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No, really. It didn’t.
Luke’s eyes followed her gaze. “Her? That’s Georgie. She’s one of our waitresses. Now what did you need to talk to me about? And why are you here?”
Her tiger growled in annoyance inside her, and she quickly swallowed it down before he heard it. She understood where her cat was coming from, though. He hadn’t told her what she really wanted to know. But why she even cared about what Georgie was to him, she wasn’t sure.
Glancing around to make sure no one was close enough to hear things they shouldn’t, she took a breath and looked back at Luke. “Did you ever hear what my gift is while you were staying in Durga Valley?”
He frowned thoughtfully, quiet for a moment. “It’s something about sensing threats, right?”
“Yeah. It’s a flawed gift, for the most part. I get a general sense of who the threat’s directed at, but I don’t always know where it’s coming from, or even what it is.”
“So you’re here because of your gift?”
She nodded. “Yes. There’s a threat to the Enforcers, and more specifically, to you.”
“That doesn’t surprise me much. There are usually threats to us, mostly from the people we’re hunting. What I’m trying to understand is why you didn’t just call us. I know Jameson has our numbers.”
“I’m sure you guys usually are under threats. You face a lot of danger with your occupation. But this feels different. In all the time I’ve known you, I’ve never sensed the threats you’ve had leveled against you. But I do with this one. This one is big, and it’s urgent. Please don’t take it lightly.”
He nodded thoughtfully, looking into space for a moment before his light blue eyes met hers again. “You never answered my other question. Why didn’t you just call? If this is dangerous and urgent, that seems like it would have been the best course of action.”
Biting her lip, she hesitated, not sure how he’d react to that answer. “Well… okay, it’s like this. Sometimes, all I sense is the threat. Other times, I get different impressions along with it. Who harbors the intent, where it’s coming from, when it’ll happen. This time, what came to me with it is the knowledge that for you guys to win and not be hurt, I have to be here. That’s why I had to come here instead of calling.”
He stared at her unblinkingly before frowning. “No, absolutely not.”
She cocked her head. “No, it’s true. That’s what I sensed.”
Shaking his head, he slashed a hand through the air. “Not that. I believe you sensed that. I meant, no, you’re absolutely not staying here. The Enforcers can deal with this. You need to go home.”
“What? No, I can’t. I have to stay here. You’ll be lost for sure, and damage could be done to the others in your crew. My gift was clear on that.”
“We haven’t lost yet, so it’s doubtful we will now, especially since you’ve warned us to be on the lookout.”
“That isn’t how this works. Without me here, the odds of you all losing are far higher, and you might not survive.”
“It’s a chance I’m willing to take,” he replied, standing up.
She eyed him with disbelief. “Where are you going? We’re not done.”
“We are. You’ve said your piece, and I’ve said mine. I’m thankful that you warned me, but you really should have just called. Would have saved you the trip. Go back home to Durga and your brother. That’s where you belong.”
Tarun stared in disbelief as Luke spun on his heel, walking quickly away and disappearing down a hallway with a Members Only sign above the archway. She hadn’t thought she’d be welcomed with open arms, but she never thought she’d get that kind of reaction, either.
Anger was heating her blood, boiling hotter the more she thought of their conversation. Where she belonged? Where the hell did he get off? The prick didn’t even consider her point of view. Just arrogantly stated he could handle himself and then ordered her home before walking off.
She’d be damned before she let him think he could tell her what to do. She’d had enough of that in her archaic, backward tribe. She’d just gotten her freedom, just been granted the ability to make her own decisions without a man’s input, a year and a half ago. And she wasn’t going to let anyone take that from her.
Even if the man in question did suddenly make her stupid when she looked at him.
He thought he could order her home? She glanced at where Blake was serving a customer at the bar, determination settling over her. She’d see about that.
Standing, she caught a glimpse of Georgie smirking at her, and t
he anger in her veins boiled over. She’d had more than enough of these people.
Too bad she was stuck with them, because she wasn’t going anywhere. Luke and Georgie would both just have to get used to it.
Luke’s heart was racing as he quickly climbed the stairs to his room. Letting himself in, he ran a hand through his hair, swearing when he noticed the fine tremble in his fingers. Where the fuck had that reaction come from?
