“It is. And I am.” He paused. “I’ll explain it all to you. I promise. But right now, I just need you to promise that you won’t say anything about this to anyone. And I mean no one.”
“Why not?”
“Because the livelihood of my pack depends on it. And so does your safety.”
“Your pack?” There was a pack of…what did he call himself? Shifters?…living here in her town?
“Faye.” He waited until she’d raised bewildered eyes up to his. “I need you to promise. Swear you won’t say anything, just for now, until I can explain everything to you.”
Her brain was short-circuiting. Or at least that’s what it felt like. And her heart was racing, a burst of adrenaline rushing through her bloodstream, invoking her flight-or-fight response.
Faye chose flight.
She didn’t know what the hell was going on, or if what she thought she’d just seen was true or not. But she knew what she was seeing right in front of her eyes now. Adam was healed enough now that he was pushing himself into more of a sitting position, every muscle rippling with renewed strength. And she needed to get out of there before he was fully recovered.
Pushing herself to her feet, she slipped in the drying blood and caught herself on the counter.
“Whoa…easy there,” Adam told her. He was on his knees beside her, hanging onto her thighs to keep her upright. She hadn’t even seen him move.
“I’m just going to grab some more towels,” she told him. “To clean up the floor. And for you, if you want one.”
His eyes narrowed. “Faye. Talk to me.”
“I just need to get towels.” Before he could stop her, she turned and slipped out the door and closed it behind her. Then she ran, her feet cold in her wet socks, heading for her car. She didn’t know where she was going, but she had to get out of there. Go somewhere public. Somewhere he couldn’t hurt her.
Strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her back inside and shutting the door. “Don’t run. Please, don’t run.”
Chapter 10
Adam
“You’re right,” she told him. Her voice was shaking. “This is my house. YOU go.”
Dammit. He was scaring her. “Faye, I swear I won’t hurt you. I just want to talk. Please, just give me a chance. Then, if you want, I’ll help you clean up and I’ll go.” When she didn’t say anything, he told her, “I swear to you, you’re safe with me. I was the guy you came to for help, remember?”
She was still tense in his arms, but after a moment, she nodded. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
She nodded again.
“Okay. I’ve got some clothes in my truck.”
“I can go get them for you.”
The chance of her getting his clothes or hopping into his truck and taking off with his overnight bag and his dinner was about fifty-fifty. Maybe forty-sixty. But he didn’t really have much of a choice. It was a miracle none of the neighbors had called the cops yet as it was. Luckily, the RVs at this park were pretty spread out this time of year.
Slowly, even though it was the last thing he wanted to do, he released her. “The doors are open.”
“What about…Jeff?”
“He ran off. And I don’t think he’s coming back. But if he did, I’d know.”
She didn’t ask him how he would know. With a quick glance back at him over her shoulder, she slowly walked down the steps. He watched her go to the passenger side of his truck, open the door, and pull out his bag. After a brief hesitation, she grabbed the pizza boxes too, then shut the door by pushing it closed with her shoulder and brought everything inside.
Adam took the bag from her. He was still a little sore in the gut, but it looked like everything had stopped bleeding.
“You can shower if you want,” she told him.
