Designs of Destiny

Chapter 3

I tipped my chin up at veiled threat, determined to show him nothing that he could and would use against me. "They say curiosity killed the cat. I sure as hell hope that's true with you."

I flashed him my most brilliant smile, sketched a bow and turned to leave, my eyes quickly scanning the crowd for a sign of Brandon. He was nowhere in sight.

The end of my shift could not have come soon enough.

As I went about my usual walk home, my guard already up after tonight's confrontation with Eddie, I noticed someone trailing me, blending back into the shadows whenever I moved my head around to observe. Brandon would be waiting for me at his usual spot but if this was one of Eddie's minions spying on me, I couldn't lead him to the man I'd been trying to protect. I slowed my pace.

The cold steel of the gun against of my thigh had never felt more welcome than when a short but bulky figure lunged for me. I was able to dodge away after driving the back of my fist to his face, stumbling to the cold ground and crawling away.

Another figure jumped out, tackling the other man down and ramming a fist to the side of his head.

Brandon-much like the hero I didn't want him to be-punishing the man with vicious punches.

"No!"

I saw a flash of steel, my heart jumping to my throat as Brandon reared back to avoid the deadly swipe of a knife. The man caught him with a foot behind his leg and he toppled back, vulnerable to the coming attack.

I had no conscious thought process as my hand raised the gun and fired, clocking the man right on the shoulder, the knife he held clattering to the ground. He howled in pain, clutching his wound just as Brandon pulled his leg back and rammed a foot against his throat. The man croaked, gasping loudly as he crumpled to the ground.

Brandon got up on his feet and approached our attacker again.

"Let's go! Now!" With an unsteady hand and blood roaring in my ears, I stashed my gun and scrambled to my feet, grabbing for Brandon's hand to drag him away.

I could barely see where I was going but out of nowhere a shiny black sedan whipped to a stop in front of us.

"Get in," Brandon ordered, yanking the door open and climbing in after me.

"Get us home, Weiss," he said to the driver who gave no reaction to our rescue as if he did this every night. Considering Brandon's inclination to sweep the streets at night, he probably did.

I was quiet and trembling in the back of the car, cold and shaken by the violence and my own contribution to it.

It wasn't new to me having existed in the fringes of society for so long but tonight was the first time I feared for someone else other than myself.

It lasted no more than a few minutes but they were forever seared into my brain.

I would never forget the sheer terror watching the knife swing down toward Brandon, knowing that if fate led the blade straight to his heart, it would be all over and I would've lost, once again, not just someone I deeply cared about but a good soul the world definitely needed more of.

Brandon drew me into his arms, his solid strength steadying the tremors racking through my body. "You were very brave, Charlotte, but if I see you in danger like that again, I might go insane."