"How can you trust anyone?" he asked. "Sometimes you just have to take the leap."
I wanted to roll my eyes but I couldn't risk taking them off him.
"How about this?" he continued. "You know what I am? You know what I can do?"
I nodded.
"Then, you know I could subvert your will. I could make you do whatever I wanted, right?"
Panic tried to crawl up my throat and I could barely breathe.
"I'm not going to do that, Merry," he said, his voice calm and even. "I haven't even tried, even though I'd really like to call Ava and Callum right now and have them meet us here. Please, please, just let me do that."
I struggled to control my fear and think about what he was saying. He was right. If he wanted to hurt me, he could have done it earlier. Or left me to Marcel. Or...
I narrowed my eyes. "You followed me back to my hotel yesterday, didn't you?"
His jaw tightened and I knew the answer was yes before he finally nodded. "You seemed upset. I waited until you were inside and then I left. That was it. I only wanted to make sure you didn't get hurt."
"Why?" I asked. He'd said that several times today, but he didn't know me.
He hesitated as though he were considering his words carefully. Finally, he answered, "The first time I saw you, I...felt a connection with you. As though I'd seen you before. Or as if I was meant to see you then."
It was my turn to be silent, because I knew exactly what he meant. I'd felt that connection between us, too. It had been there, beneath the flustered feeling and embarrassment, waiting to be acknowledged.
My answer was to slowly lower the pepper spray and Taser.
"Call them. I have a few questions of my own," I said.
Marcus lowered his hands and stepped back to put more distance between us and to make sure that I didn't feel threatened. One of the knots in my stomach loosened. He took care to move slowly as he removed his phone from his back pocket, tapped the screen a few times, and lifted it to his ear.
"I'm going to shut this door, okay?" he said. "No one can come inside, but I don't want them to see either."
I nodded, a short, jerky movement that felt awkward and disjointed.
"Marcel followed us here," he said. "I don't want to move her without back up." He listened to the voice on the other end. "I understand that. Is there someone else?"
After a few more seconds, he sighed. "Fine. Send Harrison. I'll bring her to the store and—" He paused, listening intently. His jaw flexed and I could almost hear his back teeth grinding together. "I don't think that's a good idea." He glanced at me, which made me even more nervous. "She's not going to want to stay with us now that she knows what we are."
I took a small step forward, hoping I would be able to pick up a little of the conversation.
"Here, I'm putting you on speaker so that Merry can hear what you're saying and tell you what she thinks herself."
Marcus lowered the phone and put it on speaker.
"Merry, I know you're upset and scared right now and I don't blame you. I'm also asking you to trust me, even though you barely know me. I want Marcus to take you to the house he shares with Callum. It's outside of the city and I promise you that you'll be safe there."
"I—"
"I realize that you know what we are and I know that's a lot of take in," she continued. "The cottage is warded and safe, but it's obvious that this vampire doesn't intend to leave you alone. It's best if you stay with Marcus and Callum until we can take care of the problem. I give you my word, bound by magic and blood, that neither of them will hurt you."
"People break promises all the time," I pointed out.
"When a witch binds magic and blood to her words, she doesn't break those promises. If she does, she pays in both."
In my mind, I saw the expression on Marcus' face when he fought with Marcel. I remembered the way he put himself between me and the other vampire. And the fact that instead of using his power to force me to drop my weapons and follow his orders, Marcus had used logic and words to convince me.
"I'm tired of running, Ava," I admitted, speaking the words I hadn't dared say out loud before. "I'm tired of being alone."
