Free The Redeemer by J.D. Chase Page A

with it. Now, seeing the maniac in action, he decided that Isla was right; Xander was clearly unhinged and Isla was perhaps in grave danger. Xander was threatening to kill her, for fuck’s sake. He pulled Isla closer to his chest; his own self-preservation paled into insignificance in relation to how protective he felt of her. He breathed out a long sigh of relief when the doors remained closed and he felt the lift begin to ascend, knowing what a close call they’d had.
    He stumbled out into the hallway as soon as the doors parted and then realised that he had no idea which room Isla was using, or which rooms were occupied by guests. He headed towards the main suite, knowing it was usually unused during the week. Then, when he heard angry shouting in the distance, he realised that Xander was taking the stairs. Panicking, he stopped outside one of the junior suites instead and gave a silent prayer that he wasn’t about to intrude on the privacy of some poor resident. Letting go of Isla’s legs, he held her torso against his as he rifled through her pockets for her master key. The shouting was getting louder and he feared that the lunatic would reach them but thankfully, his anxious fingers felt something smooth and flat. He thrust it into the lock and heard a life-saving beep as he withdrew it. He pushed the handle down and stepped inside, pulling Isla with him. The room was in darkness but he knew that if there was a resident inside, he’d have to find a way to keep them quiet.
    Closing the door slowly to mute the sound, Dean fumbled for the light switch. He found it and, when the room was bathed in light, was relieved to see that there was no sign of habitation. He could still hear the disturbance but it was muted now that a solid oak door was between them. He had no idea how close by Xander was, or whether the security guards had caught up with him yet; he was just so relieved to have kept Isla safe. He slid his arm under her legs once more and carried her through the living area and into the bedroom.
    He could barely see where he was going as the only light was from the one he’d switched on; it was spilling around the corner. He stood and allowed his eyes to adjust before locating the bed and gently lowering her on to it. She mumbled something unintelligible and curled up into the foetal position. He stood over her and then, unable to resist the temptation, flicked the switch above the bed to turn on a bedside lamp.
    He gasped when he looked back at the bed. Her long, flame-red locks were flowing out, fanning her sleeping form. It was such a beautiful sight and, though he knew he shouldn’t be observing her in that vulnerable state, he was unable to tear himself away from the enticing vision in front of him. There was no way he was going to venture out of the suite until he was sure that the deranged madman had been removed from the premises. And, he told himself, it was necessary for him to remain so that he could warn Isla of the near miss she’d had and the danger she was in as soon as she awoke. He also told himself that it was unnecessary for him to remain standing over her and that he should crash on the sofa in the living area but he chose to ignore himself.
    Gently, he removed her shoes and, as he kicked off his own, he also ignored the little voice in his head that told him it was both unnecessary and inappropriate to consider easing his long frame on to the mattress next to her. The little voice sounded like a haughty headmaster when it demanded to know why he was removing his clothes and just what it was that he thought he was doing. Dean blanked it out then, clad only in his boxers, he tiptoed into the lounge area and flicked off the light. In a lithe movement, he lowered his body gently on to the mattress so that he was on his side, facing her in order that he could continue to observe her as she slept. She stirred at the disturbance, straightening her legs and mumbling something that Dean couldn’t