"Exactly!" Krystal threw her hands up in exasperation.
I rubbed my chin, brow furrowed. This unknown male was a real problem. "Well, if he somehow found out you had his son, perhaps it infuriated him. Maybe that's why he's targeting you."
"But why would he attack a woman who just looked like me?" Krystal asked.
Tavi spoke up softly. "What if he thought it was you? It’s been a long time, and maybe he was drunk, too."
Krystal paled, eyes going wide. "God, that's disturbing. And dangerous." She wrapped her arms around herself. “Yeah, he was pretty drunk that night, too.”
Seeing her fear, my protective instincts kicked into gear. I placed a hand on her shoulder. "Okay, that's it. You're coming home with me. Go pack a bag for you and Bryce. Enough for a week."
"I think that bastard cut up most of my clothes," Krystal said miserably.
"We'll get you covered on clothes until you can go shopping," Tavi said as Rissa nodded.
"Can you take a week off work?” I asked. “I don't want to have to station wolves there with you for every shift if possible."
She took a deep breath and nodded. "I have some vacation time saved up. I'll call my boss first thing. I can tell him the truth. He is Kendrick’s dad, after all."
Kenneth was a good man and had been managing Z’s Place for a good decade or longer. "Good." I squeezed her shoulder. "We'll keep you safe. I promise."
Chapter 16
Rissa
After poppinga few ibuprofen for my mild hangover, I grabbed a bag of clothes for Krystal and drove over to Nathan's house. As I pulled up, I found Krystal sitting on the porch, cradling a steaming mug of tea between her hands.
"Brought you some things," I called out as I approached, holding up the bag.
Krystal's face brightened. "Oh my gosh, thank you so much." She set down her mug and hurried over to take the bag, rummaging through it. "These are perfect."
The front door creaked open, and Nathan stepped out, stretching his arms overhead like he had justrolled out of bed. His shirt lifted as he rose up on tiptoes, and I caught a glimpse of taut muscles and a happy trail. Oh, man. That was not easy to look away from.
And then he caught me looking. Freaking perfect.
"Morning," he said, his deep voice still gruff with sleep.
I cleared my throat, trying to ignore the fluttering in my stomach. "Morning."
An awkward silence stretched between us. Krystal glanced between us curiously. I wrenched my gaze away from Nathan's, focusing on her instead. "Let me know if you need anything else, okay? I'm happy to help."
"I really appreciate it," Krystal said earnestly. "It means a lot."
I nodded, already backing toward my car, eager to escape the heavy weight of Nathan's stare. "I should get going. Take care, both of you."
"Thanks again." Her smile was warm and genuine. "Maybe we can have lunch soon? Catch up properly?"
"Sounds great."I meant it. It'd be nice to have a friend again. I couldn't remember the last time I'd had a social life.
Nathan walked me to my car, his presence sending prickles along my skin. "Thanks for this," he said quietly. "She's lucky to have you."
"Of course. Anytime." I smiled tightly. "See you around, Nathan."
A woman stepped out of the inn next door, catching my attention. Tall and elegant, with an air of quiet wisdom, I immediately sensed the otherness about her. A dragon.
Nathan glanced toward the inn. "Hey, before you go, come meet my friend, Erin."
Why not? I hadn’t met that many dragons. Thanks to their curse, all the males had to hibernate for ten years every century or so, and Gavin had told me the dragon clan that lived in Stock Creek was just now starting to wake up from theirs.
