2

Viper

It was supposed to go seamlessly, the drop-off but I should have known not to trust gangbangers. I wasn't surprised when he pulled a gun on me but I was surprised at the sound of a throaty, girly voice shouting at us. She came running out of nowhere, like a dark little cherry that had no business being here. Her hands had been pleading, her eyes terrified and only one thought crossed my mind when I saw her.

To get her the hell out of here.

When chaos erupted, I covered her, terrified any of the bullets would scratch her perfect skin. She screamed and shivered under me but she had nothing to fear, as long as I was here. I heard the bullets but I barely felt them when they hit me. All I could feel was a body that seemed to melt into mine, evaporate into me like incense evaporates into mist.

She didn't even reach up to my collarbones, her nails digging into my chest and even in the chaos I was still very much aware of her breasts pressing into me. I was aware of all of her, from her frightened green eyes to the lemon blossom smell of her softly black hair.

A stirring erupts in my body when she rips open my leather coat.

"You've been shot," she shrieks and her lower lip trembles and I look down. Fuck. Damage has been done but I close the coat again, not wanting her to look at the blood, fearing she might be squeamish and I fall to the ground when I go dizzy in the head. She comes down on top of me, looming over me like she's trying to protect me from any more invisible bullets and thank fuck I killed those gangbangers. This girl seems willing to risk her life for my sake and a sudden rush of adrenaline bursts in me and I cup my hand around her throat

"Don't you ever do that again," I warn. "Don't you dare ever risk your life for me."

She startles before crying out. "You risked your life for me! Took bullets for me and...oh, please don't die." Her eyes are wide and she's shaking, keeps trying to look at my wounds, keeps trying to stop the bleeding but I don't want to get her dirty. She's too clean. Too pure. Angel.

An angel with raven hair, trying to help a man who doesn't deserve her mercy.

When my eyes flutter because I can't help it, she lets out a choked sob and she leans in closer, warming me with her little body and it feels good because I'm starting to feel cold. I focus on her to not start to drift, focus on her face that's getting wet from the rain and I count the pale freckles on her cheeks. Her throat is slender and she's wearing a thin necklace with the letter T. I clasp the locket between my fingers, twirling it and her breaths come out in little pants.

"Name," I rasp and she licks her full lips that are a little bit cracked in the middle.

"Tamsin Teller." She looks around in distress and the sound of sirens slices my ears. "What's yours?"

I don't give out my name. Unless an angel is asking for it. "Viper Roz." My eyes go to hers. "Were you following me?"

She had to have been. Why else would she have been in an alley and I frown when she nods. As I was walking here I thought I sensed something behind me but it was too non-threatening, too sweet for me to pay much attention to it. I don't notice sweet things. I notice danger. Beautiful things like her fly below my radar. I don't know beauty, what it tastes like, what it feels like to consume it.

In my life I have never had something fine, something good but now it is sticking to me like it never wants to leave me. I would think that for something like her to stay in my presence, I would have to shackle her but she seems to have no plans on the two of us separating.

"My heart hurts," I groan and her cheeks color from worry.

"Because of the bullets? Lay as still as you possibly can..."

"Not the bullets," I grit between my teeth. Ignoring her recommendations on laying still, I lift my hand and touch her face. "Because of you."

She's gorgeous, too colorful and courageous for a dim world. Her hips flare underneath her jacket and the ends of her hair brush my throat, soft as feather strokes and I know I won't die but if I did, having a beauty like her looking down on me with that submissive expression on her face would be a hell of a good way to go.

I stroke my thumb over her mouth. "How can you be real? How could you have fallen down from heaven right into the arms of the devil?" "You're not the devil. You're so strong and brave and you selflessly saved my life." A small smile lingers around her lips that I want to kiss and kiss until they turn a burning shade of red. "And I can promise you...I'm real."

My brows frown over my eyes when I suddenly see two of her. She splits, turns blurry like she's about to vanish into thin air and I panic, snatching her to me and she cries out in shock.

"Where the fuck are you going?" I growl and her eyes widen in astonishment.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here." Her shape goes back to being one person and her flesh feels softer than cotton in my hard palms. I slowly start letting go and she nods at me. "I'm right here."

"Do not go anywhere," I warn and I have never feared anything more in my life. My biggest fear isn't screwing up the legacy my fadir left behind. Now my biggest fear is losing her, having her out of my sight will feel like torture and I even dislike the way she keeps looking around. Turning her face to me, her eager fingers move to open up my coat again but I firmly stop her.

