Angel (A Companion Book to Monster) (Impossible #1.5) (3 page)

I tried to struggle through the darkness, but it pressed against me, weighing me down.  I couldn’t let Bradley force her to do that.  Not for me.  Not after everything she had already done.

“Look,” she said gently.  “If I give him my blood, I’ll die.  And then there will be no one here to help him.  Just trust me.”

There was a long silence, but Bradley must have backed off because I could feel the needle tugging at my skin again as she returned to her work.  With the knowledge that she was safe, I succumbed to the blackness, giving in to the merciful release from my pain brought on by unconsciousness.

Chapter 2

Agony.  It lashed at me mercilessly, breaking through the dark waters that sheltered me and pulling me ruthlessly back to the surface.  I was disoriented, my thoughts sluggish and half-formed.

I blinked, and my eyes focused on a familiar cracked ceiling.  I was in my own room.  And I wasn’t alone.  The balance of the mattress told me that there was someone on the bed beside me, a woman judging by the delicious scent that surrounded me.  Besides, the likelihood of me finding a man in my bed was slim to none.  The pounding in my head told me that I had been really fucked up the night before.  Shit, how much had I had to drink?  This was the
most wicked hangover of my life.

I felt a little guilty as I searched my mind for memories of sex and found none.

I looked over to find one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen lying beside me.  A Cheshire cat grin broke out on my face as a sense of masculine satisfaction at having lured such a prize into my bed washed over me.  It seemed I hadn’t been too drunk to have my game face on.

“Hi, gorgeous,” I gave her a
heated look that always made women melt for me.  I would need it to make up for the admission that I was about to make.  “No offense, sweetie, but I don’t really remember last night.”  I allowed my gaze to rove up and down her body appreciatively, expecting her to flush pleasurably.  Something glinted in the morning light, catching my attention: she was handcuffed to my bed.  My grin widened of its own accord.  It seemed that this beauty shared my tastes, then.  “And I must say that I’m very sorry for that,” I said, truly regretful.  “Looks like it was a good time.”

She gasped, shocked at my words.

Shit. 
It seemed I had blown it with her after all.  No hope for round two this morning, then.  Well, to be honest I felt too crappy to fuck right now.

“Listen, jackass,” she snapped.  “I didn’t
sleep
with you.  I saved your life, in case you don’t recall.  That pain in your shoulder isn’t a sex sprain.  You were shot, idiot.  Besides,” she added with venom, “I don’t really care to sleep with you after what you’ve done to me.  You’re holding me hostage, remember?”  She jerked at the cuffs for emphasis.

Oh, fuck. 
Reality came crashing back down on me.  I couldn’t believe that I had just leered at her like that.  Hot shame flooded my stomach as I remembered what Bradley had done, how I had ripped this woman’s life away from her and been complicit in terrorizing her into compliance.

I glanced at the cuffs again, and all of the lustful thoughts that had been stirring at the sight of them now made me feel sick.  Bradley must have restrained her again after I passed out.  Anger lanced through me as I remembered her bruised skin.  There had been no need for him to do that to her.  All she had known at our hands was terror and abuse, and now I had tried to make a move on her.  It was probably the most abhorrent thing I could have possibly done.

“Oh.  Yeah,” I said lamely.

“Yeah,” she spat the word.

I sighed heavily, then had to hold back a grunt as the resultant pain hit me.  Yep, that was definitely way worse than a sex sprain.

“How are you feeling?”  She asked gently.  I glanced up at her, amazed to see nothing but compassion in her eyes.  How could she be so kind to me when I was putting her through hell?

“Fine,” I said, and I wasn’t sure if it was pain or guilt that made me force the words through gritted teeth.

She snorted at me derisively.  “Uh-huh,” She
said, her voice heavy with sarcasm.  “Because you look just fine.  You were shot, you’ve been unconscious for hours, and you haven’t had any pain killers.”  She speared me with an
I’ll-have-none-of-your-nonsense
look.  “I’m a doctor.  Don’t think you can lie to me.”  Then I heard her mutter, “Men.”

