Free Tainted Legacy (YA Paranormal Romance) by Amity Hope Page B

trying to hold her voice steady but Gabe could see her trembling. Her eyes were locked on his. He could hear her breathing in frightened, ragged gasps. Her terror crashed into him with the force of a tsunami. It only ignited his fury.
    “It’s okay,” he told her. “You’re going to be just fine. Right?” he asked the perpetrator. “She’s going to be just fine. Because you’re going to let her go or I will break your neck.” It was a command, pure and simple.
    “Give me your wallet and you can have the girl,” he ground out.
    Gabe dug his wallet out and tossed it near the man’s feet.
    “Let her go,” he commanded as he lunged forward.
    The mugger tugged Ava’s purse from her arm as he tossed her aside. She stumbled but didn’t fall as she gracelessly collided with a brick building.
    Gabe barreled into the attacker as he was releasing Ava. Faster than she could turn around, they were on the ground, rolling through the loose gravel that topped the tar. Rolling and punching as they fought.
    Gabe was able to gain command of the scuffle in no time. While the assailant was on the ground, Ava got in a few good kicks while carefully avoiding Gabe.
    With a violent shout, the man managed to shove Gabe off as he rolled away from him. He stumbled to his feet, taking off at a run.
    “Are you okay?” Ava asked Gabe as he debated taking off after the guy.
    “I’m fine. Are you—,” he stopped. “You’re shaking.” 
    Ava nodded and before he could stop her, she stumbled into his arms, her arms wrapping tightly around his waist. He gave her back an awkward pat as he tried to figure out what to do next. Despite the unprecedented way she clung to him, he had no real desire to peel her off.
    In fact, he had the opposite desire. He found himself wrapping his arms around her, enjoying how her body felt as he pressed it tightly to his. She placed her head on his shoulder and tightened her own grip. There was no escaping her enticing scent now and Gabe finally decided he needed to move away.
    “Did he hurt you?” he asked when she had calmed down a bit. He gently moved her back from him to assess her for injuries. “You’re bleeding,” he told her.
    She swiped her fingers across her neck, smearing them with blood. “It doesn’t really hurt,” she said as she grabbed her forgotten purse off the ground.
    Gabe retrieved his wallet as Ava dug out a tissue and her compact. She flipped it open to assess her injuries.
    “It’s fine. It’s just a little knick. I’ve done worse to myself shaving.” She paused and her expression ramped up from shock into outright anger. “Actually, it’s not fine. What was that guy thinking?!”
    “He was thinking he was going to take our money,” Gabe told her, not quite sure what she was asking.
    “He had a knife at my neck!” Ava said in disbelief. “He actually had a knife at my neck and he cut me! He could’ve killed me!ld’ve d me!l
    Gabe watched her warily. He knew Ava had every right to be upset but he didn’t have a clue what to do with an upset female. He was terrified she’d start to cry and he’d have to…well, he didn’t even know what he’d have to do. He’d never been in this sort of situation before. At least not one where he couldn’t just walk away the moment he got bored.
    Ava didn’t burst into tears. Instead, she let loose with the most intriguing, eloquent, vibrant cascade of cuss words Gabe had ever had the pleasure of hearing. They flowed from those lovely full lips of hers with the beautiful, powerful audacity of a big hair band lead singer letting loose on a ballad.
    He was stunned. He was awed. He was…more than a little bit turned on. Ava was standing with her fists ground into her slender hips. Her heeled boots making her legs look insanely long. Her hair had come loose and was framing her face in a sexy, tousled sort of way. Her eyes glittered with anger and her cheeks were rosy with fury. She looked…unbelievably hot.
    He needed to