She sighed against my hand, and then gave me a slow nod.
“Alright, I’m doing it.” I slowly pulled my hand back, and watched with bated breaths and a pounding heart as she kept looking at me.
“You good?” I asked her.
She nodded again.
“Perfect. Just don’t talk –at all– and we’ll be golden, huh, babe?”
Another nod.
I exhaled in relief and turned to Shane. “Let’s go.”
He moved to the door, and shielded me and Zaira from a few paps that began surrounding the area as we left the store.
I kept one arm around Zaira’s waist, and the other at the ready for when/if she decided to suddenly start cursing again.
“Step back, please,” Shane told one of the paps. “Back, I said.Back.”
I swallowed as I glanced sideways at Zaira. She had no expression on her face, which was scaring the shit out of me. If she began screaming again, the media hawks would have a fieldtrip with the footage and photos. I didn’t want her to be a subject of amusement for them – oranyone, for that matter. And, God forbid, if that happened, then it’d upset and stress her, and I wouldn’t be able to take that.
“Go straight home, you understand me?” Shane said with warning in his eyes when the three of us stopped in front of my Porsche.
“I’ve learned my lesson,” I mumbled as I opened the passenger side door for Zaira.
She got in without a word, and didn’t even look at me when I shut the door.
I faced Shane. “Thanks for helping us,” I said to him. “I didn’t even know what to do in there. I was clueless and scared.”
He clicked his tongue. “It’s part of my job to keep your ass safe, so you don’t have to thank me for anything I did just now. Just…” he gestured towards Zaira with humor on his face. “Keep this creature out of trouble.”
I chuckled. “Stop calling her a creature, and maybe I will.”
He rolled his eyes. “She’s not a normal human being, I’m telling you.”
I shook my head as I grinned. “Yeah, and neither are you. I’m surrounded by aliens, but what can I do about it?”
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I’m an alien ‘cause I’m bald. I get it.”
I shrugged. “Your words, not mine.”
“Just go home before I lose my shit on you, G.”
I laughed. “Graphic.” I winked at him as I opened my car door. “Thanks again for the assist, man. I mean it,” I told him.
His eyes softened, and he smiled at me. “You got it, kid. Drive safe, and text me when you’re home.”
I gave him a two-finger salute. “Will do. You and Anna good with all this?” I jerked my head towards the lingering paps.
Shane smirked. “We got this, don’t worry.”
With a smile, I got in my car and shut the door. I looked to my right, and found Zaira sound asleep. Her head was rested against the closed window, and she had her arms wrapped around herself.
I sighed as I ran my fingers through my hair. I started the car, pulled my phone out of my pocket, and dialed his number. I put the phone to my ear and waited for him to pick up, and when he did, I scowled when I heard the smile in his voice.
“Hey-hey, pretty face.”
“My girlfriend is broken. What did you do, Dylan?”
