Knowing someone else was concerned about Jenny lightened Breena’s load, even if it didn’t actually make things any easier for her. Besides, him being good with Jenny made him even more drool-worthy. Normally, her sister hesitated to make new friends, but not with him. She’d taken to Myles fast, following him around like a little lost pup, hanging on his every word.
Larry, the Radio Shack salesman, cracked open the door. “Hey, Breena, kill the lights when you’re done. Wanna get out of here ASAP tonight.”
Guess she’d been given her cue. She tossed the last of the boxes into the cardboard compactor and flipped off the switch. The only light came from the neon exit sign on the wall and the open door leading back into the store.
“Gotta hot date, Larry?”
He held the door open for her. “You know it. Goin’ out with an ASU freshman.”
“Score.”
“Oh, I plan on it.” He grinned.
Hell, everybody was getting some. Even dumb-as-dirt Larry had a sure thing. He wasn’t the brightest crayon in the box–Jenny had taught her that one–but he was mighty fine...for the steroid-takin’, muscle-flexin’, self-lovin’ type.
“Dang, some phone call.” Tammy clicked the receipt pen on the countertop. “I’ve gotta pee like a Russian race horse.”
“Sorry. Started breaking down boxes. And Larry was talking about–”
“Yeah, yeah. Later.” Tammy hustled past Breena. The glossy redhead took her sweet time when it came to a line of customers but let her bladder get full or open a bag of McDonald’s fries and she’d move faster than Jeff Gordon on race day.
Breena checked the clock on the wall: 6:30 PM.
Plenty of time.
But by the time her coworker finally returned from her pee break, it was almost seven. Breena snatched up her candy bars and rushed to the parking lot where her battle-worn Beetle waited to take her to the next war zone. She’d polished off the Snickers by the time she took the exit for the school.
She got to campus late, which meant all the good, safe up-close spaces had already been taken. Breena was forced to park in the lot next to the sea of oak trees with kudzu dripping over the branches. An invisible weight pushed down on her shoulders and, when she reached into the backseat for her backpack, she noticed goosebumps on her arm. When she opened the car door, the silence pressed against her and tension crept down her neck.
Someone was watching her.
She glanced around before making a wild dash for the Teagle building but didn’t see anyone. Even after she’d made it inside and found an end seat she didn’t stop thinking about the parking lot.
The three-hour Addiction and the Family class droned on and on. She broke the Butterfinger into little chunks and sneaked bites when the professor wasn’t looking.
Even in a classroom full of students that empty feeling gnawed at her. Breena chewed the inside of her cheek for so long a little bump formed. After jotting down the homework assignment, she followed the crowd into the hallway. The group split and dwindled, until she found herself walking to her car alone. She buttoned her sweater and folded her arms over her chest.
Breena was more than halfway across the lot before she saw the two guys standing next to her car. She tried not to make eye contact.
“You Breena Cross?” The white guy closed the distance between them.
“Who’s askin’?” she shot back.
“The witch has attitude.” The black guy moved closer.
“Hey, who you calling a witch, ass?” She gripped her car key tight against her palm, ready to go for the eyes first.
It happened so fast, she didn’t even have a chance to use her makeshift weapon. The white guy pinned her against the car door and her keys fell to the ground.
“We got her,” the white guy said. His breath smelled like rotten hamburger.
She tried to push him off her, but he forced her even harder into the door handle.
“He’s gonna be real happy with us, Jay,” the white guy practically sang.
Breena wondered who “he” was, but only for a second, because the guy’s lips pulled back and she saw his teeth. They were flat but, somehow, they looked sharp.
Sharp? What the hell?
His gaze was a roaring fire of hunger. Predatory. It looked like he wanted to rip her throat out.
He made a low growl and pressed his lips to her neck. A sound like crazed bees buzzed in her ears, nearly deafening her. She didn’t know what to do. Her palms began to sweat and, for a moment, she thought the blue light would be her saving grace, but her hands only shook.
“Back away from her.” The man sounded calm enough, but his voice had an edge to it that meant business.
“You lookin’ to lose a fight?” Jay swiveled around.
“I never lose.”
He appeared out of nowhere, grabbed Breena’s attacker by the back of his shirt and threw him a good two or three parking spaces down the lot. The black guy froze in place.
Her savior’s ears sprang up through his hair into two sharp points.
The two guys got one good look at the pointed ears and hauled tail.
Breena didn’t blame them for running. She would’ve joined them if curiosity hadn’t got the better of her. Besides, it was hard to be too scared of someone who’d just saved your life and looked sexy as all get out. So what if he had weird-looking ears?
“What are you?” She fidgeted with the strap on her backpack, swallowing her nerves.
He smiled, revealing beautiful not-at-all-sharp teeth. “You can’t tell?” He sounded surprised.
“No.” She twisted her hair. “Should I be able to?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve had very little experience with halflings.”
“You didn’t answer my question.” Halflings?
“No. I didn’t.”
Annoyance chasing away the last remnants of fear, Breena let out a little huff. Was he trying to push her buttons?
He moved closer, his steps as graceful as flowing water. His eyes caught her attention immediately–a ghostly pale-green with a golden circle around each pupil. Standing by her side, he propped himself against the VW.
