“You two wait inside,” he told them. Striding to the front door, he pulled it open and stepped onto the front porch. A rush of chilly air whirled inside, along with a couple of stray leaves.
Her heart in her throat, Naomi clung to Liam. His arm was around her, and he held her close against him, his body tense as they waited for Angus. Slowly the sense of threat subsided, and had left her entirely by the time Angus returned. His frown created lines in his forehead and his gaze was piercing as he looked at them.
“You have good instincts,” he told Naomi. “There was indeed something Other here. Not a shapeshifter, not Djinn.”
“Not human?” Liam asked sharply.
Angus shook his head. “No. And it is gone now. However, have no further fears. Renee and I will strengthen the wards around the house and property.”
Adina approached them, twisting her fingers together in distress. “You don’t think it is more of those caracal men?”
Angus went to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. “No. It was not a shifter.” His voice rang with confidence, leaving no place for doubt. “And all of them were captured, Adina, except the one you knew as Mahmoud, and he is dead. There is no danger to you, I give you my word. Any danger, if there is any, is directed at Naomi, as she is the only one of you who sensed it. You and your children are safe here.”
Naomi felt guilty for having upset Adina. She should have been more discreet, made sure only Liam heard her.
“I feel so bad,” she told Liam later as they stood out on the back steps of the inn. He was heading to the clinic to work, and she followed him outside for a private word. “I didn’t mean to upset Adina.”
“It’s a little worse for her,” Liam said, sighing. “Her son was one of those taken to the desert to die, but Sasha’s oldest son, Zuni, had rescued him, along with a couple others, and had them in hiding with a friend in Marrakesh. Adina thought him dead for months, until after everyone was rescued and the compound destroyed, and Zuni told the rescuers about the boys. Now she hardly lets Ahmed out of her sight. Understandably.”
“Oh, my God, how horrible!” Naomi stared at him, aghast.
“She’ll be fine,” Liam soothed. “You’ll notice Angus was able to calm her fears. He has a way about him.”
“Yes, he does.” She grinned. “I keep trying to think of what kind of magic he and Renee could have, but the fact is, I have no clue whatsoever.”
Liam laughed. “You’re not alone in wondering, believe me.” He glanced at his watch, then pulled her close, nuzzling her hair. He let her go, stepping back before she had time to react. “I have to be off. Stick close to the inn and be safe, okay? Have a good day, Naomi.”
She blinked a bit, watching has he disappeared down the hall and out the back door.
“You, too, Liam,” she whispered, savoring the memory, however brief, of his arms, strong and warm, around her. Making her feel safe. Making her yearn to stay there, in his arms.
And he wanted that, too. It was clear in the way he’d held her, so close, so tight, for just that instant before letting her go. Like she was special, just for that one minute.
Naomi considered the various conversations she’d had the last few days. While she wasn’t willing to risk Liam’s life, at the same time, she acknowledged that a simple hug wasn’t going to turn her into a raving, homicidal maniac, so she was going to enjoy every single hug that Liam wanted to give her.
Feeling pleased with herself for her decision, she headed into the dining room for breakfast. That finished, and her dishes bussed to the cart by the kitchen door, she headed back upstairs to review her wardrobe. Her work clothing from the year before had been specifically chosen with the Bookmobile in mind. It was a little casual, she decided, for working in the library itself. She really needed some clothes that were more suitable. Maybe a couple of skirts and trousers, several blouses, and maybe a cardigan or two. She had to keep in mind that winter was on the way, too. Most of her casual clothes were from Florida, and appropriate to summer heat and humidity.
She dressed in jeans, a t-shirt with the message “Librarians Do It By the Book” emblazoned on the front, and a hoodie for warmth. She pulled on socks and stuffed her feet in sneakers, and she was ready for a shopping trip.
Hesitating, she chewed on her lower lip indecisively. Liam had told her to stick close to the inn. Honestly, given what had happened earlier, he wasn’t wrong, and yet, she needed suitable clothes for work. She couldn’t put her whole life on hold, waiting until she had someone to escort her, just because there was something bad out there. Scratch that. Shewouldn’tput her whole life on hold. It seemed like she’d been on hold, all her life. This was her new life, damn it! And nobody was going to scare her into hiding.
She grabbed up her purse and car keys, made sure her cell phone was in her pocket, and left her room, shutting the door behind her with a satisfying thud.
Heading to the mall, she slowed as she saw a full-service car wash ahead. Making a quick decision, she flicked on her turn signal and pulled into the driveway. Her car was still dusty, as well as musty inside from spending all those months in storage. She got out of the car as an employee approached, and handed him her keys after arranging for it to be fully detailed, inside and out.
They had an indoor waiting area with comfortable chairs, vending machines as well as free coffee and… she had to laugh… a popcorn machine. Just as Martin had promised! She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down to wait. Thank goodness for cell phones and Internet, she thought with an inward laugh. One never had to be bored if stuck with an unexpected wait. She scrolled through social media and news articles, catching up on world events that had happened since she’d slunk into the zoo in her clouded leopard form almost a year before.
It was when she went out to reclaim her car that she felt again that same insidious prickle down her back, warning of someone watching her.Danger, her cat insisted.A predator stalking us.
With her heart pounding uncomfortably, she accepted her keys from the young woman who’d come to fetch her from the waiting area. She hit the door locks the instant she was safely in her car. It took every ounce of control she possessed to not tear out of the driveway and charge into traffic. She turned away from the mall, back to the highway. Although she kept a close watch in her rear-view mirror, she couldn’t spot anyone tailing her.
Checking her fuel gage, she made sure she had plenty of gas before taking an exit a few miles down. She wasn’t going to be like one of those too-stupid-to-live horror flick chicks who get stranded, running out of gas on deserted roads. Not that she was planning on going down any deserted roads. But she took her time driving around the older suburbs, turning at random intersections until she was absolutely sure no one was following her.
She consulted her GPS, and plotted a back-roads route back to the mall, rather than risk driving along that stretch of road between the highway and the mall. Okay, she was probably being paranoid. Butsomethingwas out there… her cat agreed, and Angus had agreed, too, back at the inn. She was scared, but she was starting to be angry, too, and that feeling only built in her chest as she made her way to the mall.
Although she remained alert as she shopped, the sensation of being watched didn’t return. She spent a couple of hours browsing the aisles in a department store, as well as stopping in a shop specializing in skin care and bathing… no point in not pampering herself in the evening, she thought with a sense of fun.
Laden with bags, she headed for the food court. With relief she dropped the bags into a chair and headed to a food stand, being sure to keep an eye on her purchases. She returned with a hot dog loaded with everything, a warm salted pretzel with mustard, and a cherry slushie. She bit into the hot dog, rolling her eyes at the medley of flavors that burst on her tongue.
