Someone gasps, and I turn to the woman who stands by his side. “You were attacked?”
“I… well… by a floorboard?”
Her brow furrows and she looks up at Ty. “Is she the one you were telling me about?”
“Yeah, sweetheart,” he says, his eyes moving to Evan and then back again. “She is.”
“Ahhh, okay.” She steps forward, pulling me away from Mal as she hooks her arm in mine. “It’s nice to meet you, Lexi. I’m Kay.”
“Hi,” I squeak.
“Kitty!” she calls. “Let’s show Lexi around.”
“Oh, no,” I say, shaking my head. “You don’t have to—”
“Of course, we do! You’re Evan’s friend.”
“Kay,” Ty warns.
I look behind me, my eyes meeting Evan’s, catching him watching me. His shoulders are up high, his arms crossed over his chest. The way his eyes stare has a shiver rolling through me. I’ve never been looked at like that before.
I can’t understand why she’s here, much less why Dad brought her here. I’ve had to cancel one of my self-defense classes this week because I was being followed—by one of Darrell’s brutes no doubt.
There was no way I would lead them to the community center, not when that class is full of women who are trying to get away from the hell that they live in. So, I canceled, knowing it was the safer option. But in the back of my mind, I knew that staying away from Lexi was the right thing to do. Even if the timing was right, and I hadn’t long broken up with Geena or I wasn’t working this case; I still wouldn’t have gone there.
I don’t think.
Shaking my head, I try my hardest to concentrate on what Luke and Dad are talking about, but I can’t seem to tear my eyes from her as Kay and Kitty lead her into the warehouse.
There’s something about her that draws me to her; some kind of pain that our souls seem to connect with. I know it?
??s hopeless, there’s no way that we would work, but I can’t stop the fantasy of being able to touch her skin, of being able to feel her lips against mine from running through my mind on a daily basis.
I have a feeling that I won’t be able to get away from her, or this feeling, no matter what I say or do.
“Evan?”
“Huh?”
“Come on,” Luke says, slapping my shoulder and tilting his head at the warehouse. “They’ve all gone inside.”
I take a step forward then come to a stop. I can’t go in there, I can’t sit with her and listen to her soft voice as she talks to everyone. “Nah, I’m gonna head back to my cabin.”
As soon as the words are out of my mouth I’m moving as fast as I can toward my cabin before he calls me on my bullshit.
“Oh, no you don’t.” I feel a hand land on my shoulder and then I’m being pulled back. “What are you running from?”
“What?” My eyes widen as I stare into his ice-blue ones. “I’m not running from anything. I have things to do.”
“No you don’t.” He smirks, moving his gaze to the warehouse before narrowing his eyes in thought and looking back at me. “Is she the reason you called things off with Geena?”
“What?” I pull out of his hold, pushing my shoulders back and standing at my full height of over six feet. “Of course, it’s not. Things with Geena were over for a while before I ended it. You know this.”
“I do.” He nods. “But that doesn’t explain why you’re running the minute that the pretty brunette turns up.”
I blow out a stuttering breath, realizing that I’m going to have to give him something to get him off my back. “I can’t go in there,” I confess. “I can’t sit with her—”
“Oh, damn.” He stumbles back a step. “You—her—you—”