“That’d be great,” Laila replied. “But only if you promise not to reorganize the display case again. Customers like it just fine the way it is.”
Cora rolled her eyes. “I was just trying to make it more efficient.”
“You were driving me crazy,” Laila countered with a grin. “But I appreciate the effort. I’ll be back in the morning.”
Cora waved her off and set to work, wiping down the counters. The task was mindless, repetitive, and soothing, but as the minutes ticked by, the nagging sense of unease returned. She couldn’t pinpoint the source, but it prickled at the edges of her awareness, making her hyper-aware of every creak of the floorboards and shuffle of footsteps outside.
It wasn’t until she glanced up at the front window that her breath caught in her throat. Across the street, leaning casually against a lamppost, stood a man she recognized all too well. He was the same one who had followed her before—the one who had disappeared the moment Grayson had gotten involved.
Cora’s heart thudded painfully against her ribs. He was back.
She ducked behind the counter, sucking in a breath. Her first instinct was to confront him, to demand answers, but the rational part of her knew better. This wasn’t someone she could intimidate or scare off. Whoever he was, he wasn’t acting alone, and that meant he was dangerous.
Grayson’s face flashed in her mind, and for the first time, she didn’t hesitate. She pressed her fingers to the small charm bracelet Elena had enchanted earlier—a subtle but effective way to send a signal. Focusing on the charm, she pushed a spark of magic into it, and the energy pulsed outward like a beacon.
Seconds later, the bell above the door jingled again, and Grayson strode inside. His gaze swept the room and landed on her crouched behind the counter. He crossed the space in three long strides.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “I was just upstairs and had this…feeling.”
Cora gestured toward the window. “He’s back. The guy from before.”
Grayson’s eyes moved to the glass, and they went dark as he spotted the man across the street. Without another word, he straightened and made his way to the door. Cora stood to follow, but he shot her a warning glance over his shoulder.
“Stay here,” he ordered.
“Like hell I will,” she hissed, grabbing his arm. “You don’t get to play the lone wolf, Grayson. Not with this.”
His face softened just enough to let her see the worry beneath the stony facade. “Fine. But stay behind me.”
Cora nodded, and together, they stepped out onto the sidewalk. The man across the street stood at attention when he saw them approaching, though he was careful to keep his face looking unbothered. He didn’t run, didn’t hide—he simply watched them with a calm that set Cora’s teeth on edge.
Grayson stopped a few feet away, and his body was a wall of protective force between Cora and the stranger. “Who are you?” he demanded.
The man tilted his head, and a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. “Just passing through.”
“Bullshit,” Grayson growled. “You’ve been following her. Why?”
The man’s eyes slid to Cora, and she fought the urge to shrink back. “She’s a person of interest. That’s all.”
Grayson stalked closer. “For who?”
“You already know the answer to that,” the man replied. “Theodore has his sights set on this town. And her.”
Cora’s blood ran cold. Hearing Theodore’s name spoken aloud made the threat feel all too real. She glanced at Grayson, who was doing an admirable job of holding himself together, though she could see the tension coiling in his frame.
He was deadly calm. Until he wasn’t.
Grayson moved so fast that Cora barely saw it happen. One moment, he was standing a few feet away; the next, he had the man pinned against the lamppost with his forearm pressing into the stranger’s throat.
“If you or anyone else comes near her again,” Grayson snarled, “you won’t live to regret it.”
The man didn’t flinch. “You think you can protect her forever? Theodore doesn’t give up. And neither do the people who work for him.”
Grayson’s grip tightened, and for a moment, Cora thought he might snap. She placed a hand on his arm, trying to pull him back from the brink before he did something out in the open that could start a massacre.
“Grayson,” she said softly. “Let him go.”
His jaw flexed as he seemed to weigh his options. Finally, he released the man, who stumbled back with a laugh.
