“Come, we wouldn’t want to be late, would we?” Isaac curls a hot palm over the side of my waist, just an inch above my sore hipbone.

  I look over my shoulder at the dark-haired man and waves. He tips his head in acknowledgment as a flicker of something heinous rush across his eyes. I’m just overthinking things.

  He’s a nice guy, so he’s not going to do anything bad to me.

  Besides, he’s got better things to do, and I’m sure I just saw what I mistakenly thought as a bad emotion going through his dark eyes. The glaring sun tends to do that to me. I hallucinate like I have been in the desert for days and I see a mirage.

  At least this big incident gets me a free ride to school from a man in a sexy suit and a car sleeker than silk. The obsidian black is beautiful, and it can be a bad thing when it’s under the sun. Black traps heat; it is common sense learned from the school.

  However, it’s very cool on the interior, and the leather seat cools my heated thighs.

  I’m not properly dressed to be in this car. I should be in a cocktail dress and high heels to match the status of this vehicle and the man next to me.

  Better safe than sorry, I put his cup of coffee in the cupholder as my way of telling him that he can have it back.

  I can’t take his coffee and his free ride. I was raised better than that. I’m not a greedy person. I like giving more than I like to receive things. It feels weird to owe people things, and it grinds me the wrong way when I have student debts drowning me with my own tears.

  I clip on the seat belt and wave one last time to the black-haired stranger who’s still standing there.

  The car slips through the traffic, and the man disappears from the rearview mirror. I’m left alone in the car with Isaac who gives off a vibe that I’m just sensing, and it’s only because I was torn between two men that I didn’t have the time to fully absorb the presence of each individual.

  Something dark lurks under the captivatingly handsome façade.

  “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

  Just as before, I’m compelled to tell him, and I do it with a stutter.

  What a way to start the day!

  Chapter Two

  Isaac

  My job as a lawyer has taught me invaluable lessons. Every day is a chance that I will learn something new, and I take those lessons seriously.

  There are many lessons, but there are three that basically sums everything else into them: expect the unexpected, be aware of a three-step plan, and always have a backup exit strategy.

  The first time I saw Holly was when she stepped out of the coffee shop on my way to my office, and I almost crashed because I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.

  Her beauty is subtle, hidden away by the women who show off their body as a way to get attention. My Holly doesn’t need to impress anyone with scanty clothes or brazen behavior. She has my attention, and that would be enough for her.

  I have hired a private investigator to tail her and find everything about her life; what she likes and dislikes, her schedule, and her family.

  Even before a week passed, the private investigator comes to me. He quits while taking his money and leaving whatever information he gathered. He had broken bones, rendering him in a wheelchair and swollen face with dark bruises that resemble a beating that can only come from someone strong.

  He had given me a warning that my sweetheart didn’t like being followed, but his tone suggests that it’s someone else’s doing. The investigator was too frightened to even mention a name before he skirted out of my office.

  I took the matter into my own hands and followed up on the address that he found; it was a small apartment being rented out by an older woman in her seventies, and Holly was her only tenant.

  That was before another man had convinced her to check into a nursing home, paid for and highly recommended, while he took the bottom floor to himself.

  I met him; black hair and black eyes, a man rolling in dangerous intentions and I have had my fair share of danger thrown my way. He was different; the violence that emits from his body tops any criminal that I have defended.

  I could see the obsession in his eyes when he stands by the door, staring into the window of my car while I met his eyes.

  I knew then. I was not the only one after Holly. This man also wanted her, and he will not give up. It’s a challenge that I am up for. I’m a selfish man. I want Holly to myself, and I’d be damned if I let this man take her from me. I have to protect her from him no matter what.

  I returned home that night and did my research; it took time and a lot of resources to dig up whatever I could find. I was surprised to find what he was, but I shouldn’t have been shocked since it made sense.

  His name was Kian; it was the alias he used, and that was what every despicable criminal called him. He was an assassin, a favorite to be hired when there was a high-profile target that needed to be taken out.

  I could only find a handful of jobs that were suspected of him, but there was no proof and no picture of him to be taken to anyone for an identification.

  The only reason I could find him was through the tattoo of a scorpion etched on his bicep. It was an innocuous ink that doesn’t have the actual photo of the scorpion. They were lines that connect in a way that if people didn’t know that he was Kian, they would not realize that particular tattoo was supposed to be a scorpion.

  In the dark web and criminal enterprises, he was well-known for his notorious reputation.

  He was not a saint, but neither am I.

  We never interacted other than when Holly was out in public. He would always be three steps behind her and anyone would notice a man as massive as him trailing behind them. Holly didn’t, her ability to be aware of her surroundings was shit, and she would have been a victim of many crimes if Kian wasn’t her guardian angel—as ludicrous as that sounded.

  He would notice my car or my presence when I was not at work, and I would notice him in his black attire. He would be more suited as a death god than an angel. He has too much blood on his hand to be called something so pure; that title should be reserved for my sweetheart.

  It is an unspoken rule between us; he doesn’t try anything on my sweetheart, and I won’t do anything either. I was thinking of a better way to approach her, but life had different plans after the coffee shop incident.