“Amazing,” he whispered, staring at her. His gaze was intense, and slightly bewildered, as if he were trying to solve a riddle.
“What is?”
“Your soul. It’s strong.”
Weird much? She shifted on her feet, eyeing the keys on the ground.
“Sorry. You must think I’m a crazy superhero-wannabe.” He shook his head and traced his finger along his open palm. “Your kind is so rare.” His eyes lit up as he smiled. He stooped to pick up the keys and handed them to her.
Breena snatched them and started backing away from the car as nonchalantly as possible.
About to run like hell? Me?
“You asked what I am,” he said.
She hesitated. Nodded.
“I’m a preternatural.”
“A what?”
Should I be scared?
It didn’t sound too horrifying–it wasn’t like he’d said vampire or anything.
“The original preternaturals were vampires who tried to become human again.”
Oh sweet baby J.
“Do you drink blood?” she gulped, taking another couple steps away from him.
“Not anymore. The thought’s revolting. We have a more sophisticated palate now.”
His bright eyes darkened and something told her it would be a good idea to get off the topic of food. “What’d you mean by halfling?”
“Just that. Half and half.”
She crossed her arms. What am I? Coffee creamer? “Half preternatural?”
“Yes.”
Geez, somebody was tight-lipped. “What’s the other half?”
“The most delicious part. The human half. A witch.” He gave her a strange, emotionless smile and his ears tipped through his hair, briefly, before retracting again.
Witch?
What the hell was going on? When
her attacker had called her a witch earlier, she’d assumed he’d been insulting her, in a PG sort of way…
“What do–”
Her questions were put on hold when she caught a glimpse of campus police. Too little; too late. If it hadn’t been for–she realized she didn’t even know his name–she would’ve been a goner.
The rent-a-cop’s car idled and he leaned out the window. “Everything okay here, kids?”
The officer’s comment didn’t sit well with Breena, not one little bit. She didn’t like being referred to as a “kid.” She hadn’t been a kid since the first time she’d seen Norma hit Jenny and realized she’d protect her no matter what.
Her nameless hero strutted over to the car. “We’re fine.”
The rent-a-cop–she recognized him as Larry’s cousin–nodded. “I’ll just head out. Y’all have a good night.”
“How did you–”
But her savior wasn’t there.
A car revved behind her. “Hey?”
She spun around to see him driving up to her in a white Honda Accord. He didn’t exactly look like a sedan kind of guy, but who was she to judge?
He rolled down his window and Breena leaned in, since he looked like he had something to say. “I’ve never not completed an assignment before.”
“Guess there’s a first time for everything. Wait. What assignment?”
His pale-green eyes held her gaze. “Good night, Breena. I look forward to seeing you again.”
“Hold up. I don’t even know your name.”
Not answering, he shifted the car into drive. She took a step back, still gawking as he rolled up the window.
More confused than ever, she moved away. He waited until she’d skedaddled over to her car, got in, shut the door and started the ignition.
Then he took off like a bullet.
Chapter 4
Shock ricocheted through Orin Heider.
What have I done?
His queen would be so disappointed. Okay, maybe pissed off was more accurate. What a terrible inconvenience it would be for her when she had to kill him, her favorite assassin, for his disobedience. He’d never failed her before. Of course, he’d never met anyone like Breena before and he’d been a preternatural a long time. He pictured Breena threatening those werewolves with her car keys and had to smile. Damn, she was plucky.
Still, that was no excuse for such a horrific lapse in judgment. In duty. Maybe if he went back and took her out now, his first failure would be overlooked. Or he could hope that someone else would finish the job. Obviously, someone other than the queen of the preternaturals had it out for her. His stomach muscles tightened at the thought of her alone and vulnerable, with a target on her back, and he groaned.
What the hell is happening to me?
He should’ve let the wolves kill her–Djinn only knew it would’ve saved him a lot of trouble–but he’d taken one look into those eyes, dark as African violets, and been unable to look away. He couldn’t let them snuff out the fire he’d seen blazing beneath her fear.
Even now, alone in his hotel room in this pitiful excuse of a town, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He sighed, impatient with himself and this new weakness. Instead of imagining the way her lips would taste, he should be trying to figure out his next move, since he didn’t plan to report back to the queen. She would probably send Zadalia, her second in command, to find him.
No. That didn’t make sense. The queen would send Zadalia to take out the target first then find him. He couldn’t even think straight. What was wrong with him?
Two words.
Breena. Cross.
Orin had to have her. He wasn’t afraid of an obstacle. When he wanted something, he got it and, for the time being, what he wanted was Breena. To protect Breena. He had no obligation to her–totally the opposite, in fact–but he wanted to look out for her. Something about her reminded him of a long-forgotten part of himself.
He hadn’t been human in centuries and was glad not to be. Immortality had its rewards. Women, supernatural and otherwise. Money, piles of it after investing decade after decade. Power. Strength. And the obvious, living forever. But still, here he was, putting everything on the line for a teenage halfling who didn’t even know what she was.
