Let Him Reign: An Underworld Romance Read Online Free PDF Page A

like all the others. 
    "It's probably clear, but I'm not ready to leave yet," he says softly, pressing a kiss against my ear.
    "Me, either. I hope my best friend Kayla is all right. Do you think everyone’s okay?"
    “God I hope so. I haven’t heard any gunfire so it’s probably all for show.”
    “Do you have a cell phone?” I ask.
    “Nope. No pockets, which explains why Batman always wore a utility belt.”
    I worry that Kayla might still be looking for me. I don’t know what I’d do if something was to happen to her. She’s not just my best friend, but she’s always been like a sister since we met in Kindergarten. But once chaos erupted, it was obvious that we were all on our own tonight. If Eric hadn't pulled me in here I probably would've ended up unconscious and crushed on the ground.
    "I'm sorry," he whispers softly against my ear. "I didn't have a condom, and I shouldn't have let it go that far. But I swear you don't have anything to worry about with me. That was my first time bareback—I don't know what I was thinking. I lost my damn mind."
    "It's okay. I've never...not used anything before, and you pulled out before so..."
    "Yeah, definitely. I sure as fuck don't want any kids."
    I flinch from the venom of his words. It's not like I want kids anytime soon, but I'd like to have a few with my future husband eventually. The way Eric’s comment sounded, he really doesn't want any children, like ever.
    "So how'd you know about this secret hiding spot?" I ask, since there's no reason for us to worry about each other’s preferences for children after just having sex once.
    "I, ah, stumbled into it earlier and thought you'd be safe in here."
    My chest warms knowing that he'd worried about me, and wanted to protect me. It's an unusual feeling since I've been taking care of myself for so long.                    
    "But why?" I ask. "You don't even know me."
    "Batman would be a jackass if he didn't rescue Catwoman," he replies, making me smile. "And you're sexy as fuck in that costume."
    "You're not so bad yourself as a big, mysterious Batman. Although, I'd kind of like to see what you look like without a mask in the light. You feel pretty hot."
    "We'll sneak out in a little while." He laughs softly into my hair. "Once we're in the clear we can go unmasked."
    "So do you know who these Coughlin people are?" I ask him in a low whisper.
    "Ah, not really, no," he replies, loosening his grip on me.
    "So what do you think is up with them? How can they afford this huge ass house and no one ever sees them go to work or do, well, anything else? And what's with the men and guns?"
    "Who knows?" he sighs. "Probably something shady."
    "Probably," I agree. "So, do you live around here?"
    "I just started school in New York. I'm only in town visiting my family for the weekend. What about you?" he asks, beginning to rub his palm soothingly down the length of my leg and back up again.
    "Born and raised here in Eden, unfortunately. But I'm going to school part-time at the community college, majoring in criminal justice, so that I can get out of this shitty town soon."
    Even though I had an almost perfect GPA in high school, I didn't get any full scholarships. The ones I received from a few Universities just weren't enough to cover room and board. So I enrolled in the local community college and take courses there as I can afford them. It'll take me a while, but eventually I'll have a two-year degree that will hopefully open doors for jobs in a bigger city than Eden. I dream of the day I can get in my clunker of a car and leave this place and everyone but Kayla behind forever.
    "Ah, so the cat burglar wants to be a cop?" Eric asks, sounding amused.
    "No, I want to be a forensic examiner…you know the person that collects evidence after murders?"
    "Wow." He laughs. "That's gonna be some gruesome shit."
    "Yeah, but I think it would be fun to solve mysteries and puzzles for a living to catch criminals. What about