Tigress (Night Hawk Series) by J.E. Taylor Read Free Book Online Page A

at the pile of bloody froth on the floor and back to Michael and me, his brow scrunched in confusion.
    “She bit Naomi,” Michael said.
    “So you did that to her?” his breathless question settled over the room.
    “No, my blood did that,” I said and wiped the wetness from my cheeks. I hadn’t realized I was crying, but the shake in my voice confirmed it along with the traces of tears on my fingers.
    His gaze dropped to the floor and he closed his mouth, pressing his lips together before his eyes rose to mine. They moved past me to Michael.
    “And you just let her suffer?”
    “I was curious,” Michael said and I pushed away from him. “And I wanted her to know what would happen if you ever bit her,” he added and met my gaze.
    I shivered at the thought but there was something underneath Michael’s gaze, something akin to a plea for me not to allow Damian to self-destruct. I sent a reassuring smile his way before turning back to Damian.
    “Where are you going?” Michael directed toward Damian.
    “Home,” Damian said, squaring his shoulders and putting on that rebellious expression that I associate with Michael’s presence.
    “Home , as in Greece?” Michael asked, his hands finding his hips and a warning flared in his eyes.
    “No, home as in Connecticut.”
    “You would be better suited to go to Greece.”
    “She wants to go to New York,” Damian said, focusing Michael’s displeasure in my direction instead of his.
    “No.”
    “That’s what I said.” Damian sent a smug smile in my direction and then glanced back at Michael. “Although right now I’d like to tear your brother to pieces for what he’s done to us.”
    Now that the adrenaline had died, the stench of death made me gag and I shuffled around the steaming puddle and out into the cold night. Damian and Michael followed and for the first time, I noted that Michael was wearing regular clothing instead of bare-chested with his majestic wings and I sent him a sideways look.
    “I’m tagging along for the ride,” he said and both Damian and I stopped in our tracks. “Someone needs to keep her safe during the day now that my brother is back in action,” he added to Damian.
    “But won’t you give us away?” Damian asked, narrowing his eyes.
    “No, not while I take a completely human form.” He spread his arms out to prove his point. “No wings, no angelic powers, no beacon, but I still can kick ass.”
    Damian circled him and the spark in his eyes made me want to warn Michael, but I kept my mouth shut, watching the dynamics. I was sure there was more at play here than just my safety and as soon as Damian was tucked safely away in the truck, I’d get to the bottom of Michael’s intentions.
    The hellacious grin that spread on Damian’s lips, just before his shadow form morphed, was enough to make me step between the two supernatural beings.
    “No,” I said, pointing at Damian, knowing his first instinct was to break free of Michael’s bond. His mad gaze landed on me and he smiled with a mouthful of razor sharp teeth.
    “Move, baby,” he said, but the feral growl that accompanied it made me stand my ground. I knew more about Michael than he did.
    Michael put his hand on my shoulder to clear the path, but I shook it off, meeting Damian’s glare.
    “He cares a great deal about you, you stupid moron,” I growled back at Damian. “So I’m sure part of it is keeping you safe too.”
    The transition out of shadow form happened in a blink and the confusion clouding Damian’s face made me smile, even with Michael’s less than silent curses behind me. I glanced back at him. “Don’t you think it’s time he knows what he means to you? I know you said this angry shit between you two worked, but it doesn’t work for me.”
    Michael’s arms crossed and he glared at me before he moved his gaze to Damian’s.
    “What exactly does she know that I don’t?” Damian asked.
    Michael threw a curve ball that neither Damian nor I saw