Tyrant Stalker (Tyrant Dynasty 2)

If there was any doubt about him being my girl's date, it disappears when he rings Dove's doorbell. I hiss out loud I'm so pissed off. I don't know if I can watch this happen. Maybe I should just get it over with and slit his throat right now.

"I know what you're doing."

I snap my head around to the sound of the voice. It's a shabbily dressed man with wise eyes and a scraggly, auburn beard. His complexion is ruddy, but his teeth are straight as he grins at me.

It's little bird's charity project.

"What am I doing?" I ask, raising my brows at the man.

"Watching her." He motions to Dove's house. "You're not as invisible as you think. What's your name?"

I hesitate. I've had two names, but my first belongs to the past.

"Nox," I mutter.

"Interesting." The guy's hazel eyes drink me in, from my all-black outfit to the hoodie obscuring my face. "Does Dove know you've been watching her? What are you, a disgruntled ex-boyfriend?"

I smirk. "Something like that."

"What you're doing isn't right," the guy grumbles. "But I'm sure you know that already."

"Are you going to tell her what you saw?" I ask, hoping he doesn't. If he does, I'll have to kill him, and I don't want little bird to wonder what happened to him. A part of me expects him to ask for money in exchange for his silence, but he doesn't. Instead, he laughs out loud.

"Not yet. But I'll keep an eye on you."

I glance back at her house just in time to see the flashy car pull away. I curse out loud, kicking at the wall when I realize it's too late for me to follow them. I turn back to face Dove's friend.

"Do you know where they're going?"

"To dinner," he replies.

"But Dove doesn't eat in front of other people."

He smiles. "You seem to know a lot about her. Does she care about you as much as you care about her?"

"Not anymore," I answer truthfully. "But she did. A lot. Before I hurt her."

"That's the way it always is," he sighs, offering me a grimy hand. "The name's Sam."

I regard his dirt-stained palm, then reach forward and give him a firm handshake. I can tell he likes the fact that I haven't recoiled in disgust. We exchange inquisitive looks. I want him to trust me. I could use him on my side.

"Will you help me get her back?" I ask him.

"Maybe." The man's eyes sparkle. "If you prove to be worthy of her."

"I'm more than worthy," I hiss.

"No need to get so defensive." He laughs again. "I'm guessing you have to go make sure that smug-looking guy doesn't hurt her."

"That's right." I smirk at him, pleased that he seems to understand. "Can I trust you not to tell Dove about this?"

Whatever his answer is, something tells me it won't be a lie. Finally, he nods. "I won't tell her."

"Thank you." The two words slip from my lips with effort. I haven't said them in a long time, not to anyone. "I'll see you around, old man."

"See you around, Mr. Night," he says, making me look over my shoulder and smirk. He knows what the name I gave him means. It's Latin. He must be educated. I wonder how he ended up on the streets.

Chapter 5

Dove

Raphael Santino is a gentleman.

He holds the car door open for me, pulls back my chair to help me sit down. He orders for me, but not before checking for my preferences. He even compliments my outfit, and I can tell he means it, because his eyes devour me. He wants me. A man hasn't wanted me in a long time.

Raphael orders our wine, an expensive red. I don't drink, but tonight, I need the extra courage, and I sip at the blood-red liquid throughout the evening.

"So," Raphael smiles after ordering our food. "Who is Dove Canterbury? Besides an enigma, of course."

"I'm just a regular girl," I mutter, sipping on the wine. The tart flavor is pleasing, and I try not to think about the calories in the glass. "Nothing fancy, really."

"I don't buy that for a single second," Raphael says, toasting me with his glass. "You're different. Definitely special. So, tell me everything about yourself."

"Everything?" I laugh, setting my glass down. "That's a tall order."

"I want to know." His dark eyes sparkle with amusement, boring into mine. "Everything about you, Dove. So tell me."

I shrug, unsure of where to start. "I'm the younger of two siblings. My brother, Robin, is a year older than me. He lives in LA, too. We're very close. We spend at least three evenings of the week together."

"That's wonderful. And your parents?"

"My parents... They're back in New York, where I was born." My teeth dig into my bottom lip. It's always painful explaining this to people. "My dad worked as a CEO at a Fortune 500 company. He died a couple years ago. My mom was a socialite and married for money." I shrug. "She has other people now. Lovers, boyfriends. She's still beautiful."