My chuckle quickly turned to a hiss of pain, but my smile was back in place only moments later.  I couldn’t help but be charmed by her imperious air.  Seeing this fragile woman trying to boss me around was undeniably amusing. 

“I’m not going to get anything past you, am I, doc?”  I grinned at her, teasing.

She looked indignant, which if anything only made her cuter.

“I have a name, you know.”  Her snappish tone did nothing to quell my amusement.  “It’s Dr. Ellers.”

Oh, I was going to have fun toying with her.  “I thought you said your name was Claudia.”

“You can call me Dr. Ellers,” she said more emphatically.  She was rising to my bait.

“I like Claudia,” I insisted.  “It’s pretty. 
Unless you prefer ‘doc’.”  I knew that she didn’t, and I enjoyed watching her wrestle with her irritation at me.

“Fine.”
  She threw up her hands up in exasperation.  But then she let out a small cry as the cuff jerked at her cruelly.  I was again struck by anger.  I needed to get that key from Bradley and get her free.  It wasn’t right that she should be in pain on top of everything else she was going through.

I frowned.  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I warned, not wanting her to fight against her restraints lest she cause herself further damage.

“Oh, you wouldn’t, would you?”  She snapped.  “Thanks for that sage advice.”

I hated this, hated her pain and the disgust for me that I saw in her eyes. 

“I’m sorry,” I said quietly, as though those two words were enough to rectify my actions.  But I knew that nothing I could do would ever be enough to atone for this, to repay her for what she had done for me.  “And thank you,” I added.  “For saving my life.”

Her eyes widened, taken aback.  I watched as the hatred faded from them, replaced by a gentleness that made my heart squeeze.  I didn’t deserve that look.

“You’re welcome,” she said softly. 

She blinked, her eyes quickly darkening
once again as her moment of softness passed.  “But you do realize that as a doctor I was compelled to save your life by the Hippocratic Oath; don’t think that I harbor any particular affection for you.  In fact, it’s just the opposite.  I should have just let you die.  Only, your douchebag friend didn’t really give me an option.”

Anger rose up in me, caustic and unrelenting.  I couldn’t let anyone say anything against Bradley.  He had been there for me since we were in diapers, and there was no way that I was
going to let anyone talk shit about him.  “Listen,
doc
,” I said disrespectfully and not at all playfully, “I never want to hear you say a bad word about Bradley again.  Understand?”

I unleashed the full force of my menace
on her, demanding her compliance.  Her breathing hitched, but to my amazement, she lifted her chin and stared at me defiantly.

Her challenge awoke something dark within
me, the part of myself that I reluctantly embraced only because it refused to be denied.  I fixed her in my forbidding glare, willing her to drop her gaze in deference to me.  I wasn’t going to give her the option to do otherwise. But her grey eyes were still clashing with mine, refusing to surrender.  Savage, lustful thoughts of taking her in my grip and forcing her to yield to me began to cloud my mind. 

Our silent battle of wills was shattered when Bradley came bursting into the room.

“What the fuck is going on in here?”  He demanded.  “I heard raised voices.”  He glowered at Claudia.  “Are you upsetting him, doc?”  He asked, a dangerous edge to his voice.

“It’s Claudia,” she snapped, still full of fire despite his threatening tone.  “And he seems to be upsetting himself.”

My mind was two steps behind, caught up in disgust at my twisted desires that I had been fantasizing about turning against her.  Just how sick was I?  Although I found it irresistible, I had always been a bit uneasy with that dark part of myself.  And now I was envisioning unleashing it on her?  A woman who couldn’t escape me?  I was pretty sure that that was called rape.

Bradley started to advance on her, and I snapped out of my self-loathing in order to come to her defense.

“Bradley!”  I said his name sharply.  “It’s fine, okay?  The doc here was just being a bit snippy.”  I said it disparagingly.  My gut was urging me to defend her, but I didn’t want to fight with Bradley.  And I had the feeling that challenging him directly would only make him more hateful towards her.

Bradley stopped in his tracks, turning his glare on me instead.  “I won’t let the bitch upset you,” he said roughly.

I forced out a derisive laugh.  “I think I can handle a few barbed comments from a hysterical woman.”