"Pretty eyes are not supposed to look at anything ugly."

"But I can help..." she begins when a cop car arrives along with an ambulance. She gasps at the sight of the cops and looks down at me in concern but I give a weak shake with my head. The cops won't do anything to me. They can't touch me and she lets out a sigh of relief when they throw a look at me, sharply turn and run over to the gangbangers.

Everything she does, her little sighs, looks and breaths that speak of her concern over me shoot straight into my chest and fill my heart up with her sweet essence. She's my painkiller. Innocence and sin in a tight little package. She can't be old. I have to be at least a decade older but the kind of life I live might as well have made me ancient.

"Hold on, Viper. You'll be okay," she whispers, gently stroking my shoulder and I like the way she says my name. Most people say it with venom on their tongue but it sounds like drippy, gooey syrup when coming from her. "The paramedics will take care of you. You'll be in safe hands. They're great guys."

I tense. Great guys? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?

Lifting her face to the paramedics, she murmurs, "George, Felix...be careful with him. He's been shot twice and I think it may be flesh wounds but he won't let me look..."

"Do you know them?" I exhale between my teeth but I can feel myself weakening and my body hardens for me to retain my focus and I clasp the locket around Tamsin's throat again. "Said do you know them?" I hiss and she looks at me helplessly, stunned by my reaction.

"Yes...yes, I know them. I work as a nurse. Oh be careful..." she adds when they move to put me on the stretcher and I let go of the locket and grab her wrist instead.

Nurse? She doesn't look old enough. My head starts spinning again when I think of her coming into the hospital everyday, surrounded by male patients...fucking doctors! They save lives but I will take theirs if they as much as shake her hand.

"Tamsin, you're going to have to say goodbye to your friend," one of the paramedics says and I clench my jaw, clasping her wrist harder and she squirms.

"He won't let go of me," Tamsin moans, trying to wiggle free but I give her a warning glance.

"You go where I go," I rasp and her jaw slacks and I can feel the aggression rising in the paramedics and my lips pull over my teeth.

"Sir, release the lady immediately or we're calling the cops over."

A hiss rises in my throat and I'm prepared to make them pay for taking Tamsin's name into their mouths and for trying to separate us when Tamsin cries,

"Don't provoke him!" Her eyes carefully go to mine and she stutters. "He's had a r...rough night. And I could come with you. I'm working the night shift anyway."

That relaxes me somewhat and I nod at her, pleased over her cooperation and she shoots me a small smile. The paramedics grunt something but agree to the compromise and usher me into the ambulance. I don't let go of Tamsin's wrist, not until she's inside with me and sitting next to me, close to my head. Only then do I unclasp my fingers and I check her skin to make sure I didn't hold on too hard. When Tamsin catches me looking she gets an expression in her eyes as soothing as daylight but it quickly turns frantic.

"Drive as fast as you can," she urges. "He has to survive this."

Her concern weakens the aggression in me but at the same time I want to chuckle. My angel has no idea about the things I've survived. Stabbings, worse gunshots than the ones I have now...It's common in my lifestyle and nothing for the softhearted. The paramedics ask her something and she turns her head to reply but I let out a growl and she jumps, looking at me with wide eyes.

"What is it?" she breathes. "Are you in a lot of pain?"

I pretend to grimace. "Think I'm d...dying," I choke, milking the situation to avert her attention from those fucking men and she turns white in the face.

"Oh hurry, hurry!" Her eyes go glassy and she angles her body toward me, ignoring everything else and it feels good to have her focus on me again. She shushes me, whispers in my ear that I'll be alright and her breath hits my cheek and I imagine kissing her as I've never imagined kissing another woman before. I want it sweet with her. Tender. I never want her to look at me and accuse me of all the bad I've done in my life. I'm going to make Tamsin believe I'm a lot nicer than I am.

She's going to have to follow me home, be introduced to my lifestyle though I'll keep her protected from most of it. As soon as we locked eyes in that alley I knew she would be the girl I would give up my life for, the one who will birth my heirs and be the color in my black and white world. She has already given me so much, with one touch she can make a fire going in me and with one look I feel ready to crawl on the ground and give her whatever she wants. Even if she said she wanted a sword to use to cut my head off, I would oblige.

My life is hers and she can do whatever she wants with it.

The dark haired angel looks down at me, having no idea that the most powerful man in town from now on answers to her.