Sebastian (Bowen Boys, #5)(11)

He was breathing, but just barely. Looking at the girl who was finally falling apart, screaming at the police that a man had tried to kill her, Ama turned back to the man and put her hand on him. She felt the power surge through her in seconds. The man stirred a little, then looked up at her.

“What the f*ck did you do to me?” She didn’t say anything but backed up. He watched her for several seconds before he closed his eyes again. Ama stood between them both and waited for the siren.

The first officer on the scene walked to them with his gun out. He had both her and the woman put their hands up.

By the time the third cruiser showed up, the man was being treated. Mary Scott, the woman, was also having her wounds looked at. Apparently, she’d been coming home from work downtown when he’d grabbed her before going into her apartment. She lived in the building that Ama was going to be living in, too.

“Did he tell you anything?” Mary shook her head, then nodded. “Which is it? Did he tell you something or not?”

Like her, the woman was marked, only Mary’s was a tattoo. She had a dragon on her throat that was small, but colorful, and the cop had sneered at them both when he’d seen it. She was ready to pop him in the mouth when another man, another panther, came forward.

“Officer James, I think you can bring it down a notch or two. These women have been through an ordeal and you’re not helping them.” Another man made his way to them as the second one spoke. She watched as he took a small stumble when he saw her. Then he stopped moving.

“Look at them, Captain. How do we know they didn’t work this out before we got in and roll the man for his wallet? I mean, just look at them. They look like they’ve been at this game for a long while.” The first man, James, pointed at her. “And that one, she claims she was just passing by. Women like her deserve what they get.”

Her fist was out and headed toward his face when she was suddenly stopped by a shout of “No.” The man who’d stumbled was standing between her and the cop, and Ama took a step back from him. He was flipping huge.

“He’s not worth it.”

She nodded slowly, not sure what was going on when the second cop, the captain, nodded too. “This is my brother Marc. I’m Khan. Are you…are you…Christ, what are you?”

She took another step back and then another, and looked around for a way to escape. Things were getting just a little too much for her. When Khan closed the distance by half, she held up her hand.

“Don’t touch me.” He nodded and looked at Marc. “I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I’m just a dishwasher. And I didn’t attack that man. He was trying to rape her.”

“I didn’t think you had.” He looked at her hard, then took another step forward. “You’re hurt. Come back to the ambulance and let them have a look at you.”

“No. I don’t have any money for that. And even if I did, I’m not going anywhere. I have to be at work again soon and I’ll be fine.” She looked down at the blood staining her shirt where the man had cut her. “I just want to go in and see if the apartment is still for rent.”

Khan looked at his brother, and she knew that they were communicating through their link. When Khan looked back at her, he was frowning. She looked around again for a way to leave. But she was in an alley, and he and his brother were blocking her way out.

“You wouldn’t be Amazing…Amazing something, would you?” She shook her head. “Then what’s your…my name is Khan Bowen. Do you know my parents?”

She paled and took a step back, wondering which one of these men were there to tell her to stay the f*ck away from their parents, or if it was both of them. “I didn’t hurt them and I didn’t take their money. I don’t want any problems. I’ve stopped helping them. That should be enough for you.”

Khan laughed. “I would say that was for Sebastian. He’s our other brother. Marc here works on and off for the police when they need him, but he has his own investigating firm, and I…I’m the leader of my family now that my dad has retired. They—our parents—have been worried about you. You were at my house when Sebastian called you.”

“He was very rude to me.” Khan nodded and braced his arms over his chest. “I’ve told him that there was no reason to pursue me. I said that things are fine and I’ve been avoiding your parents. If you’re detaining me here for that reason, I can assure you that I won’t—“

“I’m not detaining you, miss. I’m concerned, that’s all. I’d like for you to come with me to the house and let my mom look at your wound. Then as soon as they’re assured that you’re going to be all right, I swear to you that I’ll bring you right back here.” He looked up at the apartment building. “Of course, I should warn you that Sebastian owns this building. I don’t know what you’ll think about staying here now that you know, but I…well, I had to warn you.”

That did complicate things a little. She looked at Marc to see that he was talking with a couple of other cops. James wasn’t around, and she had a moment to wonder if he was hiding out to get her. But when she looked at Khan, he smiled at her.

“He won’t bother you again.” She shivered. There was something very scary about his tone that made her almost feel sorry for the officer if he ever tried to speak to her again.