown from her lips, but knew he had to take care of

this situation because if he didn't she would run again. “I know Alice talked to you.” Seeing the

surprise flash across her face told him that he and Jared had been right on. “I want to know what she

said to you.”

“I don't know what you're talking about.” Nicole glanced down staring at her feet. She didn't want to

relive that conversation and she was embarrassed to think that Jared and Duncan thought she was a

burden and hurting Damon in anyway. Her feet started to blur as tears filled her eyes. Do. Not. Cry.

She repeated the words she grew up repeating over and over again. Her head flew up when she heard

Damon on the phone.

“Did you find her?” He ask into the phone. “Okay. Pick her up. We're on our way.”

“What are you doing?” Nicole eyed the phone. “Who was that?”

“Get your stuff.” Damon walked toward her. “If you aren't going to tell me what happened then I'll

find out myself.”

“No.” Nicole whispered in horror. “No!”

“Then tell me because one way or another I am going to find out.” Damon shoved his phone in his

back pocket and pulled her keys out of his front pocket.

Nicole's face burned. He was backing her in a corner and she didn't like it. “Why are you doing this?”

Nicole felt her anger hitting a dangerous level. “Just leave it alone.”

“I don't like anyone hurting you.” Damon crossed the room causing her to back up a step. “I won't

tolerate it. I know Alice and how she is.”

Okay, she didn't expect that. Never in her whole life had anyone showed this much protection toward

her and she didn't know how to handle it. She searched his golden eyes, his expression and realized

that he really meant what he said. Feeling tears leaking out the corner of her eyes she quickly turned

away panicked. She would not cry in front of him. She cried in front of no one. Hell, she hardly ever

cried at all. It showed weakness. She had learned not to do that at a very young age.

“Nicole?” Damon walked up behind her touching her gently on the shoulder.

“Oh God.” His closeness, his touch, his voice was all it took to break her. Great heavy sobs overtook

her body. She doubled over, arms crossed over her stomach. Years of tears burst free dripping to the

floor. It was all too much. Harsh reality squeezed her heart in a painful grip.

Damon grabbed her, picking her up with care, carrying her to the couch. “Let it out.” Damon

whispered, his lips pressed to her head that was cradled against his chest. Her pain tore at him more

than anything he had ever experienced before. He didn't say anything else. There was nothing to say.

He just held her as she let all the pain and craziness of her life out in a good old fashion cry.

“I got your shirt all wet.” Nicole sniffed wiping at her eyes feeling like a total idiot. “I'm sorry. I never

cry.” She looked away embarrassed.

Damon lifted her chin with a finger, looking into her eyes. “You can get my shirt wet anytime you

need to.” He brushed a stray tear escaping down her flushed cheek. “I bet you haven't had a good cry

in quite some time.”

“I haven't cried since I was really little.” Nicole answered honestly. “Shows weakness and in my case

weakness was not a trait I could afford to have.”

“I'm sorry you had to live that way.” Damon cradled her head back to his chest. “But it's made you the

woman you are today. A woman I respect deeply.”

Okay, that sent the warm sensations swarming through her body. “Thank you. That means a lot to

me.” Nicole whispered, touched. Then her head popped up panicked. “Please call whoever you called

and tell them not to bring Alice anywhere to meet us.”

“First you tell me what happened.” Damon wasn't going to budge. “I don't leave things undone. I want

to hear from you what happened.”

With a deep stuttering breath Nicole told him about her conversation with Alice and actually felt a little

better.

Holding his anger in check was the hardest thing he had ever done, but he didn't want Nicole to think it

was directed at her. “Alice has tried for years to be mated to me.” Damon explained. “She obviously