Angel Blood

27- He's Mine (18+)

"How'd you find me?" It hadn't taken him long. I'd thought it would take him at least a week before he had any luck.

Sin's lips screw together in a way that tells me I'm really not going to like what's going to come out of his mouth next. "Does it matter?"

I tense. "It does."

He makes a miffed sound. "You're an easy girl to find, angel. I don't know what else to say." His gaze slides down my face and my dirt-covered clothing as if he's just now taking the state of me in. Sin's brow furrows as his eyes catch on my swollen knuckles. "What's that?"

I fight the urge to hide my hand behind my back. "Nothing."

He stiffens. "It sure looks like something to me."

"I mean, I did just punch you in the face."

He frowns at the mention but takes a step forward, ignoring the way I raise the shoe in my grip maliciously. "That's at least a day old."

I've never been good at lying so I just shrug a shoulder and pretend to look perplexed.

I stiffen as he leans down and slowly reaches for my hand. "Don't touch me."

The movement of his body pauses as he glares at me through his thick lashes. "Angel."

"No." That deep, all-consuming sorrow rears its ugly chest inside of me as the memory of the woman on his laps raises to the forefront of my mind. "Not after that. You don't deserve to pretend like you care anymore."

He sighs and it sounds so weary I feel the ache behind it radiate into my bones. "I can explain everything to you later. But for now, I just need to make sure you're okay. To touch you. Please."

The emotion behind his voice makes me pause. Amber's voice echoes in my head, reminding me of what I am to him—what he plans to do once he's fucked all the fun out of my body. But something in the way he's looking at me right now makes the thought sit unsteadily in my head.

I put the shoe down, trying to squash down any hope that rises in my chest out of fear of disappointment. "Why?"

"Why?" he echoes, scrubbing a hand over his face. He doesn't speak for a thoughtful moment, looking so uncharacteristically worn-down that a traitorous sliver of worry clenches in my gut. "I don't know."

I stare at him expectantly.

He sighs. "I care about you." He scowls at the incredulous look on my face. "I know I'm not good at this. I know I'm that last man on this earth you should ever want to be with, but goddamn, I feel so warm with I'm you. Alive. Like I'm touching a live wire. I've never felt anything like it before." Sin's hand raises to his chest and rubs the spot over his heart like it pains him. "When you leave it makes it so much worse."

My pulse beats at my throat. "Makes what worse?"

His brow scrunches with frustration as he struggles for the right words. "It's hard to explain. It's like...emptiness. Nothing matters. I just exist." His eyes catch on the sore patch of skin across my hand like he's barely resisting the urge to reach out and touch it. "I felt like that for so long before you. Far too long."

The admission makes a new wave of raw emotion stir inside of me. It's so intense that for a few long seconds all I can manage to do is stare at him wordlessly.

"Can I touch you?" he asks again.

I don't trust my voice so I just weakly nod my head.