of your business.”
“You can’t even walk, and Mia is freezing. Please, just wait here and let me pull the car up. I’ll drop you off wherever you want to go.”
Mia stood shivering, arms wrapped around herself for warmth, or comfort. Ryleigh pulled her sister closer, tucking her under her arm.
“Please?” His cocky smile returned, and he turned it on her full force.
Her feet pleaded with her to accept his offer. She scrubbed her free hand over her face, and slivers of pain stabbed her. “Oh, fine. But you’re dropping us off at my car, and then I don’t want to see you again. Are we clear?”
His smile widened. “Be right back.” With that, he took off, jogging down the alley into the darkness.
She must be crazy. How could she even contemplate going with him?
Mia rested her head on Ryleigh’s shoulder. “Thank you, Ryleigh. I didn’t want to walk all that way.”
“Here, honey. Sit down.” She helped Mia to the ground and sat beside her.
Mia curled into a ball and laid her head on Ryleigh’s lap.
“I’m not sure what’s going on here, but we’ll be home soon.” Small bits of sticks and leaves had tangled in Mia’s hair, and Ryleigh tried to work them free.
Mia smiled but didn’t open her eyes. “I’m just exhausted, and I want a shower.”
“Me too.” She gave up and smoothed the mess of knots.
Jackson didn’t make them wait long. He pulled a dark colored car into the alley, hopped out, and jogged to them.
Ryleigh remained sitting. “I guess you’re feeling better?”
He appeared perfectly normal, no lingering effects from the injury he’d suffered.
“I heal fast.”
That cocky grin shot straight to her heart. “No kidding.”
“Come on.” He lifted Mia into his arms. “Grab my arm.”
Ryleigh used his arm to pull herself off the ground. Her feet were on fire. She took a few steps on her own then gave in and leaned on Jackson’s arm until she slid into the passenger seat.
Jackson placed Mia gently on the back seat. Before closing the door, he brushed the wild mass of hair out of her face.
Warmth spread through Ryleigh.
“Where to?” He climbed in beside her, threw the car into reverse, and hit the gas.
“They brought me here in the ambulance and left my car across town.” She started to give him the address, but a memory surfaced. A silhouette moving toward her. “You were there.”
“Yes.”
She waited.
He didn’t elaborate.
She stared out the window and watched the miles pass. Everything looked so ordinary, so normal. People moved on with their lives as if an earthquake hadn’t rocked the city only a few hours earlier. As if a very large, strange man hadn’t tried to kill her. As if he hadn’t shot a fireball from his fingers and disappeared into a world that couldn’t possibly exist.
She studied his profile.
His full mouth had thinned to a firm line, his forehead wrinkled in a frown of concentration.
The urge to reach out and smooth his brow overwhelmed her, and she quickly averted her gaze.
Strong hands gripped the steering wheel, hard. The same hands that had so gently—“Hey.” The ignition sat empty. “Where are the keys?”
His answering grin told her all she needed to know.
“Let us out. Now.”
“We’re almost there. As soon as I drop you off I’ll return the car to the hospital and leave it a few spots away from where I took it.”
She shouldn’t ask, shouldn’t get any more involved with this stranger who appealed to some deep part of her she didn’t understand, elicited feelings that scared her. “Why not leave it where you found it?”
“If the owner already looked for it and couldn’t find it, maybe he’ll think he just forgot where he parked.” He shrugged. “I wouldn’t have taken it if it wasn’t an emergency, but I had to get you and your sister out of there.” He met her stare, held it. “Would you consider following me and letting me take you somewhere safe so we could talk?”
“No.” She held
“You can’t even walk, and Mia is freezing. Please, just wait here and let me pull the car up. I’ll drop you off wherever you want to go.”
Mia stood shivering, arms wrapped around herself for warmth, or comfort. Ryleigh pulled her sister closer, tucking her under her arm.
“Please?” His cocky smile returned, and he turned it on her full force.
Her feet pleaded with her to accept his offer. She scrubbed her free hand over her face, and slivers of pain stabbed her. “Oh, fine. But you’re dropping us off at my car, and then I don’t want to see you again. Are we clear?”
His smile widened. “Be right back.” With that, he took off, jogging down the alley into the darkness.
She must be crazy. How could she even contemplate going with him?
Mia rested her head on Ryleigh’s shoulder. “Thank you, Ryleigh. I didn’t want to walk all that way.”
“Here, honey. Sit down.” She helped Mia to the ground and sat beside her.
Mia curled into a ball and laid her head on Ryleigh’s lap.
“I’m not sure what’s going on here, but we’ll be home soon.” Small bits of sticks and leaves had tangled in Mia’s hair, and Ryleigh tried to work them free.
Mia smiled but didn’t open her eyes. “I’m just exhausted, and I want a shower.”
“Me too.” She gave up and smoothed the mess of knots.
Jackson didn’t make them wait long. He pulled a dark colored car into the alley, hopped out, and jogged to them.
Ryleigh remained sitting. “I guess you’re feeling better?”
He appeared perfectly normal, no lingering effects from the injury he’d suffered.
“I heal fast.”
That cocky grin shot straight to her heart. “No kidding.”
“Come on.” He lifted Mia into his arms. “Grab my arm.”
Ryleigh used his arm to pull herself off the ground. Her feet were on fire. She took a few steps on her own then gave in and leaned on Jackson’s arm until she slid into the passenger seat.
Jackson placed Mia gently on the back seat. Before closing the door, he brushed the wild mass of hair out of her face.
Warmth spread through Ryleigh.
“Where to?” He climbed in beside her, threw the car into reverse, and hit the gas.
“They brought me here in the ambulance and left my car across town.” She started to give him the address, but a memory surfaced. A silhouette moving toward her. “You were there.”
“Yes.”
She waited.
He didn’t elaborate.
She stared out the window and watched the miles pass. Everything looked so ordinary, so normal. People moved on with their lives as if an earthquake hadn’t rocked the city only a few hours earlier. As if a very large, strange man hadn’t tried to kill her. As if he hadn’t shot a fireball from his fingers and disappeared into a world that couldn’t possibly exist.
She studied his profile.
His full mouth had thinned to a firm line, his forehead wrinkled in a frown of concentration.
The urge to reach out and smooth his brow overwhelmed her, and she quickly averted her gaze.
Strong hands gripped the steering wheel, hard. The same hands that had so gently—“Hey.” The ignition sat empty. “Where are the keys?”
His answering grin told her all she needed to know.
“Let us out. Now.”
“We’re almost there. As soon as I drop you off I’ll return the car to the hospital and leave it a few spots away from where I took it.”
She shouldn’t ask, shouldn’t get any more involved with this stranger who appealed to some deep part of her she didn’t understand, elicited feelings that scared her. “Why not leave it where you found it?”
“If the owner already looked for it and couldn’t find it, maybe he’ll think he just forgot where he parked.” He shrugged. “I wouldn’t have taken it if it wasn’t an emergency, but I had to get you and your sister out of there.” He met her stare, held it. “Would you consider following me and letting me take you somewhere safe so we could talk?”
“No.” She held
Similar Books
