contact with him. He wasn’t particularly tall but he stood a head above her and his reed-thin body made him seem to tower. Water dripped from his shaggily-cut brown hair, darkening it to almost black, and his dark clothes made him even more sinister in the low-light.
“Your heart is beating very, very fast.” Another step forward. He breathed in again, his nostrils flaring widely, and she didn’t think it was a normal sort of sniffing. His eyes bored into hers. “Want to explain why that is?”
Erik...help .
Chapter Fourteen
Erik all but heard Addie’s voice.
He felt the fast thrum of his heart and his own rise to answer it; felt the cold on her skin, the fear rushing through her veins.
But her voice, her words. Those were crystal clear in his brain, almost like she spoke directly to him.
Erik. Help .
He stormed through the dark house and tore open the front door. A storm was in full swing, thick dark clouds and rain having descended on the town. Fresh air hit his face as he stared out into the early night for a moment, then he slammed the door and ran.
Again that cord between them seemed to pull and he went in the direction it tugged him, racing barefoot across Addie’s lawn and onto the street. Ahead, the small town of Havelock was dark, just the lightning splitting the sky enough for him to make it out. Any remaining pain in his side or bruised muscles were forgotten, adrenaline pushing everything away. His gaze narrowed, feet hit the pavement faster.
I hear you, Addie. I hear you.
****
Angelica sat straight up in the back of the limo, her head swiveling as if listening.
Lincoln’s attention was drawn straight to her. “Angelica?”
“He’s alive.”
He hit the intercom and barked at the driver, “Stop.”
The limo came to a halt.
Angelica opened the sunroof and immediately rainwater drenched them, the sudden wild winds from outside invading their quiet space. She stood until her head was exposed to the elements, her long red hair whipping around her. From his vantage point, Lincoln saw her eyes close.
A moment later she sat back down. She didn’t smooth her hair back, the tresses hanging wildly around her, and her eyes were alight with murderous glee.
“Wherever he was, he’s out now, and he’s moving.”
Lincoln didn’t need to reach out with his own magic—he trusted her judgment. Instead he immediately reached for his phone to text his teams to be on the lookout.
The hunt was on and he’d soon have the stray’s head for his transgressions.
****
Before Addie could respond to the creepy guy before her, the man’s cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He eyed Addie for a moment before retrieving it, and glanced down at the message while still facing her.
“Hey,” the clerk started. “I’m sorry, but we’re closed, and if you don’t need the phone—”
“Shut up,” the man said harshly.
One of his companions peeked over his shoulder. “What is it, Rogers?”
The apparent leader, Rogers, frowned at the message for a moment, then a twisted smile curved his lips. “We’ve got him.”
Addie’s heart seized. Erik—
The front door crashed open suddenly and she expected to see the powerful, dark-haired shifter there. Instead her rescuer peeked around the trio congregating.
Her hopes sank as she recognized Robbie.
“There you are.” He smiled brightly but it was that smile she’d seen a hundred times—the one she now suspected wasn’t entirely truthful. “Got my truck around the corner. Since everything’s closing”—he gestured the store around them—“I’d better get you home.”
The weight in his words was obvious at least to her. Home.
She swallowed dryly and tipped her head down, moving around Rogers and toward Robbie’s outstretched hand. When his fingers locked on her upper arm, she took a steadying breath in. Whatever was going on, she’d be fine. Given the choice here, she’d prefer Robbie Milford, and at
“Your heart is beating very, very fast.” Another step forward. He breathed in again, his nostrils flaring widely, and she didn’t think it was a normal sort of sniffing. His eyes bored into hers. “Want to explain why that is?”
Erik...help .
Chapter Fourteen
Erik all but heard Addie’s voice.
He felt the fast thrum of his heart and his own rise to answer it; felt the cold on her skin, the fear rushing through her veins.
But her voice, her words. Those were crystal clear in his brain, almost like she spoke directly to him.
Erik. Help .
He stormed through the dark house and tore open the front door. A storm was in full swing, thick dark clouds and rain having descended on the town. Fresh air hit his face as he stared out into the early night for a moment, then he slammed the door and ran.
Again that cord between them seemed to pull and he went in the direction it tugged him, racing barefoot across Addie’s lawn and onto the street. Ahead, the small town of Havelock was dark, just the lightning splitting the sky enough for him to make it out. Any remaining pain in his side or bruised muscles were forgotten, adrenaline pushing everything away. His gaze narrowed, feet hit the pavement faster.
I hear you, Addie. I hear you.
****
Angelica sat straight up in the back of the limo, her head swiveling as if listening.
Lincoln’s attention was drawn straight to her. “Angelica?”
“He’s alive.”
He hit the intercom and barked at the driver, “Stop.”
The limo came to a halt.
Angelica opened the sunroof and immediately rainwater drenched them, the sudden wild winds from outside invading their quiet space. She stood until her head was exposed to the elements, her long red hair whipping around her. From his vantage point, Lincoln saw her eyes close.
A moment later she sat back down. She didn’t smooth her hair back, the tresses hanging wildly around her, and her eyes were alight with murderous glee.
“Wherever he was, he’s out now, and he’s moving.”
Lincoln didn’t need to reach out with his own magic—he trusted her judgment. Instead he immediately reached for his phone to text his teams to be on the lookout.
The hunt was on and he’d soon have the stray’s head for his transgressions.
****
Before Addie could respond to the creepy guy before her, the man’s cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He eyed Addie for a moment before retrieving it, and glanced down at the message while still facing her.
“Hey,” the clerk started. “I’m sorry, but we’re closed, and if you don’t need the phone—”
“Shut up,” the man said harshly.
One of his companions peeked over his shoulder. “What is it, Rogers?”
The apparent leader, Rogers, frowned at the message for a moment, then a twisted smile curved his lips. “We’ve got him.”
Addie’s heart seized. Erik—
The front door crashed open suddenly and she expected to see the powerful, dark-haired shifter there. Instead her rescuer peeked around the trio congregating.
Her hopes sank as she recognized Robbie.
“There you are.” He smiled brightly but it was that smile she’d seen a hundred times—the one she now suspected wasn’t entirely truthful. “Got my truck around the corner. Since everything’s closing”—he gestured the store around them—“I’d better get you home.”
The weight in his words was obvious at least to her. Home.
She swallowed dryly and tipped her head down, moving around Rogers and toward Robbie’s outstretched hand. When his fingers locked on her upper arm, she took a steadying breath in. Whatever was going on, she’d be fine. Given the choice here, she’d prefer Robbie Milford, and at
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