Damon (The Protectors Series) Book #1 (9 page)

didn't need right now.

“Dammit Nicole, get out of the car before I pull you out.” Damon stepped back and that was the break

she needed. Slamming into gear she lifted her foot off the brake and took off, her door slamming shut

from the force of the car speeding off.

“Pull me out, my ass.” Nicole snorted then glanced in her rear view mirror thinking to see him

standing in her dust, but to her horror he was running right up behind her leaping into the air before

landing on the top of her car with a loud boom. Screaming, she let go of the steering wheel, her hands

flying to her face covering her eyes she slammed the brakes. “Are you freakin crazy?!” she screamed,

afraid to look to see him splattered all over the hood of her car.

Jumping down, Damon threw open her door almost yanking it off the hinges. “Get out.”

Turning her head, she peeked through her fingers, hoping to find him in one piece and not a bloody

mess. Seeing him standing in her door unhurt pissed her off to a roaring level ten. He had just scared

the crap out of her. Jumping out, she punched him as hard as she could in the stomach feeling a

wicked satisfaction when she heard him grunt. “What were you thinking? I could have killed you!”

“I'm a vampire, remember?” He stated with a sloppy grin, rubbing his stomach. That had actually hurt

a little.

“That doesn't mean I couldn't have run over you.” She slapped him in the chest. Twice. Hard. Shaking

her hurting hand, she glared at him. “You scared the crap out of me.”

“You think that's scary?” He leaned in her face with a glare, then grabbed her hand and rubbed it

gently. “That's nothing compared to what could be coming after you.”

“I'm....” She cleared her throat, looking at his large hands rubbing hers. Just that small touch made her

skin crawl in a good wicked way. Okay, Nicole, get a grip. Lifting her eyes to his, she pulled her hand

away. “I'm not leaving my home and job. I'll be careful.”

Damon nodded, turned away and reached in her car taking the keys out of the ignition. “You have to

be the most hard headed, stubborn human I have ever met and believe me I have met a lot of them.”

Grabbing her elbow, he headed back to the warehouse.

“Hey...” Nicole straightened her legs trying to stop, but she slid right along behind him in the gravel.

“What are you doing? Give me my keys dammit!”

“Stop or you're going to hurt yourself.” Damon slowed, but still pulled her along. When she didn't start

walking, but kept skidding along the graveled parking lot, he stooped, hitting her in the stomach with

his shoulder, lifting her off the ground.

“Put me the fuck down!” Nicole grunted as her soft stomach bounced on his shoulder.

He whacked her butt. “Watch your mouth.”

Sucking in her breath Nicole snarled. “You did not just spank me.”

“I'll do it again if you don't watch your language.” His grin was downright wicked and secretly he

hoped she did so he could have a reason to put his hand back on that nice rounded ass.

Knowing he would, she bit her bottom lip to keep her mouth shut. As she bounced up and down her

eyes fell on his rear end that was temptingly in her face. It would serve him right if she took a bite.

God, it was so tempting.

“Don't even think about it.” Damon warned, as he opened the door to the warehouse, then set her

down. Nicole swayed as the blood rushed to her head. “I bite back.”

“You're pushing it buddy.” She poked his chest with each word.

“And you owe a dollar to the jar.” Damon reminded her with a smirk.

Nicole shot him a nasty glare. She hardly ever said the f-word, but he had her so twisted she didn't

know what she was doing anymore.

Mitch, Duncan and Jared stood staring at them with grins on their faces. “I told you he could change

her mind.” Jared grinned. “He has a way with women.”

“I didn't change my mind.” Nicole hissed, glaring at Damon. “And he doesn't have a way with me. I

am so not like those women who probably fall at his feet and do his every command.” Okay....where

did that come from?

Jared snorted, trying to hide his grin behind his hand when Damon glared at him. “Shut the hell up,

Jared.”

Damon turned to Duncan. “As you heard, the human has decided to play Russian roulette with her life,

so we need to have someone with her twenty-four-seven until this gets taken care of.”

