Page 29 of Lightning Angel
Alexa raised her other hand to hit him, but he pocketed the phone and caught it as well.
He pressed her back to the counter, locking her body with his in a way she couldn’t move even her legs. Her efforts to knee him in the groin were futile, and when she tried to slam her head to his, he leaned away.
“Now, now, pretty doll, listen carefully. You have time until Cassie returns, to make your choice. I don’t expect you to date me, but I do expect something from you. When your time is up and you haven’t given it to me, what bad luck it’ll be for your sister.But if you agree to my wants, I swear to delete the pictures. The condition is never to tell a soul about this; if I learn you’ve told this to anyone, whether or not you agree to my wants, I’ll release the pictures. As long as this is between the two of us, everyone is safe.”
He finished with a wicked grin, and Alexa felt like gagging. “You’re a world-class jerk.”
“Thanks to you, Alexa, because this is all for you.” He began to lean closer. “Now, tell me. I know you love your sister so much that you would do anything for her, especially to save her reputation. Do we have a deal?”
“What do you want with me?”
Brandon tilted his head, looking at her as if she were an idiot. “What does a boy want to do with a girl?”
Alexa’s eyes widened in horror and her stomach churned. “For heaven’s sake, you’re a Christian!”
“I care so little about that title; Cassie knows, I thought you did too.”
Of course, she did, but she hadn’t expectedthisfrom him. There were people out there who weren’t Christians but lived decent lives.Alexacouldn’t bring herself to live a sinful life, even though she didn’t want to be considered a Christian anymore. Butthis… Brandon…
This was so out of hand.
And why did this have to happen in her already broken life?
She felt so helpless. Her sister’s life was at stake; she couldn’t take any risk. She couldn’t tell Cassie, she couldn’t tell Daphne, she could definitely not call the police.
She was on her own.
The only option there was, to give Brandon what hewanted. But Alexa would kill herself before she did that. She didn’t trust him, not anymore; who knew he even would keep his word after she did as he said? What if he continued to take advantage of her with this?
“Why the long face, pretty doll?” Brandon’s crooning voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
“Don’t call me that,” she snapped and tried to push him off her. “Back off!”
Brandon persisted, and his hold on her became more insistent. His face neared hers, and Alexa protested louder with words and stronger with her actions. But she was no match for his strength.
“Just tell me—”
Suddenly, with a yelp of surprise, Brandon was ripped off her. Alexa’s breath hitched as she watched him fly backward by an unseen but violent force. He landed across the kitchen with a thud and held his side, grunting in pain.
Alexa looked around the kitchen with horror-struck eyes. There was nothing or no one else but the two of them. Unless…
Unless the third person was invisible.
Her heart raced.The Lightning Knight.
Whom else could it be, jumping in for her defense, again?
Unspeakable relief washed over her, his presence feeling like gravity in the storm. Alexa’s eyes darted all over the room brimming with gratitude; wherever he was standing, he should know how grateful she was.
It felt so surreal and fiction-like, but Alexa believed with every ounce of her body that thiswasreal. She felt the truth of it in her heart and soul, down to every cell inher body.
Any trace of her fear of him—not that she had—vanished. Even if he was an obsessed stalker, all she felt was gratitude.
“What was that?” Bandon rasped. Alexa glanced over to him and saw him looking around him with an incredulous expression.
“I have no idea,” she replied, sounding too casual for someone whodidn’tknow. “Probably my dad’s ghost or an invisible knight my sister has hired to keep me safe.”
Brandon glared at her despite wincing in pain. “I’m serious, Alexa.”