  I should thank the woman for knocking down my sweetheart; it gave me the opportunity to introduce myself, but I would like to snap that woman’s neck for causing harm to Holly.

  Today is the first time Kian and I made contact with Holly; she seemed cautious about it, and I had to stop myself from praising her. I can’t speak for Kian, but I do tend to draw people in with my charismatic façade and get whatever information I need to win my case in court.

  It’s my aura that triggered Holly a bit, and Kian was not better. He emits bitter and barbed-wire defenses around him, but Holly wasn’t too bothered by it. She didn’t pull away from him, and he refused to let go; the rage in his eyes was chilly, and I knew he had planned something in his head.

  I learned to trust my gut, and when it says that those two who were the causes of Holly’s distress was not going to be on this earth any longer, then it is most likely correct on its assumption.

  “Thank you for the ride, Mr. Isaac,” Holly’s dainty, little fingers hook the car handle.

  Her other hand hugs her grey backpack to her chest as she shoots me a shy smile. She steps out of the car, and I do too. The top of her head barely peaked at the roof of the car. I hold back a chuckle at the adorable sight when she peers up.

  “Come, I will take you to the health center,” I motion her towards my side.

  She frets anxiously, stumbling around the hood of the car. “No, it’s okay. It’s no big deal. The pain is gone now!”

  “Is that true, sweetheart?” I raise an eyebrow.

  A little noise gurgles from her throat as her face pinches, “Just a little sore.”

  “But, you don’t have to take me there!” she grins, too pretty for a man with too much sin. “I can go by myself!”

  “You won’t go if I’m not there,” I say; she shuts her mouth because I am right.

  Easy to read and even easier to learn her habits, Holly doesn’t like bothering others, so she does things by herself. She’s independent and strong, yet delicately needy for someone to take care of her. I can be anything she wants; all she has to do is give herself to me.

  “I promise I’ll go!” she bounces on her heels; those tennis shoes are old and worn.

  It would be nice to gift her new ones. She would appreciate having something more comfortable than old shoes that would get soaked when she walks in the rain.

  “It’s no trouble, sweetheart,” I put a hand on the small of her back, “I have time before I need to be at work.”

  Wrong, every minute counts when my job requires me to be punctual and prepared to meet my clients. Those who hire me know that I work on my schedule and if they can’t be patient, then they can find someone else who is not the best.

  I give credit where credit is due, and I have worked my way up to being one of the best lawyers. My millions are the fruits of my labor, and I will spend every dime on Holly.

  A new home, paid student loans, high-quality food, and the best security she can get. I do need to scale back my impatience. I will scare her away before I can put my plans in action. There is the other problem, and it’s a big one; Kian has his eyes on Holly too.

  If neither of us is willing to back down, then there will be bloodshed and the city will be dripping in the repercussion of calamity.

  Kian and I need to have a talk.

  “We should hurry. You’re going to be late for class,” I say as we walk through the health center.

  I had every intention of bringing her to the health building whether she wanted to come or not. She can argue all she likes but I won’t back down when it comes to her health. Her body isn’t meant to absorb that type of impact when she fell. She’s fragile and tiny; I’m wary of the way she takes care of herself.

  I had followed her for weeks, and I have learned many things about her; her eating habits are all over the place, she has unstable sleeping times, and she forgets to lock her door on more than one occasion.

  I am going to sue that couple for every penny they have; the emotional and physical damage to Holly is worth more than they both have in their possession. I thought about criminal charges for assault, but I would have to bring it up to the assistant district attorney, and that’s going to be a pain in the ass to do when I have Holly to care for.

  My time is going to be well spent on my sweetheart. She deserves pampering and constant attention.

  “Hello,” I greet the student at the front desk.

  Her flustered face upon seeing me is expected and slightly unwelcomed. I neither need her attention, nor do I want to know what she’s thinking in her mind.

  “What can I do for you, sir?” she screeches in one breath.

  “My sweetheart here requires medical assistance,” I say.

  Holly stammers, slapping her fingers on the edge of the reception desk. “N-no, no! I just need ice!”

  Whether she is saying no to me possessing her as my sweetheart or the medical attention, but her blushing face is too adorable, and I wish to snap a photo to put as my screensaver.

  It’s about time I change it from a picture of her sucking on a popsicle.

  Vile and a terrible thing for me to do, but I had to. She looks so innocent and enticing sucking on a red popsicle that I imagine her on her knees, licking and struggling to take my fat cock in her small mouth.

  I have this uncanny fixation with her mouth.

  Turning to her, I run my fingers into her soft brown hair and feel the curve of her neck. I didn’t feel any bump on her skull, but that doesn’t mean that she didn’t hit her head on the bench.

  “Are you hurt anywhere else?” I ask as the receptionist rushes away to get a pack of ice.

  She blushes and meekly shakes her head, “No, just my hipbone hurts.”

  “Let me see your hands.” I take my hand away from her neck and reach down to grasp her wrists softly.

  The redness at the heels of her palms is quite bad with the small scratches from her fall; the small broken gravels must have been painful on her tender skin.

  “I want you to stay right here and not move.”

