Devil Mine (Walk Through Shadows Book Two)

Chapter One

He was waiting for her when she breezed through the door of the coffee shop. It had taken weeks to figure out a pattern to her comings and goings. Night after night staking out the little coffee shop at the end of the street hoping for a glimpse of her.

She was older than the women that normally attracted him. Young college grads were so much easier to deal with. But something about her intrigued him which, with his past, was unusual.

He knew he should just file his curiosity about her away and let her pass through his world, safe and unharmed. Yet every night since he first laid eyes on her he found himself seeking her out.

"Hey Bastion." She greeted the server with a smile.

"Hey Em. How was class?" The young blond man behind the counter grabbed a paper cup to start her drink. She never had to order anything. The two of them had a routine.

"Pretty good. My little dancers are coming along."

"Are they ready for the recital?"

She laughed in answer. It carried across the room and struck him squarely in the chest. He took a breath, imaging it's warmth spreading through his limbs.

At first he'd thought her cheerful demeanor was artificial. A phony smile and laugh to hide a deep sadness she was carrying around. After a few nights of watching her from behind the safety of his long brown hair he realized it was genuine. It was just as real as the incredible sadness he'd felt from her.

He'd moved into the top floor of the apartment building she lived in two days before he overheard her weeping through the vent in his bedroom. It had barely been perceptible but he caught the soft sounds in the darkness. It had pulled him away from the piece he'd been working on. The same piece he'd been ignoring while he spent his time watching her.

The sorrow in those quiet sobs drew him to want to comfort her and it had been years since he'd felt that way about anyone. Something drove him to find out what had broken her heart so badly that it seemed to swallow her up at night.

While it was a nice thought had he given in to his desire to slip into her apartment to find her, wrap his arms around her and tell her everything would be alright. That she was safe from whatever it was that was causing her so much pain, he might have ended up in jail or possibly evicted from the building. Being thrown out would have put a big wrench into his current plans of laying low for a while.

So he took the only other viable option and stalked her.

                                                                       ***

Bastion nodded to the lone customer in the shop. "You haven't noticed?"

"You're being silly." She snapped the lid on her drink. "It's just a coincidence."

"Come on Em." Bastion winked. "Go say hi."

"Good night Bastion." She picked up the bag he had set on the counter for her. "I'll see you Thursday." As she turned her smile dimmed down several watts. Her neighbor had packed up his stuff and was walking towards the door.  Her steps slowed. He got to the door first and choose that exact moment to pull out his phone to check for messages. He didn't move so she had no choice but to walk right up to him. "Excuse me."

His eyes looked up and he smiled slightly. "Sorry." His smile deepened. "You live in my building." She nodded, trying not to make it obvious that she was entranced by his unusual green eyes. "Were you headed home?"