The Devil's Deal

chapter thirteen

Thank you guys for 25k!

──

Penny

"Are you okay angel?" He asks, his gaze is penetrating as he stares back at me.

His fingers are still gripping my chin so all I can do is stare up back at him. My mind is blank and any and all sense of what I should be saying has been wiped clean.

My delayed reflexes finally catch up with my mind and before I can think to stop it, my leg is swinging up towards his crotch, catching him off guard, he lets go of my chin, I watch him lurch over in pain, his hands flying to cover his crotch.

I stumble away from him, still in shock about this entire situation, "Sorry!"

"That's how you say thank you?" He stands up, his face pinched together, he breathes in and out deeply, his hands are still covering his groin protectively.

"I—sorry," I mumble again, stepping back and rubbing my hands up and down my bare arms that are prickled with goose-bumps.

Not knowing what to say to the man who saved me from the embarrassment of moments before I stay quiet and watch him.

"Yeah... you're welcome," He laughs arching his back and glancing over my shoulder, his face fills with concern as he looks back down at me again, "but really, are you okay? What he did was not cool," he takes a step closer.

I nod, "yeah I'm fine... just shaken up, this was not how I was expecting this night to go"

He nods, "Well you're lucky I was around," His voice is laced with humor.

I open my mouth to retort, "I was lucky? Don't forget that I just kicked you straight in the balls, and you were all macho a second ago, I think I would've been okay," I scoff crossing my arms over my chest, not wanting to admit that he's right. I was lucky.

Luck isn't something I usually have and I'd say the past few weeks have been extremely unlucky, but in this case, I am grateful this stranger was around.

"Right." he laughs, "I know him, he's not a good guy."

I growl and look down the hallway itching to go back out into public and find Denzel so he can take me home.

"You should really be more careful, this isn't a place for girls like you, The Den is not a safe place and filled with some very dangerous people," he says.

I steady my gaze on him, "Girls like me...  So to your logic, you must be one of these very dangerous people I should be staying away from?"

He gives me a hard look, "I'm the very last person you should be talking to right now..." He steps even closer.

My heart rate spikes as I take another step back pressing up against the opposite wall, his slow gradual steps are intimidating, and only now do I register his height and build. Those muscles.

"So I should probably walk away..." I whisper as he comes closer, looking down at me, his eyes hooded.

"You should, but you won't."

My brows furrow underneath the mask. His own mask is a solid charcoal black that lines his face, his sharp jawline accentuated from the shadowed lighting cast against one side of his face.

"And why won't I? Aren't you scared that I'll kick you again?" I say one side of my mouth, quirking up at the question.

His smiles, a small dimple appearing on his left cheek, his eyes momentarily flick down to my lips, before looking back up at me. My face feels hot all over and he seems even closer now even though he's still inches away. He's not touching me at all but the ghost of his hands seems to be trailing all over me.