“Do you have a gun?” Kyla asked.
I shook my head. “I don’t like guns. I have a few knives.”
“Good, start wearing them. But you need a gun too.”
Evie reached into her purse, ignoring Vas’s mutter about her gun being “tucked away where she couldn’t reach it.”
“Take this one. I’ve got spares. One of them is in my thigh holster.” She slit her eyes at Vas. “The purse gun is a backup.”
I gingerly took the Colt. Just touching it made a cold sweat break out on the back of my neck. From the pity in Vas’s eyes, he knew why. I cleared my throat and focused on Evie. “You sure?”
“Yeah. You know how to use it?”
“Point and shoot, right?”
Orin nudged me with his elbow. “She knows how to use it. She’s just being a brat.”
I attempted a grin. “Yeah, I can shoot. Thanks, Evie. Thanks—all of you. This sucks, but…it’s better with you all here.”
My gaze met Vas’s as I said the last part, and his eyes warmed.
* * *
Meredith
Some sixth sense woke me in the middle of the night, and I sat up, my head spinning as I shook off sleep. My hand trembled as I reached for the Colt on my nightstand. Wrapping my hand around it made me shudder, but I rolled my shoulders and padded silently to my apartment door.
I’d lived here for long enough that I knew which stairs creaked. I slowly eased my way down them, slinking into the empty bar.
I scanned the space. Nothing.
Something made me turn my gaze to the front door. A body lay next to it, big and dark in the dim light.
“Oh my god,” I breathed.
The body moved, and I shrieked, pointing the gun.
“Mere? Put that down.”
“Vas?” My heart was beating so hard, it felt as if it would pound itself right out of my chest.
“Who else?”
“You scared theshitout of me! What the fuck are you doing?”
“Mere. The gun.”
“Ishouldshoot you!”
He climbed to his feet and sent me his wicked I-dare-you grin. I scowled and placed the gun on the closest table. Then I leaned against the table since my legs were shaking so much I wasn’t sure if they’d hold me.
“I’m sorry.” Vas made his way over to me. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“What the hell are you doing here?”
His jaw tightened, and I groaned. I knew that look.
“I’m not leaving.”
