Day In Court

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR

Maddie noticed a dark-skinned man watching her closely. He walked up to the bar and said, "I'll take a double shot of Jack."

"Coming right up," she replied cheerfully. She poured the drink and passed it to him.

He downed the double shot quickly before asking, "Are you Maddie Gallagher?"

"I am," she replied before remembering that Zanna had told her not to trust anyone except for her new bodyguard. It was too late to deny her identity now, however, so she simply smiled at the man.

"I'm Doug," he said, showing her the talisman that matched her own. "The Master of the City has assigned me to protect you."

"Oh, thank goodness!" Maddie cried in relief. "I was worried you were one of the bad guys."

Doug sighed. "You're going to be a lot of work, aren't you?" He asked. "Keep your voice down. Keep your emotions subtle. Don't draw attention to yourself. Those are basic vampire survival rules. Hell, those are basic New Yorker survival rules."

"I'm not originally from New York."

"Yeah, I can tell." He sighed again before shoving his empty shot glass toward her. "Another double."

"Of course." She quickly prepared the drink and watched him down it again. "So, do you work as a bodyguard often?" She asked.

"No," he replied in a tone that left no room for further questions.

Maddie served her other customers. She didn't pay too much attention to any of them until she found one who radiated a strange, powerful energy. The first thing Maddie's eyes landed on was his chest, barely covered by his shirt. The top three buttons were open, revealing a little bit of his impressive physique but leaving some details to the imagination.

Her eyes traveled upward until she was looking at his face. He was incredibly handsome, but that wasn't the main thing she noticed. What truly caught her attention was how full of sorrow his eyes were.

"You look like you could use someone to talk to," she said casually. "I'm Maddie."

He seemed surprised by her words. "Hello, Maddie," he replied softly, almost like he wasn't sure how to speak to her. "I am Damian."

"It's nice to meet you, Damian. So, what can I get you?"

He paused as if he was carefully considering her question. "Just a water, please," he replied.

"Are you sure?" Maddie asked.

"I don't drink alcohol except for religious purposes," Damian replied.

"I can respect that," she said with a kind smile as she poured water into a glass of ice for him. "May I ask what brought you into a bar, alone, if you don't drink?"

"You did," he replied.

Maddie felt a chill shoot down her spine at his words. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"You are in danger, Maddie. I believe I must protect you."

"Get in line, buddy," Doug said as he walked over to them. "She's already got a bodyguard."

"If he's really here to help, the more the merrier, right?" Maddie asked.

"You can't trust this guy, Maddie," Doug insisted. "He's a dark angel. That means he's part demon."

Maddie examined the handsome and seemingly gentle Damian and frowned. "He doesn't seem very evil, Doug," she said.

"You're new to all this, Maddie. How would you know what evil looks like?" Doug demanded.