Hope (21 page)

The sun was setting in the sky as he pulled up outside of
his apartment. He didn’t grab his knife as he was too preoccupied with getting
everything collected before nightfall arrived. Damon took her hand and pushed
her in front of him. They took the stairs together. Damon rushed behind her.
The door to his apartment was locked. He handed Penny his key. She took it and
walked inside.

“Go and pack,” he said. She went through to the bedroom. Damon
grabbed his box of weapons from the hole he kept next to the door.

He looked up as Penny walked back into the room. She wasn’t
alone. The man who wore the sweater with the hood had a knife pressed against
her neck. His hand covered her mouth. Where the knife was pressed against her
neck, there was a tiny dot of blood.

Damon felt the anger consume him. His fists tightened, and
the need to kill rose within him. They had their hands on his woman. They were
threatening his woman. He was going to make all of them pay. She looked
terrified. Tears leaked out of the corner of her eyes. There was nothing for
him to say to comfort her. Damon needed to deal with the situation. The rest of
his men would be lurking about.

“Do you remember me?” the one holding Penny asked.

Damon kept his gaze on the man. If he thought about Penny
she’d die.

“Yeah, a prick who can’t take no for an answer,” Damon said.

Like he expected, two of the guy’s friends came behind him.
They gripped his arms. Damon resisted and tested their strength. They were not
strong men. Unlike him they were not built to fight.

“You’re going to regret saying that.”

“What’s your name?” Damon asked. He acted bored even though
his heart was racing inside his chest. His fear was for Penny. Damon wondered
how Penny was dealing with being trapped by the man again.

****

Penny was angry. One of the men who’d held her down and
waited for his turn was holding her. His disgusting hands were on her body. The
anger suppressed all of her fear. She wanted to kill him. The desire to see his
life end was strong inside her.

Damon looked bored. His hands were in his pockets even as
the men held him tight. The blade hurt where it cut into her neck. They’d been
waiting for them.

“How did you get into my apartment and lock the doors?” Damon
asked.

“Your apartment had the master key hidden below in the old
office. Next time I think you should check the whole building out before taking
a room. The security isn’t that tight.” The man breathed down her neck. She
winced from the scent of his bad breath. The world might be falling apart, but
the least he could do was brush every once in a while.

She put her hand inside her pocket. In the jeep she’d found
one of Pearce’s knives. He’d told her about his supply of weapons on the
vehicle when she’d been waiting for Damon to return from the fields. During the
drive she’d found the supplies and had taken a knife.

All she needed to do was get the weapon out of her pocket,
which was proving easier said than done.

Damon kept the man talking. Each time he upset him, the
knife dug a little deeper. She winced each time feeling the nick against her
throat. If Damon wasn’t careful the blade would slit her throat. It was sharp
enough.

“Do you seriously believe you have a chance against me?” Damon
asked, laughing.

His reputation alone wouldn’t save him. Surely Damon saw he
was outnumbered. These men had a score to settle.

“In case you haven’t noticed, you’re outnumbered.” The man
behind her began to laugh. “Even the impressive Mad Dog couldn’t take this many
men.”

Damon stopped laughing. “You really think so?”

The shutters were down. She witnessed the moment Damon
changed. The challenge the guy set had brought about an instant change. Damon
wasn’t going to be taken down. Her fist clutched the knife in her pocket. She
eased the blade out and opened it up.

Penny sent a tiny prayer up above. The short prayer was all
she had time for when Damon struck. The men released their hold on his arms as
he pulled out of their hold.

He moved too fast. One of the men was slammed against the
wall as Damon wrapped his hands around the other guy’s neck. Penny closed her
eyes not wanting to see. She struck the man behind her before he got the chance
to cut her throat.

His screams echoed against her ear. She plunged the knife in
his leg twisting the metal. In the next moment she was flung to the floor.

When she opened her eyes Damon was standing, holding a
bloody knife in his hand. His fingers were covered in red.

Damon stared at her. His face lost all trace of colour. Her
eyes widened, and she glanced around the room. All three men were dead. There
had been five who attacked her.

“They ran,” he said, kneeling before her.

She watched him wipe the blood of his hands and then tilt
her head back.

“You saved me,” she said.

“Are you sure you can still love a killer like me?” he
asked.

Penny gazed into his eyes. She saw the tears glistening in
their depths. He didn’t know what she’d do. She did the only thing she could
think of. Penny wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled her to him.

“I thought you were going to die,” she said.

“I gave you a promise, Penny. I’ll protect you always.”

She closed her eyes, relishing his kind words.

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

“I love you, Penny.” He whispered the words against her
hair.

She pulled back to look into his eyes. “I love you. I know
you’d never hurt me.”

He kissed her lips and then helped her to her feet. She
glanced down at the bodies on the floor. Damon picked up her bag and then his
own. “I always have one packed in case of emergencies,” he said.

They made their way out of the apartment and to the jeep.

“Will you be coming back here?” she asked.

Damon glanced at the building and then shook his head. “No,
my time here is over. I’ve got many other things to look forward to.”

Chapter
Twenty

Damon dipped his hands in the bowl of water and began to rub
off the dried blood from his hands. His knuckles were bruised from hitting the
guy with the hood. He’d let loose the monster. The moment the guy touched his
woman he’d been dead.