Rolling her eyes, Nicole sighed loud and long. “Come on. This isn't necessary. You guys got better

things to do than hang around me, waiting for something that may or may not happen.”

“Oh, it's going to happen. Jamison was one of the best and if not for Damon last night, you wouldn't

be standing here right now.” Jared turned serious. “You'd be dead or wishing you were.”

Okay, seeing the funny and goofy Jared turn serious in a blink of an eye put things in perspective.

“Okay, so what can I do that doesn't involve me leaving my job and life?”

“Who wants to do it?” Duncan looked between Jared and Damon. Well, the silence said a lot. Nicole

felt like an idiot standing there waiting to see who was going to be the sacrifice.

“I'll do it.” A man walked out of the shadows of the warehouse.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Damon frowned at the newcomer.

“I called the council. We need more help down here, so they sent Sid and a few more are on their

way.” Duncan replied, daring Damon to say anything.

Nicole just stood staring at Sid. Hot damn, these warriors were gorgeous. Not usually attracted to

blondes, she had to rethink that one. Standing at the same height as Damon's six-three he was slimmer,

but wasn't hurting for muscles. He looked solid as a rock and actually looked like Brad Pitt starring in

a beach boy movie. Ignoring everyone in the warehouse, he stopped in front of Nicole. “Name's Sid

Sinclair.” He put his hand out and she took it in a strong shake.

She nodded trying not to stare, failing miserably. “Nicole Callahan.”

“So you're the children's hero, huh?” Sid dropped her hand and smiled, looking her up and down.

“Not much to ya. Figured you'd be ah....taller.” He winked.

“Children's hero?” Mitch looked around confused.

“Oh yeah....this woman is well known around the council.” Sid smirked at Damon's frown. “She's put

a dent in the blood selling business by pulling kids from the homes that are exploiting them.”

“Seriously?” Pride warmed her, Nicole grinned. All her hard work was finally paying off and she

loved it.

“Oh, yeah.” Sid grinned, looking her up and down. “So, I would be honored to guard that body.”

Even though Nicole thought Sid was hot, he was not her kind of hot. The vampire growling with a

nasty sneer at Sid was more her style. Too bad he was taken.

Duncan knew if he didn't step in there was going to be a killing. He didn't know why Damon hadn't

stepped up, but he knew Damon well enough to know there was a good reason why he didn't. “Sid, I

have something else in mind for you. Jared, get your stuff together and go with Nicole.”

Jared nodded. He didn't volunteer earlier because he knew something was going on with Damon and

Nicole, but hell, Damon hadn't stepped up. “Sure thing.” He turned and walked away.

Grabbing his bag Jared turned to go back out and came face to face with Damon. “Hey, big guy.”

“Keep her safe.” Damon demanded blocking the door.

“I know my job, Damon. What I don't know is why you aren't doing it.”

“I have my reasons.”

“Yeah, well hope you can live with them if something happens to her.” Jared tried to walk around him.

“Nothing better happen to her Jared, because if it does it will be your ass.” Damon snarled.

Jared dropped his bag and got in Damon's face. “You need to back the fuck off. You don't want to be

the one to guard her so shut the hell up. I don't know what crawled up your ass, but I will guard her

and I will die for her if need be. Can you say the same?”

Looking away, Damon backed off. “Get out of here.”

“No problem.” Jared grabbed his bag. “I don't get you man. I really don't. A blind man can see you

have feelings for Nicole and she sure as hell has feelings for you. I never figured you for a coward.”

“You don't know what you're talking about.” Damon still didn't look at him. But Jared was right, he

was a coward. This little human scared the hell out of him.

Shaking his head, Jared walked out. “Whatever.”

The week had gone by in a flash of work, shopping for a dress and missing Damon. Nicole stood in

front of her full length mirror making sure her finishing touches for tonight's charity dance were

acceptable. Jared had taken her and Pam dress shopping Wednesday and had actually been very

helpful. He had sat patiently as they tried on many dresses and commented on each. He actually had

very good taste.