Claudia’s brows drew down, and she opened her mouth as though to speak, no doubt ready to give me a piece of her undeniably formidable mind.

Bradley cut her off with a warning growl.  “You had better keep your mouth shut if you know what’s good for you.”

She still looked like she wanted to hurl toxic words my way, but she wisely pursed her lips and held them in.  Bradley glared for a moment longer, ensuring that she would keep her silence.  When he was satisfied, he shrugged and turned to me.

“I got some painkillers for you, buddy,” he said, his voice suddenly gentle.  I gratefully reached for the pills and the glass of water that he offered to me.

“What are those?”  Claudia demanded.  The bossy doctor was back.  Intimidated or not, she clearly didn’t stay down for long.

“Oxycodone,” Bradley snapped at her.  “You have a problem with that?”

“Where did you get that?”  She
asked, her tone curious and more than a touch authoritative.

I held my breath for a moment, worried that Bradley
might reveal to her that we were in the Irish mob.  But he seemed to have the good sense not to fill her in on everything.  She was still a potential threat, and she didn’t need to know anything more about us.

“None of your business,” he said dismissively.

I swallowed down the pills, relieved that the pain would soon abate.  Toying with Claudia had distracted me from it, but now I became acutely aware of it once again.

“Thanks, man,” I said gratefully.

“Ummm…”  Claudia said hesitantly.  I looked over and was amazed to see that she was blushing.  The color against her pale skin was enchanting.  My mind flicked to other ways that I might make her blush…

Stop that! 
I ordered myself harshly, disturbed at the lustful thoughts that she was eliciting from me.

“What is it now?”  Bradley asked her shortly, his patience clearly wearing thin.

“I need the bathroom,” she admitted, dropping her eyes in embarrassment.

Bradley blinked.  “Oh.”  He paused, considering for a moment.

Really, Bradley? 
I thought derisively.  What did he think she was going to do?  Hold it indefinitely?

I cleared my throat pointedly to catch his attention, raising an eyebrow at him expectantly.

“Fine,” he snapped, realizing that he didn’t really have any other options.  He pulled the handcuff key from his pocket and released her from the restraints.  I saw her sigh in relief as she was freed from their cruel bite.  My jaw clenched.  No way was I going to let my friend cuff her again.

Bradley patted at the bulge in his waistband where he stowed the gun.  “Don’t try anything stupid,” he warned her.

Claudia’s scowl mirrored my own.

She winced as she pushed herself to her feet, her movements stilted as her cramped muscles protested.  I pressed my lips together to hold back the angry words that I wanted to hurl at Bradley for causing her that discomfort. 

My frown only deepened when he positioned himself behind her, giving her a push in the small of her back that sent her stumbling forward.  “This way,” he instructed, his voice gruff.

I was going to have to have a talk with him about the way he was treating her.  Did he want to make her life as miserable as possible? 

I was amazed when she regained her balance and walked out of the room with her head held high.  She might be physically fragile, but there was strength in the woman that impressed me deeply.

I lay there for long minutes, almost dreading her return.  My mind was whirring, my thoughts a tangled mess as I considered my frankly disturbing lustful reactions to her.  Okay, so I
was attracted to her.  What man wouldn’t be?  And it didn’t help that she had been on my bed with me.  I generally associated a woman in my bed with a good fuck.  Of course I was going to have lustful thoughts about her.  And her bossy-doctor persona was charming, the challenge luring me in.  Not to mention the allure of the pain that I had seen in her eyes, something that my soul recognized and longed to reach out to.

But nothing had ever been more wrong.

When she returned to me, I felt both relief and torment.  At least I wasn’t left alone with my dark thoughts, but now her beauty struck me all over again.  Being with her and resisting keeping my hands off her was going to be torture.

Bradley grabbed her wrist hard, pulling the cuffs out of his pocket as he jerked her arm towards the bedpost.

Her small cry of pain made my heart twist.

“Please,” she said desperately.  “Don’t do that.  It hurts.”

The sight of Bradley cracking her strong demeanor made me feel sick.  And furious.