Page 12 of Guardian

“What for?” she continued, to buy herself more time. “If you’ve seen my file, you know I’m already going crazy. And you also know that I’ve got nothing you could want, no money, no possessions.” She reached for the knife and gripped it, then pointed it in Logan’s direction. “Now get out.”

“Winter, please, hear me out.” He pointed to the knife. “Put it away or you’ll hurt yourself. I won’t come any closer. I have no intention of hurting you, physically or otherwise.”

He didn’t seem to be intimidated by the sharp knife in her hand, and that fact made her nervous.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Logan Frazer.”

“Your name is immaterial. Are you a criminal?”

“No, though I have to confess I entered your shop even though the door was locked.”

She knew it! She’d been certain that she’d locked it.

“So you are a criminal! I told you already I have nothing. No money, nothing of value. I can barely make the rent every month.”

“I’m not here to rob you. I’m here because—”

He interrupted himself and snapped his head in the direction of the door to the shop.

Her heart suddenly started pounding. Instinctively she held her breath, and then she heard it too: the wooden floorboards in the shop creaking under the weight of somebody’s foot.

“You should leave before I scream and that customer hears me,” she warned now.

He whirled his head back to her. “That’s not a customer. The door is still locked. Whoever is in your shop broke in.”

Confused, she opened her mouth to respond, but then Logan’s phone pinged.

He pulled it from his pocket and looked at the display. “Shit! Demons!”