“I thought your days of killing were over,” Don said.

Penny sat in the main bar with Shelley. The bar had been
closed the moment he’d entered. Don clearly saw what he had to say was
important. The customers were sent home.

“They are. The men gave me no choice. They were going to
kill me and do worse things to Penny. I promised to protect her.”

“You’ve got a thing for this girl.”

Damon ground his teeth together. “She’s more than just a
girl,” he said.

“You’re in love with her.”

Damon didn’t answer and continued to scrub his hands of the
blood.

“I thought you said you’d never love a woman.” Don was standing
opposite him with his arms folded over his chest.

“I did. I never expected to feel love for anyone. Penny is
worth it though.”

“Because you’ve taken her cherry?”

Damon stood up. He grabbed Don by the shirt and slammed him
against the wall. “She’s not like that. Don’t you fucking dare start talking
about her like
that.
”

Don covered his hands with his own. “Release me, Damon,
before I forget you’re a friend.”

He stared at the other man for several minutes and then
released him. Damon thought about what Pearce had said. “Just because you
haven’t got the guts to make an honest woman out of Shelley doesn’t mean the
rest of us are not prepared to do the same.”

Damon watched Don’s reaction closely. There was a twitch of
the eye, but nothing else gave him away.

“See, you’re a coward. You can’t even admit your feelings
for her.”

Don struck. He pushed Damon against the wall with his hand
wrapped around his throat.

“Is that what you want? You want to die at my hands? It is
easy for you, Damon. You can declare your undying love without any
consequences. I can’t do that. Others will kill Shelley because of me. What I
did with you in the past cemented my future. I can help build a better world,
but I can’t have all the benefits. I’d rather no one knew the truth, and
Shelley is safe.”

Damon felt awful.

Don released his hold and took a step back. “I’m happy for
you.” The other man folded his arms over his chest.

“Why?” he asked.

“What happened to Tristan Kendrick’s family was not an
accident. They targeted the woman he loved and the children she birthed to him.
It drove him insane. If anything ever happened to Shelley I’d go crazy. She is
to be protected at all costs.”

Damon ran a hand over his face. “I’m sorry.”

Don murmured agreement. “What did you want to tell me?”

Damon explained everything about Penny and what Edward had
said to him.

“So, it is true. Grimes finally
wants
to take over the whole of
New York
.
I should have known. He hated it when you took the best fighter from him.”

“Who?”
Damon asked.

“The first man you took down. He was the best fighter in
Grimes’s area. That fight was bloody. Everyone knew it was going to be a fight
to the death. Grimes
hasn’t
been the same since.” Don
shook his head.

“That fight was years ago.”

“Revenge is a dish best served cold. Grimes
wasn’t
known for being a very good person, Damon. He was a
master manipulator. He’s probably promising his men a life of luxury and sex.”

Damon shook his head. “They’re not going to find that here.”

“We know that. These men need a cause to fight for.”

“You need to come out to the farms, Don.”

Don shook his head. “It’s what he wants.”

Damon disagreed. “He’d not expect you to know he’s there. I
think if you’re there it will throw them off the scent.”

“What are you suggesting?” Don asked.

“You need to reach out to
Jordan
. The rumour is Grimes has
taken Tristan’s land.”

“A battle is not what this world needs, Damon. We need to
stop fighting.” Don turned his back to him.

He saw the slump to Don’s shoulders. Don was tired.

“Then talk to Grimes in front of everyone. Reason with him
or just kill him. You’ve got to do something. I don’t want to fight anymore
either,” Damon said.

“You’ve killed three men tonight.”

“They were in self-defence. I’m tired of having blood on my
hands.”

“Then I’ll figure something out.”

****

Penny stared at the office door wondering what the
conversation was about. She nibbled on some crackers that Shelley had given
her. Her appetite was non-existent. She’d watched three men get killed. What
scared her the most was the fact she didn’t feel sad about their deaths. What
did that say about her?

“You’re very quiet,” Shelley said.

“I’m waiting for Damon.”

“Yes, you two did come in with the whole doom and gloom
attitude.” Shelley flicked her fingers in front of her. Several of the girls
were sitting at the bar staring at the office door.

“It’s important.”

“I’m sure Don will let us know soon enough. I don’t know why
it couldn’t wait until after business.”

Penny looked at the older woman. She looked tired and
depressed in the low lighting.

“You’re in love with Don, aren’t you?” she asked.

Shelley glared at her. “A fuck from Damon doesn’t qualify
you to questions others, Sweet Princess.”

“It was more than one fuck.” The blush filled her cheeks.
Would there ever be a time when she’d be able to say the words without
embarrassment?

“Okay, you’re more than an innocent virgin. Don’t ask me
about Don.” Shelley flicked her hair over the back of her shoulder.

“I didn’t mean to presume. I’m in love with Damon, and I’ve
seen the way you and Don look at each other. I thought I’d ask.” She heard the
sounds of bodies slamming against walls in Don’s office.

Shelley chuckled. “Don’t fret, Penny. They’ll kiss and make
up soon.”

Penny glanced at the door waiting. She looked at the woman
by her side and decided to take a chance.

“Grimes
is
going to start a war
between the areas. Damon got information from one of Grimes’s men that he wants
to take over all areas. They have weapons and are constantly building them.”