For The Love Of An Angel

ANGEL

"Hey!"

Shit!

Without spinning around to see who was shouting at me, I dropped the lid of the rubbish bin and bolted.

The bitter cold wind whipped at my hair, cutting through the thin coat draped over my shoulders. But I didn't care.

Couldn't care.

I kept running, the worn soles of my shoes hitting the freezing ground, advertising my whereabouts, although the darkening evening sky afforded some camouflage from the person who'd just shouted at me. The person who lived in this great big house.

Who would live in a house like this anyway? Something this size ... it didn't belong in the middle of the city.

And you do?

Ignoring the teasing voice in my mind, I pushed forward, my legs propelling me towards the tall brick wall that separated these grounds and the rest of the city.

Come on.

Move!

My heart pounded in my ears, my breath pushed out of my chest. The tattered rucksack slung over my shoulder bounced across my back, shaking the few belongings I had in there.

Go.

Go.

Go.

The wall was right there ... just there ... I could almost touch it ...

A weight pressed against my back, pushing me forward, and my body slammed into the wall. My head smacked off the bricks in front of me, stars exploding behind my eyes.

Shit!

Hands grabbed me, pulled me backwards to spin me around and slam me back against the wall, this time it was the back of my head that smacked against the bricks. My bag dropped to the floor as darkness pressed against the edge of my vision and I squinted.

Reaching forward, I grabbed a shirt in my fist, while my other arm flung around wildly, trying to hit the person in front of me. My vision blurred and I blinked as I kicked out, my foot hitting something solid.

A curse. A growl.

Hands grabbed the lapel of my worn coat, pulled me forward and then slammed me back against the wall.

Wiping a hand across my eyes, I blinked a couple more times to clear my eyes before reaching forward once more, grabbing fists full of shirt, pulling forward ... only to be met with large chocolate coloured eyes.

Oh.

A gasp, and the eyes moved back to reveal a face of a guy.

A very handsome guy.

The soft glow of the outside lights pinned to the wall illuminated the garden and the man in front of me. Ebony hair, tanned skin ... his full lips were parted a little as another gasp escaped his mouth. My eyes fell to the tight shirt that stretched across his strong chest, and I tried not to gulp watching the muscles of his chest shift as he took a step back.

Fog clouded my mind and I was vaguely aware of my hands still tangled in his shirt, my fingers digging into his hard stomach. His breath puffed out in a cloud of steam as he gripped onto my coat, his dark eyes boring into mine.

"Who are you?" The guy's voice was deep, strong, smooth, and a shiver worked through my body that had nothing to do with the chilly winter air.

His stare was intense and my skin prickled under his gaze.