Or was he? There was another part to all this. The most important part, without doubt. Her soul. Djinn, how it sang to him. He could listen to its melody for hours, temptation be damned. Unlike the soul of any other human or halfling he’d met, its tune combined the subtlety of a beating hummingbird wing with the power of the raging sea.
Was he really risking his life for her? Or for a chance to taste a soul so utterly intoxicating?
* * * *
What the hell was that? Breena laughed in the darkness of her car, trying to ignore the hysterical note in the sound.
Geez, I thought I’d left my freak-bait in my other jeans.
No way did she believe what that sexy lunatic had told her. It had to be some kind of frat prank to get into an unsuspecting girl’s pants. Step one, frat-jerk sends posse to scare the bejesus out of the target. Step two, hero swoops in to save the day. Step three, hero gets laid. Step four, satisfied guy reunites with gang to discuss his conquest over beers. Well, she wasn’t falling for it. She was stressed enough without adding Freaks Gone Wild to the mix.
Despite Breena going the actual speed limit on the interstate and five under the twenty-five mile per hour limit through town, the drive back to Jenny and Myles flew by.
Breena parked in the space next to Myles’s car and tapped her fingers along the steering wheel. She’d gone back and forth over telling him about the…attack, or whatever, but she’d finally decided not to. She didn’t want him to worry. Besides, she didn’t need to tell Myles everything. It wasn’t like they were dating. He wasn’t even interested in her. They were just friends.
Her car door slammed shut–even though she’d tried to ease it closed–echoing through the little duplex farm. Crickets chirped as if they’d just figured out how to do it and had to compete to see who’d win first place in loud.
The Gossip Girl credits rolled as she walked in the front door. Jenny must’ve finagled her way into watching her favorite show. She was already too old for her age.
Damn, you’re one to talk, Breena reprimanded herself.
Jenny’s legs were plopped onto Myles’s lap. She’d passed out. Her silky brown hair lay messily around her shoulders. A bead of sweat formed at her hairline and she had a soft little smile on her lips. Breena’s heart clenched. Jenny was her sister in every way that counted. Breena didn’t want to take her back to Norma’s tomorrow. Matter-of-fact, she downright dreaded it.
Myles snapped around to watch her shut and lock the door.
“Jenny missed you.” His gaze followed her like a shadow.
“Thanks for watching her.”
“You’re welcome.” He tossed a pillow off the couch, making room for Breena to sit next to him.
She sat on the coffee table next to empty Japanese food containers instead. “What’d y’all do?”
“We ate and watched a really inappropriate show for a girl her age.”
Breena laughed. “Okay, Grandpa.”
“Watch it, young lady.” He grinned. “Back in my day, things were a lot different.”
“Um, hello, we’re not livin’ in the 1800s.”
“Not anymore.” He stretched his arms out along the top of the couch, muscles flexing. For a second, Breena pictured herself curled up in his lap, his arms around her, and Jenny by their side. As fast as it popped into her mind, it popped out. After all, Myles wasn’t offering. Besides, there were bigger fish to fry, so one thing at a time. She needed to figure out a way of getting Jenny away from Norma. Priority number one.
“Bree?”
“Huh?” Her eyes flew open at the sound of her name. She hadn’t realized she’d closed them.
“How’d class go?”
“Oh, uh, right. Good,” she stammered.
“Yeah. No, everything’s fine. Just tired. I didn’t think it’d ever end.”
They sat in silence for a few minutes with the low hum of the TV on mute in the background.
Myles was everything she wanted, but he couldn’t or wouldn’t make a move. She didn’t understand it. Not that having a boyfriend would make her life any easier, but it sure would be nice to feel safe and protected. Desired.
She thought about tonight and her nameless pseudo-hero. It was just her luck that when a total hottie saved her life he turned out to be a complete nutjob. She shook the sight of his pale-green eyes out of her head. As if she needed more problems.
Jenny shifted, pulling Breena back into the present. Myles’s gaze seemed to try to read hers, but for the moment, the book was closed.
Jenny’s head lolled back over the armrest and she woke up. “Sis, you’re home.”
Perfect timing.
“Sure am. How’d you talk Myles into watching Gossip?”
“Ah, man. Is it off?”
“Yeah.”
“You fell asleep right after it came on, silly.” Myles flicked her big toe.
“Hey.” Jenny kicked his hand.
“Okay, you two. Jenny needs to go to bed.”
“I changed the sheets and there’s an extra pillow in the closet if you need one.” Myles nodded toward the door in the hallway.
“We’ll sleep on the couch.”
“No, you’ll sleep in my bed.”
Jenny snickered.
It wasn’t necessarily Myles’s words causing Breena’s pulse to race and her libido to voice its opinion, but the way he’d said them. She wanted to be in his bed...next to him...twirling those curls, touching him. Didn’t he want it too?
“Bree?”
“Uh, if you insist.” She stood, ready for the day to be over.
He peered up at her through thick dark lashes. “I do.”
* * * *
Breena woke to light streaming through the mini-blinds and the smell of greasy goodness hanging in the air. She snuggled deeper into the covers. She was in Myles’s bed. At his insistence. Of course, she was alone, because it wasn’t like that.
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