I could make her come with me. If she has magic, she clearly doesn’t know how to wield it, otherwise she would have used it against her attacker. My training and size outweigh whatever knowledge she has of fighting. But the thought of taking her by force, even if it’s for her own good, makes me sick to my stomach.
Casting a quick glance over my shoulder, I catch the twinkle of streetlights through the trees. If I want her to come with me of her own free will, there’s only one thing to be done.
“Okay, listen, it’s not safe for you here anymore. I need to get you somewhere secure.” She twitches like she’s going to bolt, and so I quickly go on to say, “But let’s go check on your parents first to make sure they’re okay too.”
The plan was to get Haven and run right away, letting Talon and Locklyn take care of her parents, but maybe I can just take all of them. If it makes Haven feel safer to have them with us, I’ll make it work.
She eyes me suspiciously, but I notice her breathing evens out.
“How do I know you’re not going to hurt them?” she asks, and I rack my brain trying to come up with a way for her to trust me. I come up with nothing.
That is until I remember the weapon I have sheathed under my shirt in my waist. I learned to use one the first time I was in the human world when I lost my magic. I’ve not needed a gun since I came back, but I still carry one on me at times like this, just in case. I forgot it was there because my magic is usually more than sufficient in a fight, but it may be exactly what she needs right now to feel safe around me.
“Do you know how to use a gun?” I ask, and she rears back.
Shit. I’ve spooked her again.
I lift the hands I still have hovering in front of me higher. “I have a gun holstered at my waist. I’m going to keep my hands up so you can take it. If I try to hurt you or your parents, you can shoot me with it.”
Her eyebrows jump up her forehead. “You’re telling me to shoot you with your own weapon?”
I give a nervous chuckle. “I very much hope that doesn’t happen.”
I raise my arms even higher so my shirt rides up enough for her to get a peek at the holster and the butt of the gun. She quietly gasps and her eyes get impossibly larger, but she’s not running.
“Go ahead and take it, then let’s go check on your parents. Then we can all leave together.”
She swallows, and starts to inch forward, her gaze locked on my face. Once she’s close enough, she cautiously reaches out. With one hand she lifts the edge of my t-shirt higher. Her cold knuckles graze my abs, making my muscles twitch.
Her gaze drops and sticks for a moment before snapping up to my face. Grabbing the gun, she shuffles back quickly.
Okay. Baby steps.
“Is it all right if I lower my arms?” I ask, hoping the question helps her feel more in control.
She gives me a jerky nod, but keeps the gun trained on me. It shakes a little in her hands. It’s clear she doesn’t know how to handle the weapon. The only reason I’m not concerned is because she hasn’t flipped the safety off.
I slowly drop my arms, shoving my hands in my pockets to hopefully appear even less threatening, which is hard because I’m a big guy, almost a foot taller than her and twice her weight. My size alone must be intimidating.
“Do you want me to walk in front of you?”
“Huh?” Her brows pinch, like she’s not sure she heard me right.
“To your house,” I clarify. “Would it make you feel better if I walked ahead? So you can keep me in sight and know I’m not pulling anything.”
“Oh, that,” she says. A sudden burst of color appears high on her cheeks, making me wonder what she thought I meant.
She shakes her head. “No, it’s okay. Let’s go.”
Six
HAVEN
If I don’t get murdered tonight, I may just die of embarrassment.
After practically drooling over his abs, I completely misunderstood when he asked if I wanted him to walk ahead. I thought he was offering me a chance to check out his butt too.
Gah. Just kill me now.
