Mister Distraction (Distraction #2) (43 page)

I caught quick movements out of the corner of my eye, my head snapping in the direction, but all movement stopped. I backed down the private hall hoping to make it to the security room to get a better look at what caught my eye. I saw a dark image move in front of me and the smell of this creature wrapped around me causing my brain to shut off momentarily. She smelled like heaven and comfort. My legs broke into a run trying to catch up with her. The closer I got the further she seemed. The only thing I had going for me was knowing this hall. I knew where it led. I knew every room that still remained in front of me. I got close enough to feel her hair tickling my face. My stride was in perfect sync with hers and then my arm snaked out around her as we approached our final turn in the dark hall and I wrapped it tightly around her stomach. She was sealed to me with no chance of escape. I pushed open the next door and moved to the corner. It was a storage closest; racks of large white towels and paper supplies lined the shelves. I dragged her to the corner and held her body close to mine, so close all the memories of Katarina came flooding back to me, memories I had attempted to hide. Her body shivered in fear, her panic rolling off of her in huge waves. She fought me in a vicious attempt to break free. I liked it…a lot.

“Shh, don’t be scared.” My arms tightened when I hit the wall behind me and I heard a loud commotion coming from outside. Someone was getting a beat down. If I was guessing correctly, it was multiple people. From the grunts and the loud cursing, it was three people. I should have been out there helping the man who was on the receiving end of the two assholes. They were assholes because in no circumstance was it okay for a two-on-one beat down. I lightened my hold on Katarina, deciding I could hide her and come back. I leaned in and ran my mouth over her shoulder until I met the spot I missed: the L spot where her neck and her shoulder met. I gave it a little taste.

“I…I,” she stuttered, “don’t like dark places, please don’t hurt me.” I hated how that statement made me want to beat the shit out of someone.

“I would never hurt you Katarina.” Her legs gave out and I quickly caught her, forgetting about the brutal screaming coming from the other side of the door. Her crying making me forget about everything. I fell to the floor, listening to the sounds of heartbreaking sobs. I kept begging
her not to cry. Even my pleas were drowned out over her sobbing and hiccups. I fucking hated to hear her cry. She was my kryptonite. I was powerless to her at this point and I would do anything, say anything, to make her happy again and to see her smile and hear her laugh. Instead, I held her for a long while until the crying stopped and her breathing evened out. Not a second went by that I didn’t think about how much I needed this. I needed to comfort her, needed to be the one to fix her pain. I craved to be her hero more than the revenge villain she saw me as.

It didn’t make things better between us. I was still going to walk away. No sex, no kissing, no fucking love yous, none of it was going to make what I had to do easier. Katarina made me feel too many things. She made me believe in forever again…fuck that. I didn’t have a heart anymore. She took it, the whole thing, when she left. I was a different man now, changing again to accommodate that pain, just like when Jacy died. I was evolving into a man with no heart, no conscience, and no soul. Her voice broke my demon thoughts.

“I hate that you made me feel things, things I never should have allowed myself to feel. My heart hurts so bad and if I wasn’t broken before I met you…” That’s was ditto for me, princess. The fucking hurting went both ways. “…I am now and I hate you for that. I kissed someone tonight and I hate how guilty I feel. I hate that I forget what your lips taste like, how they feel against mine.” She was silent and all I could think of was that she would never feel my lips against hers again. “I heard him say the words he would say to me and I hate him too. I hate him so much Jason I hope I never see him again. I wish pain on him.” I closed my eyes listening to her words, wondering who she saw and what the hell he said. I wanted him to still be here so I could beat the shit out of him. I wasn’t sure who I would be beating him up for, Katarina or myself. I asked her not to cry and I fucking wished she would shut the hell up too, no more talking. She obeyed, and nothing was spoken for long moments and I had to wonder what the hell she was doing here. If she told me she was here to find me could I forgive her? Would I? I asked her but her answer didn’t make any sense to me. If she didn’t like her father, why in the hell would she follow him to such a dark place?