Dare To Run (The Sons of Steel Row #1)(14)

Why, then, did he save me?

“It’s my business because she’s mine.” Lucas fisted his hand in Star Tattoo’s hair and slammed his head into the wall. “She’s my girlfriend, you f*cking idiot, and she has my protection.”

Wait. I was his what?

The man nodded as best as he could. “S-sorry, Mr. Donahue. We didn’t know she was property of Steel Row.”

“Now you f*cking know. You come near her again, and I’ll kill you and everyone else in Bitter Hill, and then I’ll kill some more.” He yanked on the man’s hair. “Got it, prick?”

He nodded again. “Yes.”

“Clean up the bodies before she gets in trouble for something she didn’t do. I’ll expect them to be gone within the hour.” Lucas slammed the guy’s face into the wall one more time and shoved him in the opposite direction from me. “Now, get out before I change my mind and kill you, too.”

The man fell but stumbled to his feet and took off as if hell itself chased after him. It probably did. Lucas watched him go, his hands still fisted. His back was to me, and his frame was illuminated by the streetlights. He stood there for a second, his entire body stiff. Then he kicked Dark Eyes’s dead body and snarled, “Son of a bitch.”

I watched him, cautiously remaining quiet. Yeah, he’d been a hero tonight, but he didn’t exactly look happy about that. When he turned to me, he held out his hand as he kneeled beside me. He reached out to touch me and I flinched. Not because of him, but because I was having a delayed reaction to what had just happened. It had all happened so fast. Lucas’s eye was already blackening, and he had blood running down from a gash in his forehead. He was sweaty and bloody and he’d saved my life.

By killing two men.

His mouth tightened into a flat line and he cupped my cheek, despite my knee-jerk reaction. “Are you okay? Did they . . . did he . . .?” He scanned my torn clothes with angry, concerned eyes. “Shit.”

“I’m fine.” I held my ripped shirt together with a tight grip. The sensation of his hand on my cheek was comforting. Never thought I’d put him and that thought in the same sentence together. “You were just in time.” I choked back tears of relief.

Big girls weren’t supposed to cry.

“No.” He swept his thumb over my cheekbone. “Not fast enough.”

I rested my hand over his, holding it in place. Gratitude for what he’d done for me filled me, and I knew there was no going back to pretending he didn’t affect me. “Thank you. Seriously.”

Something flashed in his bright green eyes. “There’s nothing to thank me for. I’m not your hero. I’m not anyone’s hero.”

He stood up and towered over me. I tilted my head back, and he watched me with a dark look in his green eyes—one that etched itself into my soul. With one look at his dangerous jawline, I knew that I’d never forget who he was, or his real name, ever again. I let him help me stand, my knees shaking so uncontrollably I thought I might fall over, which pissed me off. I hated weakness. It didn’t look good on me. Glancing down at the bodies on the ground, I swallowed hard. “Are they both dead?”

He didn’t let go of me but started leading me toward his shop. “They won’t bother you again.”

“They’re dead.” I followed him, more out of instinct than anything else. He tugged me along, so I followed him. “You killed them.”

“They were going to hurt you.” He stopped walking, our hands still entwined. “Of course I did.”

I blinked at him. He thought that made perfect sense. They’d done me wrong, so they deserved to die. It was so black-and-white for him. “Why?”

“I told you why.” He scratched the back of his head and glanced over his shoulder impatiently. “They were hurting you.”

“But why do you care? Something tells me you don’t normally jump into fights that aren’t yours,” I said.

“How would you know?”

“I heard him say your name. I know you’re in the Sons of Steel Row,” I said, not needing to explain further. “Why did you help me?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. Averting his gaze, he dropped his arm back at his side. “Does it matter? Would you have rather I ignored it and let them attack you?”

“Of course not,” I whispered.

“Then let’s go.” He tipped his head. “Up there. My place.”

I blinked at the mechanic shop. “You live where you work?”

“Above it.” His thumb brushed over my knuckles. “You need to come up with me. He’ll be back with others, and I want you outta sight.”

“I’ll be—”

“Now, Heidi.”

He pulled me behind him, ignoring me completely. I could argue, but I didn’t really see the point. If he wanted to play knight in shining armor, then I could let him. For tonight, anyway. I was fine, now that I’d gotten over my initial shock, but he seemed to be worried, which was . . . sweet. Really freaking sweet.

And unexpected for a ruthless killer.

I snorted internally. The dude had just killed two guys in front of me, and I was thinking how sweet he was? What kind of crazy juice had I gotten into?

He unlocked his door and held it open for me. I peeked inside at the unlit staircase, swallowing past the fear that remained lodged in my throat. After what had happened earlier, I needed light to chase away the shadows. Lots of it.