He doesn’t want anything, Maeve. You can’t force him.
“Right. Well, I’ll just, uh, leave then. Bye now.”
“I don’t think so.”
Huh?
“You’re not going anywhere, girl.”
2
Maeve stared up at Gray in shock.
She couldn’t leave?
Had she gone from the frying pan into the fire?
She backed away from him, looking around nervously.
“You’re not leaving on your own. It’s not safe.”
She let out a long breath. Okay, he was worried about her safety.
Whew. Now she felt terrible for doubting him.
He really was just a nice, kind man.
“Come on, let’s get you out of here.”
She followed him toward the entrance of the alley. Ouch, her feet hurt. She glanced down at them. Shoot. Where were her shoes? And her handbag?
“What were you thinking coming back here in the dark? It’s not even safe during the daylight,” he scolded.
She stared at him in surprise. “I didn’t c-come down here by choice.” At least her shaking was starting to ease. Although her stomach didn’t feel any better.
He grunted. “Those bastards pulled you off the street?”
“Yes.”
“But you were walking around on your own?”
What was with all the questions? Then again, she guessed he had some right to ask since he’d been the one to rescue her.
“Yes.”
“That wasn’t smart, girl. If you’re going out, you’re safer in a group. And you don’t leave that group. You never walk around late at night on your own.”
She gazed up at him. “Do you always lecture women you’ve just met?”
“Only when they’ve made stupid decisions.”
Ouch. “You don’t pull your punches, do you?”
“Nope. Let’s go.”
“We might be able to leave if you’d stop lecturing me,” she grumbled.
“It’s okay, I can scold and walk at the same time.”