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“I will be.”
“What happened?”
“Ukinim.”
He paused. “What do you want to do?”
“I want to go home, but I can’t go looking like a drowned rat. If Tom sees me, he’ll know straight off I was on that pier.”
“I’ll run upstairs and get you some of my clothes, but you really need to take care of that gash. Is it from Ukinim?”
“That or his buddy.”
“There aretwoof them?”
I sighed. “I’m full of all kinds of good news tonight.”
David went upstairs while I taped large gauze squares over the wound.
He returned with a T-shirt and I pulled it over my head, my damp tank top still underneath.
“Can you walk home?”
“It’s not like I have a choice.”
We hobbled down the street, my leg throbbing with every step. David helped me up the stairs, following in silence. There were still a number of people milling about behind the apartment building, and a cacophony of sounds bounced around in the night. I was so eager for the safety of my apartment that I didn’t notice the person sitting in one of the plastic chairs on my porch until I almost stumbled upon him.
Collin leaned back in the chair, narrowing his eyes. “Well, aren’t you the cute couple?”
David’s arm stiffened around my waist.
I groaned. “Not now, Collin. I’m too tired for more drama.”
“What happened out there, Ellie?”
“Ukinim showed up, that’s what.” I pushed David’s hand away and started to look for my key when I realized I hadn’t locked the door. In fact, I hadn’t even closed it. Collin must have.
“Why in God’s name would you go out there alone?” Collin asked. He shot David a condescending look. “Or did you take your new friend with you?”
“I went alone.” I lifted my eyebrows. “Satisfied?” I leaned into the railing, white-hot pain shooting up my calf. “I woke up when I heard a woman screaming. Since my palm was itching, I knew it was supernatural. Which meant calling the police was not an option. I considered calling you, but I wasn’t sure you could—orwould—help. So I went alone.”
“Why would you even go at all?”
“Because we let those things loose, Collin.” I stepped forward and jabbed his chest with my finger. “You and me. If you think I’m going to let some woman get her insides shredded while I lay in bed listening, you don’t know me at all.”
“You could have been killed, Ellie! It was stupid and reckless.”
“Maybe so.” I lifted my chin in defiance. “But I’d do it again.”
Collin’s face contorted in rage, and he turned his attention to David. “So you’re the college professor who’s supposed to be helping her? Where the hell wereyou?”
Fury blazing inside me, I shoved Collin’s chest, and he stumbled backward.
“Excuse me?Do you think heownsme, Collin Dailey? Do you think I’m some witless girl who needs a man to boss her around?No onetells me what to do. I thought you would have figured that out by now.”
His face darkened. “He’s going to get you killed, Ellie. He doesn’t know a goddamned thing.”
“Well, at least he’s trying, which is a hell of a lot more than you’re doing.”