  Moving her to the waiting chairs, I sit her down and put her hands on her lap while I slip through the door that leads to a small office where a man stands up to greet me.

  “I need cleansing wipes and bandages,” I said, the tone of my voice is clipped and cold.

  The man visibly flinches and scrambles to find what I need as I look over my shoulder at the window where I can see the back of Holly’s head. He comes back with what I need, and I take the things with a nod of gratitude before getting back to her.

  Her big, brown eyes blink at the supplies in my hand, and she immediately sits up straighter, “That’s too much trouble, Mr. Isaac!”

  “Please, call me Isaac,” I soothe her worries with a smile; it does wonders on her.

  It’s frustrating to know that I could be there to prevent the harm that fell upon her. If I had been one step closer and ten seconds quicker, I would have taken the brunt of the pain myself. I would have been fine; my suit might be ruined, but Holly would be unharmed.

  “Nothing comes before you, sweetheart,” I peel open the disinfectant wipe. The strong alcohol scent punches me in the gut as the wet tissue cools my fingers.

  I rub the tissue over the raw skin, she winces, and the small jerk of her hand is normal to get away from the pain. I hold tight around her wrist and praise her; her cheeks are going to have a new name for red if she continues to be so embarrassed.

  The bandage is a bit excessive, but I want to make sure that no infection would come her way, and a normal Band-Aid is not big enough. She will be ripping away the newly healed skin with the adhesive, and that wouldn’t be a pleasant thing to do.

  As I finish with her other hand, the receptionist comes back with a pack of ice and a protective cover to prevent ice burns. I take it from her with a nod of thanks and press it to Holly’s hip. She chokes a surprised squeal of pain.

  I coo at her, “You’re a good girl, sweetheart. Just keep it here, and you will be just fine.”

  She slaps her hand over the ice and our fingers touch when I retrieve my hand back. The absolute mortification is the most amusing thing I have seen yet. The desire to kiss her senseless boils in my stomach as her bottom lip wobbles.

  “T-thank you!” her high-pitched whisper gets her a pat through her hair.

  “I have to get to class,” she squeaks with a cough.

  She makes a motion to stand, and I help her up, the area of my knees is wrinkled from kneeling, and it’s worth it when she isn’t at risk of infection.

  “I’ll escort you,” I insist.

  She adjusts her backpack with one hand, pressing the ice pack to her hipbone, “Um, you’re too nice, Mr. Isaac. How can I repay you?”

  When an opportunity falls onto my lap from an angel like her, I would be an idiot not to take advantage of it. I would be a sinner for being the one that didn’t resist her temptation, but I was born a wicked man with grey morals.

  “I would love to see you again,” my smile is disarming, and I have a feeling that she wasn’t suspicious in the first place.

  She’s too trusting and it has to do with her age; Holly is so young and beautiful; she never had the chance to experience the typical young adult life of clubbing and dating.

  More of her first times for me.

  “See me again?” she says as if she can’t believe her ears.

  “Yes,” I affirm as I guide her outside the health center. “How does coffee sound tomorrow morning?”

  She stutters, indecisive as we make our way towards my car, “Sure, coffee is good.”

  “Good.”

  Holly is a bit startled and absentminded when we stop. Her lecture hall is just down the street, but she doesn’t know that I know where all of her classes are and when they start with the dismissal times in my head.

  “It’s a date then,” my remark has her head jerking up to look me in the eyes.

  The brown hues reflect the sunlight, changing it to a molten caramel that is much more interesting than my blue eyes. There comes the redness on her cheeks again. I have to touch her cheek to see if it’s just as warm as they look.

  It’s burning hot and very soft too. I can kiss those cheeks all day if she permits me.

  “It’s a date,” she murmurs back, meek and quiet.

  Holly’s modesty makes me feel bad.

  I’m such a bad man that I want to bring out that submissive side of her.

  “Get to class, sweetheart. I will see you tomorrow at the coffee shop.”

  She nods obediently and grips the strip of her backpack before shyly smiling at me. My heart hammers in my ribs. My lungs take in the irresistible scent as I lean down for a kiss on her cheek.

  Her breath shudders, “See you tomorrow.”

  I watch her zoom down the street with her small legs, but they can only get so far when she starts to walk. Her head turns, and she gives me a little wave before darting into the building of her lecture hall.

  A figure steps into the sidewalk from the trees. It’s someone that I’m familiar with. Kian turns his head to the side and watches me with his black eyes; his presence on this campus does do me comfort, knowing that he would never let anything happen to Holly.

  At first, I thought Holly was a target of his assassination, and I had wondered who would want my sweetheart dead. I was mistaken., Kian was just a man too obsessed and desperate for Holly.

  Kian walks away and slips back into the shadows of another building, and like the ghost that he is, he’s gone from my view and my sense of him fades with the wind.

  I return to my car and pull out my phone. The GPS locator tells me that Holly is in her class now and is stationary.

  I don’t believe myself to be a bad man. I’m simply concerned about her safety and the only way to know where she is at all times is to install a Trojan horse into her phone through a harmless email from her school since she would open the email with thoughts of school-related news.

 

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