Rogue Darkness by Dianne Duvall

“What?” Kent called back.

“I don’t know,” she repeated, louder this time.

“Bullshit.”

“No, it isn’t,” she retorted. “I never asked. I didn’t want George to think I don’t trust him.”

“Then when’s your boy’s birthday?”

They wouldn’t believe her if she feigned ignorance of that, too. Sean had said they were engaged. Couples that close would know each other’s birthday, so Nicole pulled a random date out of the air. “April fifth.”

“What year?” Rylan asked.

Her mind blanked.

“What year?” he repeated with more force.

She performed a quick calculation that would make Sean a little older than he was and blurted a year.

Mutters sounded.

A few minutes later, Kent appeared at her side.

Nicole looked up at him. “What?”

“This is bullshit.” He thrust Sean’s phone toward her. “Unlock it.”

She shook her head. “I told you—”

“You’re lying,” he accused, expression darkening. “Every girlfriend I ever had gave me shit if I didn’t tell her my password. They assumed I wouldn’t do it because I was texting another woman.”

“Because you were,” Rylan called jovially.

Kent’s face lit with arrogant satisfaction. “Hell yes, I was.” Then he shoved the phone at Nicole. “Unlock it.”

“I’m not lying. I—”

Kent took her hands in a bruising grip and forced them around the phone. As soon as she held it, he grabbed her face with one hand. His thumb dug into her right cheek. His fingers dug into her left as he leaned in close. “Unlock his phone,” he ordered, his voice low, “or I will fuck you up.”

Nicole’s heartbeat quickened. If this asshole hurt her in any way, Sean would tear him limb from limb, and things would go sideways. Fast.

Pasting a terrified look on her face, she spoke in a tremulous voice. “Marge said—”

His grip tightened painfully. “Marge is sleeping and won’t hear a thing.”

Was she really? Or was he bullshitting?

Nicole opened her mouth and called, “Mar—!”

The hand on her face swiftly shifted to cover her mouth. “You stupid bitch,” he hissed. “If you want someone here to be your friend, let’s see how much you like being mine.” His gaze dropped to her chest.

As soon as his free hand reached toward her breasts, Nicole clenched Nick’s phone tightly and drove it up into Kent’s chin as hard as she could.

Kent grunted as the device made contact. His head jerked up. Stumbling backward, he raised a hand to his mouth.

“Kent?” Rylan called, sounding more alert. “What’re you doing? You okay?”

When Kent drew his fingers away from his mouth, they were slick with blood. “I bit my thongue,” he cried incredulously. Face mottling, he glared down at her. “You bith!” Drawing back his arm, he swung.

Nicole tried to dodge to the side, but the seatbelt left her little maneuvering room. Pain exploded through her head as his fist made contact. It wasn’t as hard a hit as it would’ve been if she hadn’t tried to avoid it, but it still hurt like hell and rang her bell.

“Damn it, Kent!” Rylan hissed.

Momentarily stunned, Nicole raised a hand to her head. She’d thought he meant to slap her. Instead, the bastard had punched her!

Her eyes widened.

Wait. He had punched her?

She glanced at Sean

His brown eyes flashed with amber fire. The muscles in his arms bulged. The zip ties snapped and fell away.

Oh crap.

Sean rocketed from his seat. Several thuds and yelps sounded before Nicole could even register that he and Kent weren’t beside her anymore. She turned to peek around the high back of her chair.

Kent was down on his hands and knees in the aisle, blood gushing from his nose and mouth as he wheezed and gasped for air. Sean tore through the rest of the cabin like the Tasmanian Devil. One of the unnamed hired goons collapsed to the floor in front of the big-screen television, his face a mangled mess from Sean’s punches. The other slumped onto the sofa.

Neither moved, but she didn’t think they were dead.

While explosions played out on the television screen, Sean knocked out Rylan, who had leaped to his feet.

Kent drew a handgun from the back of his pants.

Sean pounced and knocked it out of his hand.

Wow. Sean proceeded to beat the crap out of the taller man.

No match for Sean’s enhanced speed or strength, Kent couldn’t even call for help. It was like watching one of David’s cats toy with a mouse it had caught.

Well, she thought with satisfaction, the dumbass shouldn’t have laid a hand on me.

Sean yanked the battered man back against his chest and sank his fangs into his neck. Kent’s eyes, already beginning to swell, widened as much as they could, then closed. His struggles ceased.

Nicole unbuckled her seatbelt and rose. Still clutching Sean’s phone, she stepped into the aisle. When a sudden bout of dizziness struck, she grabbed the seat headrest with her free hand to steady herself.

Sean dropped Kent, stepped over his prone form, and strode forward. As soon as he was within reach, he swept her into a tight hug. “Are you okay?” he asked hoarsely.