13. Lincoln
13
LINCOLN
I couldn’t stop staring at her. It was a problem. I was usually so much better at keeping my cards close to my chest and not revealing a damn thing. But I couldn’t seem to do that with Arden.
Something about her pulled honesty out of me. Raw and real, no hiding.
And I was addicted to the feeling. Just like I was addicted to staring at her. Watching how the breeze caught her dark brown hair. How the bright afternoon sun hit the apples of her cheeks, revealing those hints of freckles. The way her mouth curved in the most tempting way.
And how she moved. It was just like her: bold, no holding back.
She stepped off the curb, and I knew I was going to lose her. She’d climb into her truck and disappear. I wanted to hold on to her for as long as I could. Hold on to the way she made me feel. But I knew I had to let her go. It was the only way she’d come back to me.
As she snatched the flyer off her windshield, my gaze stayed fixed on her, soaking up every movement. But then something changed. Her muscles tensed, and her hand began to tremble. The color drained from her normally tan face.
Panic shot through me, and I was moving before the conscious thought entered my head. “What is it?” I barked.
Arden trembled harder, but it was as if she didn’t hear my voice. Brutus let out a low growl at her side, obviously reading his human’s unease.
I peered over her shoulder at the flyer she stared at so intently. Angry, red letters had been scrawled across the top of it. I KNOW WHO YOU REALLY ARE.
“What the fuck?” I snarled.
Arden still stared at the note, completely frozen. Clearly terrified.
What the hell was going on?
I might not have the answer to that, but I had enough rage coursing through me that I wanted to end whoever had put this kind of fear into Arden. It took everything in me to gentle my tone.
“Arden, I’m going to take the note, okay?”
She didn’t show any signs of reaction. I pulled the paper from her, careful to only touch the very corner. Arden simply stared at the spot where it had been.
Fuck.
“We need to get you into the truck. Can you help me?” I laid a hand on her shoulder, and Brutus let out another low growl. My back teeth ground together. I was damn glad Arden had him looking out for her, but I also didn’t need him going for my jugular for trying to help. “Arden, I need you to tell Brutus it’s okay if I help you.”
She blinked a couple of times but didn’t speak.
“Tell him I’m a friend,” I encouraged.
“Freund.” Arden’s voice was more rasp than word, but Brutus eased a fraction.
“That’s it.” My hand wrapped around hers, gently uncurling her fingers so I could take the keys from her hand. “We’re gonna get you home, okay?”
She didn’t move, and I fought the urge to punch something. I moved to the driver’s door, then unlocked and opened it. I motioned Brutus inside, but he didn’t move. “Come on, pal, help me out. I’m trying to get her home. ”
The dog’s head cocked to one side, and then he leapt into the cab. I let out a breath of relief. I didn’t want to think about what it would’ve taken for me to get him into the vehicle if he hadn’t wanted to obey.
I set the flyer on the dash and moved back to Arden. My fingers curled around her shoulders and I turned her to face me. “We’re gonna get you in the truck. Can you help me with that?”
She was looking right at me, but it was as if she didn’t see me at all. As if she were in some other place completely. Finally, she nodded.
I guided her toward the door and helped her inside. She slid into the center seat automatically. I quickly climbed in after her and started the engine. Glancing over, I registered her still pale complexion, and my hands tightened on the wheel.
Maybe I should be taking her to a doctor or hospital, but all I could think about was getting her home. Safely.
Slamming the door, I threw the truck in reverse. I made the drive in half the time it normally took, glancing over at Arden every couple of minutes as if she might disappear in front of my eyes—into whatever alternate reality she was looking at as she absently stared out the windshield.
Because it was closer, I went to Cope’s house instead of Arden’s. I pulled to a stop in front of the massive structure, then eased Arden out of the vehicle, Brutus instantly following behind. It only took me a few seconds to hit the code for the door’s lock and get her inside. But when we reached the living room, she wouldn’t sit. She simply started shaking her head.
“Talk to me.” There was a pleading tone to my voice. Like I was begging. But I didn’t give a damn. I needed to know that Arden would be okay.
She blinked a few times, a little awareness coming back. “I froze.”
“You froze?”
Her hands fisted in my tee, twisting the fabric. “All my training and I just froze.”
A sick feeling slid through me. “What were you training for?”
Arden’s gray-violet gaze fully focused and collided with mine. “What to do in case they try to kill me again.”