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Becca giggled as the dog snatched another out of the air. “Don’t you worry that one will go over the side?”
“I like to think Casper has some sense of self-preservation.”
“Where are you taking me?”
He glanced over, and his voice was low. “Somewhere dirt won’t matter.”
She had to look down in the bag, blushing, as if it were hard to find another fry to toss into the back.
“I just thought we’d head over to Quiet Waters,” he said. “I heard it was nice.”
Quiet Waters was a beautiful park, probably one of the best in the county. She used to love the gardens, how there were dozens of gazebos where you could hide for hours with a book.
Or a boy.
Drew had taken her there. Once.
She must have been quiet too long. Hunter glanced over. “Lame?”
She heard the smile in his voice—and the self-deprecating tone beneath it. Some of the tension slipped from her shoulders, but she still felt off balance and uncertain. At times like this, she wanted to kill Drew. “No, no—it’s a beautiful place.”
slim hand caught her arm—not hard, but firmly enough that she had to stop.
Becca threw her head up. “Lilah.”
Lilah didn’t look like the kind of girl you’d want to screw with. She had a few inches on Becca, and her smoking habit had drawn premature lines around her mouth, leaving her cheeks drawn and her eyes hard. Her hair was curly, and long, but the edges frizzed along her shoulders. Combined with the tight black tank top and low-slung jeans she wore, it made her look like a biker chick.
Maybe she was.
Becca drew back. “Leave me alone. I’ll call the manager.”
“And tell him what? That I’m standing here?”
Flustered, Becca glanced around. She wasn’t afraid of Lilah—yet—but Tyler could be here. Or Seth. She didn’t see anyone, but that didn’t mean anything. “Look. I don’t know why you guys keep hassling me—”
“Hassling you.” Lilah’s eyes narrowed.
“Just what do you think you’re doing right now?” Becca hissed.
Lilah leaned against one of the shelving units, her expression almost incredulous. “Look, chick, I just came here to warn you.”
Becca pushed past her. “I think I got enough warning on my front door. Thanks.”
“Tyler told me about you,” Lilah called. “That you said you weren’t one of them.”
Becca stopped and turned. “I’m not.”
“He doesn’t believe you,” Lilah continued. “But I think I do.”
Becca studied her. Had she misinterpreted this whole interaction? Was Lilah truly offering a warning, instead of threats? “This thing between you guys and the Merrick brothers—I don’t want to be a part of it. I’m not what ... what you are.”
Lilah shrugged. “If you’re not, then you’ll be fine.” She stepped closer, and her voice dropped. “If you are, you’ll be killed, too.”
Oh, so they were back to threats. Becca shrugged her bag onto her shoulder and turned away. “Fine. Then leave me alone, and let the Guides do their job.”
“See,” said Lilah, “that’s what makes me believe you. You honestly don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”
Becca spun, hearing the disdain in the other girl’s voice. “I know that you guys all keep talking about Chris and his brothers like they’re dangerous. But I saw what Tyler and Seth did to Chris. Then they came after me here, at my job, and they would have hurt me if another customer hadn’t come along. Tyler was shooting at me Friday night. With a gun. That’s attempted murder. What’s the worst thing Chris and his brothers have ever done to you?”