Nicole had finally settled on a black chiffon spaghetti strap gown with a sweetheart bodice. It hung

with an uneven hem and flowed around to a short train. She had really liked the dress, but thought it

was too casual for the event, but Jared had insisted it was perfect and she was glad now she bought it.

Glancing down at her shoes, she smiled. They were very pretty, but something she wouldn't have

bought herself. Jared had insisted, saying that they set the dress off. They were black satin, with a

wraparound instep, rhinestone toe straps and ended with a five-inch stiletto heel. She prayed she didn't

break her neck. Glancing one last time in the mirror she smiled, wondering if Damon would be there

tonight. For once she looked like a lady and secretly wanted him to see her. Jared had warned her not

to go anywhere without him tonight. They were afraid with the combination of public exposure and

the prominent people attending the event tonight, it would be a prime time for someone to make a hit

on her. Walking out of her bedroom she closed the door softly.

Jared whistled. “You are absolutely gorgeous.”

Nicole blushed. “If you think your flattery will get you more of my fried chicken....you're absolutely

right.” She laughed and took the arm he offered. “You look very handsome yourself sir.”

“Let's get you to the ball Cinderella.” Jared grinned. If this didn't open Damon's eyes then nothing

would, so to his way of thinking that made Nicole available. Jared's grin took a wicked turn.

Damon tugged at his collar for the hundredth. God, he hated tuxes, feeling more at home in his BDU's

and t-shirts. Everyone was on alert knowing that this would be the best time for someone to make a hit

on Nicole. She would be accepting an award tonight for her work with the kids. Yeah, that would

make this the best possible time to prove a point. Damon casually looked around at the happy party

goers, his hands in his pockets. Where the hell were Jared and Nicole? Pam and her date had arrived a

half an hour ago. His nostrils flared thinking of Jared as Nicole's date. Well, he certainly had pushed

that into happening, now hadn't he?

“Penny for your thoughts.”

Damon looked over at Sid, who sidled up next to him. It looked like he went to the same tux rental

place that he had gone to. “Not in the mood, Sid.”

“Testy much?” Sid chuckled. “Let's see if I can guess those thoughts and save me a penny. You are

beating yourself up for putting the lovely Nicole in the clutches of the handsome and humorous Jared,

who could charm a virginal nun out of her godly habit?”

Damon rolled his eyes, but was surprised that he had hit it right on the head. “Not even close.” He

totally lied.

“Really? Hummm....” Sid winked at a beautiful woman who eyed him as she walked by. “I guess I'm

also wrong about the reason Jared is the one with Nicole and not you. I mean she is just a lowly

human and not good enough for you. My God, we are of a warrior class and cannot have a human

mate. Fates be damned that should happen.”

Feeling a headache coming on, he rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I really think it would piss Duncan

off if I mopped the floor with your bloody corpse, so why don't you just stop talking and walk away

Sid.”

Chuckling, Sid patted him on the back. “You know Damon, that's what I have always respected about

you. You never were afraid to speak your mind. But you forget I can read minds too and lately you

have been like a movie of the week. Haven't been blocking very well and that, my friend, is a very

dangerous thing in our line of work.” Taking a swig of beer, Sid looked around. “We can't choose

who we are mated to Damon, so why don't you stop fighting it and go with the flow? Work it out with

her that is, after seeing my handsome puss, she still wants you. I can read her mind, but I would bet

my last dollar you can't.”

Damon watched Sid walk away with his confident swagger, sliding up to the beauty he was eying

earlier. Sighing, Damon turned to leave, shock stopped him cold. Jared had just walked in with the

most beautiful woman he had ever seen. “Jesus.” He groaned, realizing it was Nicole like he had never

seen her before. Gone were her jeans and t-shirts and in place was a gown that was tight in all the right

places and flowed in all the others. Her pale blonde hair had been left loose with the sides tied up into