Blood Trinity (Belador #1)(20)

Why, why wasn’t flight one of my powers?

But as they neared the top, she realized she wasn’t going to fall … and Isak wasn’t trying to grope her.

He wasn’t attacking her. This wasn’t her past and she wasn’t a defenseless child anymore.

Both of his arms hugged her against his chest. An act of protection, not violation.

She smelled his human scent, warm and a little sweaty from his exertions. Raw, natural male. He pulled her closer, as if he’d keep her safe from anything.

No one had ever held her this way.

Like she was precious to them.

Didn’t matter. End of the day, she couldn’t stand the sensation of hands confining her. Of someone pressing her against his body.

Let me go, let me go, let me go …

He whispered against her ear, trying to calm her. “We’re almost there. I’ll release you in a sec.”

You’re not a helpless teenager. He’s not the bastard. Why couldn’t she banish those memories? Why did they sting most when she could least afford them?

You ruined my past, you worthless dog. You will not destroy my future …

She bit the inside of her mouth to keep from screaming and giving away their location to the police.

The vertical movement slowed.

She was trembling, couldn’t open her eyes and look. Coward.

What kind of demonslayer was scared of heights and human contact? She could face down Satan in hell, but let one geeky guy lay a casual hand on her shoulder and she was petrified.

Think about the cops, Sen … anything.

Excited shouts came from below where the police must have found the demon drop treats. She shook her head in frustration over having left them behind.

Maybe they’ll write off the fried remains as toasted rubber and ignore them. ’Cause God help her if they took a closer look and discovered the chips were actually scales.

Maybe they’d write that off as a visit from Puff the Magic Dragon …

Unfortunately, she wasn’t that lucky. And she cringed at the thought of what Sen would do once he found out about this and the body in the morgue.

Maybe she could join the French Foreign Legion …

Did they still have one? It might be worth investigating.

Focus, Evalle. ’Cause she had no intention of Sen or anyone else other than Tzader learning about this.

“Don’t panic,” Isak said quietly as they stopped moving upward. “I’m going to turn you around so you can climb into a window.” What was it about that gentle tone that could almost make her forget he was a loon?

When she felt her body spin, she opened her eyes to find an old-fashioned sash window with the bottom half opened enough for her to squeeze inside. Don’t look down at the parking lot. Just get into that room.

Isak slid one arm beneath her legs and lifted her so that she could stick her feet through the window opening and slide in to safety. The minute her toes touched the floor, she jumped away.

He entered right behind her, disconnected the rigging and looked out the window before turning back to her. “Typical. They didn’t see a thing. Good thing about cops and demons … they seldom look up.”

She gave him a nod, the best she could do until she caught her breath and stopped shaking so badly.

Oddly enough, his weapon no longer bothered her. His size and hands on her body did.

But Isak hadn’t made any threatening moves at all. He’d been nothing but kind and respectful to her … at least while they’d escaped.

In fact, she owed him for getting her away, even if he had been part of the problem. To prove to him, and to herself, that she could touch a human and not freak out, she offered her hand to him. “Thanks.”

He closed his fingers around hers in a friendly, gentle hold. She had large hands for a woman, but his swallowed hers. In that moment she saw him more as a protective grizzly than a demonslaying tank.

He stepped forward.

She held her position, refusing to let a man intimidate her. Especially a mere human. One male had gotten away with that in the past, but he’d paid for it.

I’m not sixteen and locked in a basement. I have powers. No human can harm me ever again.

Not without a serious maiming.

When she looked up—had to because Isak was another six inches taller than her five foot ten—she realized he no longer wore his monocular. She couldn’t tell his eye color, but based on the light shade, she’d bet on blue. A soft color for such a hard man.

“Is ‘thanks’ and a handshake all I get for risking life, limb and imprisonment?” His gaze burned into hers, daring her to back down from his challenge. His finger rubbed across the back of her hand.

She shook her head at him. He’d been sucking in too many demon fumes if he thought she was that easy. “Sorry, slick. Not that kind of girl. I require at least a couple of nice dinners and some flowers first.”

Isak smiled. “You’re going way off track mentally. Not that I wouldn’t be happy to go there with you, but all I want is your name.”

Oh. Idiot. But then she’d always been socially awkward around people, especially men—it was the whole raised-by-herself-in-a-basement thing that tended to put a crimp on her people skills. She’d rather battle a demon any day than banter with a man. And don’t get her started on trying to navigate catty women. “Name’s Evalle.”