vanishing around the corner. He even ditched his bike in his haste to get away. The switchblade lay unwanted on the ground and Ray picked it up and tucked it away, leaving no evidence behind other than a few droplets of blood drying on the concrete.
“This is bad news. That kid was just the messenger—how dare they assume they could take me out with some punk, though.” He seethed. “I'll kill 'em.”
“No you won't, or your whole 'going straight' thing will be wasted.” Cecilia pointed out. He gnashed his teeth, but knew she was right.
“Whatever. We'll find a way out of this, just you wait and see.” He pulled her close and stalked off, mind whirring at a speed it never quite reached until now.
Those Devil's fucks were going to pay. And they were going to pay in blood if need be.
No one touches my Cece and gets away with it.
CHAPTER FOUR
They made it to the office in record time, probably from Cecilia's quick pace. Even if nonsensical children were running around trying to attack people, she was still going to get yelled at for being late.
“Let me see.” Ray was an annoying presence behind her, though he was comforting at the same time after protecting her.
“It's fine,” she waved him off, checking the empty street before jaywalking to the other side.
“You're bleeding,” he commented. His voice was low and rough, as though he was still trying to get a grip on how livid he was.
“Just a scrape. Nothing to worry about.” She kept in front of him but they both knew it was because he thought following her would be a better route than throwing her over his shoulder and running off to the nearest hospital.
“It's a knife wound, or are you forgetting that little bastard just a few minutes ago?” Ray demanded, reaching out to catch her wrist. She beat him to the punch, halting and turning on her heel to face him.
“Knife wound?” She laughed, a light sound that was not at all carefree. Her hands were shaking a bit from the adrenaline and the threat of being stabbed but nothing she couldn't handle. He was only a kid after all. “After all those scars I saw on you last night, this is practically a paper cut. Barely bigger than one, for that matter.” Cecilia lifted her left wrist, where a thin line of red drew from the slight bone protrusion and around her inner forearm to stop just before that thick tendon near her vital veins. It dripped weakly, a red smudge down her wrist. Not a big deal at all, in her opinion.
Ray took her hand in both of his and kissed the knuckles, smoothing his fingers over her palm.
“You were wounded by a knife, that makes it a knife wound.” He peered down at her, lips pressed to her fingers. “I'm sorry for getting you into all this.”
“It's nothing.” She regurgitated the words from before, but her lips curled into a smile. “You kept me safe, and that boy's not going to pull stupid shit like that again. At least he won't until his face swells back to a normal size.” Cecilia didn't care for violence, but in this case the kid deserved it.
“I put you in danger,” Ray repeated.
“You did nothing of the sort. I walked into it of my own free will; otherwise your ass would have been parked outside my door and frozen well before I'd have let you in.” She pointed out, quite reasonably. He didn't take the bait and smile, but at least he'd released her fingers. Her heart had been thrumming enough this morning, no need to add 'hero' complex arousal into the mix.
She turned back toward the street, heading for the office building just past the light. Almost there, and she still had five minutes before she was late. Perfect.
Ray trailed behind, clumping in his heavy boots. His solid presence comforted Cecilia very much. She secretly appreciated his over-protectiveness, even if she yelled at him on occasion. By the time she made it to work he was grumbling and glaring over his
“This is bad news. That kid was just the messenger—how dare they assume they could take me out with some punk, though.” He seethed. “I'll kill 'em.”
“No you won't, or your whole 'going straight' thing will be wasted.” Cecilia pointed out. He gnashed his teeth, but knew she was right.
“Whatever. We'll find a way out of this, just you wait and see.” He pulled her close and stalked off, mind whirring at a speed it never quite reached until now.
Those Devil's fucks were going to pay. And they were going to pay in blood if need be.
No one touches my Cece and gets away with it.
CHAPTER FOUR
They made it to the office in record time, probably from Cecilia's quick pace. Even if nonsensical children were running around trying to attack people, she was still going to get yelled at for being late.
“Let me see.” Ray was an annoying presence behind her, though he was comforting at the same time after protecting her.
“It's fine,” she waved him off, checking the empty street before jaywalking to the other side.
“You're bleeding,” he commented. His voice was low and rough, as though he was still trying to get a grip on how livid he was.
“Just a scrape. Nothing to worry about.” She kept in front of him but they both knew it was because he thought following her would be a better route than throwing her over his shoulder and running off to the nearest hospital.
“It's a knife wound, or are you forgetting that little bastard just a few minutes ago?” Ray demanded, reaching out to catch her wrist. She beat him to the punch, halting and turning on her heel to face him.
“Knife wound?” She laughed, a light sound that was not at all carefree. Her hands were shaking a bit from the adrenaline and the threat of being stabbed but nothing she couldn't handle. He was only a kid after all. “After all those scars I saw on you last night, this is practically a paper cut. Barely bigger than one, for that matter.” Cecilia lifted her left wrist, where a thin line of red drew from the slight bone protrusion and around her inner forearm to stop just before that thick tendon near her vital veins. It dripped weakly, a red smudge down her wrist. Not a big deal at all, in her opinion.
Ray took her hand in both of his and kissed the knuckles, smoothing his fingers over her palm.
“You were wounded by a knife, that makes it a knife wound.” He peered down at her, lips pressed to her fingers. “I'm sorry for getting you into all this.”
“It's nothing.” She regurgitated the words from before, but her lips curled into a smile. “You kept me safe, and that boy's not going to pull stupid shit like that again. At least he won't until his face swells back to a normal size.” Cecilia didn't care for violence, but in this case the kid deserved it.
“I put you in danger,” Ray repeated.
“You did nothing of the sort. I walked into it of my own free will; otherwise your ass would have been parked outside my door and frozen well before I'd have let you in.” She pointed out, quite reasonably. He didn't take the bait and smile, but at least he'd released her fingers. Her heart had been thrumming enough this morning, no need to add 'hero' complex arousal into the mix.
She turned back toward the street, heading for the office building just past the light. Almost there, and she still had five minutes before she was late. Perfect.
Ray trailed behind, clumping in his heavy boots. His solid presence comforted Cecilia very much. She secretly appreciated his over-protectiveness, even if she yelled at him on occasion. By the time she made it to work he was grumbling and glaring over his
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