Holy crap.
I leaned onto my other hand, gazing at him, and suddenly wished we had stayed home instead. “I’m thinking about reconsidering the carryout suggestion if you don’t stop staring at me like that.”
A smirk spread over his lips. “Like what?”
He knew damn well what he was doing, getting me all worked up for nothing. I don’t know what happened to me, but I had sex on the brain morning, noon and night, more specifically sex with Chase. “Let’s just order our food before we set this place in flames with your unstoppable sexual prowess. I don’t want to have to give our waitress a black eye.”
He chuckled, and it hit me straight in the belly. I missed the rich sound of his laugh. The past few days I hadn’t seen much of the arrogant asshole. It appeared he might be making an overdue comeback. The choice he made to end Eric’s life came with a huge sacrifice, one he was still trying to live with. Travis was not so forgiving and might not be any time soon.
“My little hellcat…are you going to threaten every girl that looks my way?”
I forked a heap of white rice. “Not every girl. Just the majority of them.”
Shaking his messy dark hair, he smiled. “I love your crazy ass.”
My heart sputtered. “Umm, I think I should be flattered.”
“You would,” he said with a mouthful of sweet and sour chicken.
At least we had the same tastes in food, for the most part. When we had both finished our meals, Chase pulled out a wad of cash and handed it to the server. “Keep the change,” he said and then proceeded to wink at her. Poor girl.
She wiped the drool from her mouth and smiled brightly at him even as I caught a glimpse of fear in her eyes. I might as well not have even been at the table.
So just to make my presence known, I kicked Chase in the shin. Hey, someone had to keep him in line. It is just not fair to unleash all that male hotness.
He scowled at me from across the table. Overall, I’d call it a successful date. No one got strangled, we weren’t attacked by hellhounds, and Chase ate all my leftovers. What more could I ask for?
Maybe a goodnight kiss.
“We should do this again. Soon. I had fun,” I said, feeling like a blimp. Chinese food always made me feel bloated.
Bringing our joined fingers to his lips, he kissed the back of my hand. “As many times as you want, Angel Eyes. You only have to ask.”
I might have walked out of the restaurant with an extraordinarily large grin on my face. He made me that stupidly happy.
We were only a few minutes from home when Chase got a call, and my heart sunk. There goes our almost normal night. From the deep lines of worry that creased his forehead and the throbbing vein at his neck, I knew it was not good. At this time of night, it never was.
Travis.
My stomach tensed up as I opened up to what Chase was feeling. The emotion-sharing was a work-in-progress.
“It was Lexi,” he said after he’d hung-up, confirming what I had already concluded. “I’ve got to go.” There was a hard edge to his voice as he mentally prepared himself for the worst. No matter how many times I insisted he let me try to help, he refused. Flat out wouldn’t even consider it. Usually I would press him, but I could see how much this hurt, and I didn’t want to add to that pain and guilt I knew he was carrying inside.
I closed my eyes as he punched the car into turbo gear. It had become almost a nightly ritual—Travis flying off the handle.
Chapter 2
I was half asleep when I felt Chase’s presence. While he had been out chasing a raging half-demon, I sat at home biting my nails until I finally let my body go horizontal. Knowing that Travis was out there running wild like a loose cannon, who no longer attempted to control his demon, was frightening. Everyone was a risk. There was this depressing ambiance in the air at the Winters’ house. They had all been through this situation before with Travis, and none of them was very eager to have a repeat performance.
There were so many factors to consider.
Exposure.
Hunters.
Hell.
In my head, I knew that Chase was just trying to protect me; however, the way I saw it, we all owed it to Travis to do everything in our power to help him. And that included me. Chase didn’t see it that way. All he saw was the possibility of me getting hurt. Apparently the thought of my blood made Chase puff out his chest and go all caveman on me. You. Woman. Do as I say.
When would he ever learn that I couldn’t be ordered about?
Travis had confided in me before, maybe if they just let me talk to him—see him, I might be able to reach him where others had failed. Heck, it was worth a shot, right? Well, Chase most definitely didn’t think so.