I nod, clutching my bag strap a little tighter.
“Bet that city car isn’t used to tailing through these mountains.”
The voice rumbles from the back of the garage, rough and edged with knowing. My stomach free-falls straight into the ground. I don’t need to turn to know who it is. That voice has been burned into my brain. Still, I turn, because the stupid part of me needs to confirm the threat with my own eyes.
And there he is. Kilian Rutherford. Arms folded over that broad chest, his gaze pinning me in place.
He knows? I followed him, and he caught me. My throat tightens, panic squeezing until I can barely swallow.
This is embarrassing. No, not just embarrassing but terrifying. What will he do now? I open my mouth to deny it, to say anything, but nothing comes.
Before Kilian can say anything more, Kade goes to him, clapping a heavy hand on his shoulder.
“Easy, prez. Let’s not scare the lady off before I fix her ride.” He turns to me and holds out a hand. “Keys?”
I fumble them out of my bag before passing them over.
Kade nods. “Just stay here.” He gives Kilian a look before heading out to the lot.
Prez. He called him prez. I turn the word over in my head, and there is really only one thing it can be short for. President. Kilian Rutherford is the president of a gang.
I keep my eyes on his bike. It’s right there in front of the garage, and I don’t know how I missed it coming in because anyone who wasn’t sleepwalking could see it. I walked in here completely unprepared when I didn’t have to be.
He hasn’t moved. I know that without looking because the garage is quiet. But I can feel his stare. What is he thinking?
The quiet stretches, and I let it. Counting the seconds until Kade comes back instead. When he does, there’s a rag between his hands, and he’s glancing between us.
“The alternator’s shot. Can’t get a replacement ’til tomorrow.”
Tomorrow?I can’t leave my car here overnight! I need to get home.
“Oh. Is there an Uber around here?”
“Uber? Nah.” Kade laughs, shaking his head while he continues to wipe his hands. “Where do you live?”
“Near the school. Hillcrest Primary.”
Kade jerks his chin toward the back. ”Kilian here will drop you off.”
OMG!This can’t be happening.
“Um, no need… I will just… walk… I can walk home.” My entire body is screamingno.
Kade whistles, low and drawn-out, almost telling me how stupid that suggestion was. “That’s a solid hour on foot. And it’s getting dark.”
I open my mouth to argue anyway, to insist on the walk, but before I can form a single word, Kilian pushes off the wall.
“Come,” he says, and I don’t know what it is about that one word, but my feet are already moving, following him.
4
Kilian
KADE’S HAND CLAPS my shoulder once. I don’t need to look at him to catch what he’s throwing. The man hasn’t pushed me toward a woman in the years that I’ve known him. Now, I can tell exactly what’s on his mind:Don’t screw this up.
But I want to screw it up.
I need to screw it up.
